Hello, December, here we are again at the end of another year. We get ready for the holiday season, which for many is about reconnecting with family and friends. We prepare to wrap up the year, and it’s a great time to reflect on what we’ve learned and what is most important to us. This year, it looks like we have the chance to be together in new old ways with others. So, it’s a great time to reflect on what connections are important to us, and how we cultivate those.

At the end of November, I had the opportunity to lead an in-person and virtual workshop on Gratitude. Being back in the studio felt familiar and novel. As people started to arrive, I felt a rush of emotion at seeing real people that for the past 18 months I had only seen in a square on a screen. It was a beautiful afternoon, and we all felt the warmth and comfort of gathering together. We were also able to include some workshop participants who joined via Zoom from outside of Austin. What a lovely combination of old and new, as we joined the on-line and in-person communities together. And when we closed with 3 Om’s we felt the shared vibration deep within us, and that sweet memory of previous connection that we once took for granted, brought us to tears.

When we could not be together, we found ways to join through the wonders of on-line meeting platforms. We loved the convenience, and that we didn’t have to drive or fight traffic. It was great fun to practice with people from across the country, and even from other countries. We found ways to keep our practice going, and even cultivated a more consistent practice. It’s a great alternative but lacks a level of connection that you get when you are actually physically present with others. I’m grateful that it seems that we can now build practice communities in both ways –when we can be together and when we have to be apart.

I invite you to take some time as the year winds down to reflect on how you connect. What has been significant in the past year? How do you want to move forward into 2022? You might consider how you connect with others, with nature, with the work you do, and most importantly how you connect with yourself.