There are often multiple opportunities in our day-to-day lives to connect with each other, which I may not have always noticed or acted upon in the past. However, I know that when I genuinely connect with someone, even as simply as authentically giving my thanks to the barista in the coffee shop, or to the self check-out assistant in the supermarket, I feel my mood lift immediately afterwards. This feeling often lasts for a few hours too. I’ve found that these connections have felt even stronger since attending the retreat, and I hope this will continue in my daily life for a long time to come.
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The benefits of connection
Katie Tarling • June 27, 2023
Lessons from a retreat
I was fortunate enough to have recently attended a '100 Human' weekend retreat run by Tony Riddle. The main focus was on connecting inwardly to our own bodies, feelings and emotions, but also on connecting outwardly towards the others on the retreat and to humanity in general, so it seemed apt to write about connection this month. It's also World Welbeing Week as I write, and connection is a pivotal part of our wellbeing.
Dacher Keltner describes how the actions of other people were most likely to bring their study participants everyday awe - I highly recommend the book 'Awe - the transformative power of everyday wonder'. Dr Rangan Chatterjee also discusses connection in his book 'The four pillar plan' - where he discusses the potential health impact of feeling socially unconnected, which can also stimulate our stress response system. He also notes that levels of a stress hormone cortisol tend to be higher in lonely people.
I regularly practice tapping into the connection between my mind and body during my Breathwork practice, and whilst doing my yoga, Pilates, or stretching. The more I practice this inward connection, the easier it becomes. I encourage all my Pilates participants to tune into the feelings in their body throughout each class, not only to help them to move within their comfortable range of movement, but also to support their mind-body connection. Many have told me that the relaxation section at the end of the class is their favourite part, which gives them the opportunity to lie still, and tune into their breath and their body for a few minutes.
The connection between people is heart-warming to observe and those few minutes of connection and catching up with each other before classes begin are just one of the multitude of possible benefits that comes from attending a regular weekly group such as Pilates. I personally get this sense not only from teaching my groups, but also from attending regular groups myself, such as tennis lessons and choir.
The social benefits of attending Pilates were recognised by my participants in a recent survey where 37 percent, of participants who responded, noted the social benefits of attending a weekly Pilates class. If you're keen to increase your sense of connection to others, and to yourself, whilst being led through some gentle movements and exercises for both your body and brain, then drop me an email and book into a regular weekly Pilates class at Hook Community Centre. Or if you're interested in becoming more connected to your breath, and to learn how to use the breath to balance your energy levels, reduce stress, boost digestion, and improve sleep, do contact me about my next Breathwork workshops. Plus watch this space for some NEW mindfulness groups coming soon too!
We can also consider connection in relation to our connection to the Earth and to the planet. I regularly walk in barefoot style shoes which helps me feel more connected to the ground when I'm out walking and running, and I love walking in my garden barefoot and feeling the ground under my feet. I've also rather surprisingly become a huge fan of open water swimming and love that connection to the outdoors while I swim. I'm hoping to form a connection with a carbon off-setting company and will announce this once it's all set up. I also try my best to recycle when I can, and have started to change some of my toiletries and cosmetics to be less toxic and therefore better for me and for the planet.
Another way I try to connect is through food. If I remember, I take a brief moment before starting a meal to be thankful to the people involved in getting the food to my table, or perhaps to take a moment of gratitude for the sun and the rain for helping the food to grow. This can have the effect of helping me remain more mindful as I eat and therefore more aware of the tastes and the textures, increasing my enjoyment of the food and slowing myself down as I eat.
A fantastic podcast called 'Feel Better Live More', hosted by Dr Rangan Chatterjee and featuring Dr David Perlmutter, went into detail on how the connections between certain areas of our own brains can become temporarily disrupted, particularly when under stress or when in a state of chronic inflammation. Dr Perlmutter's closing remark on how to live better was to connect with ourselves more, and with our day to day present moments. I can highly recommend giving episode 368 a listen.
Connect with Katie
If you're keen to connect with a warm and welcoming group of people in a regular weekly Pilates class, or in a Breathwork workshop in Hook, send me an email and book your place. You'll find answers to frequently asked questions here and I'll happily answer any questions you may still have.