Loneliness

No, this is not a Sanskrit word!! This is an English word that is defined as a feeling in which people experience a strong sense of emptiness and solitude. Loneliness is often compared to feeling empty, unwanted, and unimportant. Someone who is lonely may find it hard to form strong interpersonal relationships.

One of the first recorded uses of the word "lonely" was in William Shakespeare's Coriolanus, "Though I go alone, like a lonely dragon..." Act IV Scene 1. How well Shakespeare put it.

Over the past few weeks I have become very aware of many people who are lonely and in need of contact with others. And so, our Yoga Philosophy of the Month is being put on hold for a bit. Poets, songwriters, playwrights, artists from all walks of life have expressed their feelings of loneliness in verse, song, drama and paint since the beginning of recorded time.

Today we are asking everyone who reads this letter to sit with this thought for a bit, and to recognize those in our daily lives who may be in need.

 You CAN make a huge difference to the quality of someone’s life by reaching out to that one person. In the yogic tradition, we do not expect self-gratification for this action. Our aim is to include others, to ease the path of someone who may be suffering (often in silence.) I could go on and talk about loneliness and it’s very close ties to depression. Only recently we lost one of our studio members to suicide. We did not know that this person was so lonely. The pain of living was too great. We needed to open our eyes, and to REACH OUT. Please, everyone.

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