At varying times in your life, you may need different people and communities to feel connected and supported. Making new friends – at any age – can be daunting and overwhelming.
Self-reflection is one way to explore your intentions in friendship and community. For some, keeping one or two deep friendships is most nurturing and, for others, a wider social circle and a variety of relationships makes them happy.
Personality types, strength finders, and descriptors are popular ways for people to gain insight into how they interact in different situations. Are you introverted or extroverted? An architect, mediator, or adventurer? Are your strengths being empathetic, analytical, futuristic?
Ayurveda offers a helpful pathway in understanding how you show up in relationships and what may serve you best in your social interactions.
Learning more about your dosha, or mind-body type, allows you to gain a deeper understanding of how you give and receive love in relationships.
For example, Vatas bring excitement and spontaneity to their relationships, and thrive in relationships when their desire for space is grounded in a feeling of safety and security.
Pittas bring an intensity and passion to their relationships, and thrive in relationships when they feel valued and appreciated.
And Kaphas bring nurturing and ease to their relationships, and thrive in relationships when they are accepted for who they are, with gentle encouragement to try new things.
Try these tips to find your community:
Consider local activities or places you enjoy, for example, yoga, pick up basketball, a book club at the library, or a cooking class. Let your passions guide you to the communities where you feel safe and happy.
Take a deep breath. Be gentle with yourself, and know that friendships take time to nurture and cultivate. Accept that relationships are about the journey – an ever-evolving process where we revisit how we feel, what we are grateful for, and how we can contribute.
Be inclusive of others, knowing so many people are lonely. Perhaps through volunteering an age group or demographic that is different from your own, you build a bond with someone you never would have thought could be a friend.
Where it is safe to do so, get off video calls and put your phone away. Indulge in meeting people in face to face – meet for coffee, go for a hike, play a game of chess! Savor their expressions, body language and how they tell their story.
Do you bump into the same person at different times? Does someone say something that is an echo of a thought or conversation you had earlier in the day? Meaningful coincidences are the magic that connect us to moments and relationships of purpose.
Last but not least, don’t compare your friendships to others. Social media can make people feel lonelier and different from others.
Engage, nurture, trust and be open. Know that one meaningful connection may be the greatest gift of your life.
Nourish yourself, connect with fellow attendees, and enjoy the ultimate well-being experience at the Chopra Health Retreat at CIVANA.
Self-reflection is one way to explore your intentions in friendship and community. For some, keeping one or two deep friendships is most nurturing and, for others, a wider social circle and a variety of relationships makes them happy.
Personality types, strength finders, and descriptors are popular ways for people to gain insight into how they interact in different situations. Are you introverted or extroverted? An architect, mediator, or adventurer? Are your strengths being empathetic, analytical, futuristic?
Understanding Yourself to Connect with Others
Ayurveda offers a helpful pathway in understanding how you show up in relationships and what may serve you best in your social interactions.
Learning more about your dosha, or mind-body type, allows you to gain a deeper understanding of how you give and receive love in relationships.
For example, Vatas bring excitement and spontaneity to their relationships, and thrive in relationships when their desire for space is grounded in a feeling of safety and security.
Pittas bring an intensity and passion to their relationships, and thrive in relationships when they feel valued and appreciated.
And Kaphas bring nurturing and ease to their relationships, and thrive in relationships when they are accepted for who they are, with gentle encouragement to try new things.
Discover New Connections and Make New Friends
Try these tips to find your community:
Set your intention for friendship
Reflecting on the types of connections you are seeking. Do you want to find a group of people you can have fun with or with whom you can study and learn something new? Do you think just one new person in your life is right for now?Consider your dosha as you reach out
When you engage with new people, remember to be true to who you are and how you prefer to build bonds with others.Find people with common interests
Consider local activities or places you enjoy, for example, yoga, pick up basketball, a book club at the library, or a cooking class. Let your passions guide you to the communities where you feel safe and happy.
Accept that it can be hard to reach out to someone new
Take a deep breath. Be gentle with yourself, and know that friendships take time to nurture and cultivate. Accept that relationships are about the journey – an ever-evolving process where we revisit how we feel, what we are grateful for, and how we can contribute.
Honor kindness
Be inclusive of others, knowing so many people are lonely. Perhaps through volunteering an age group or demographic that is different from your own, you build a bond with someone you never would have thought could be a friend.
Meet people in person
Where it is safe to do so, get off video calls and put your phone away. Indulge in meeting people in face to face – meet for coffee, go for a hike, play a game of chess! Savor their expressions, body language and how they tell their story.
Pay attention to synchronicity
Do you bump into the same person at different times? Does someone say something that is an echo of a thought or conversation you had earlier in the day? Meaningful coincidences are the magic that connect us to moments and relationships of purpose.
Last but not least, don’t compare your friendships to others. Social media can make people feel lonelier and different from others.
Engage, nurture, trust and be open. Know that one meaningful connection may be the greatest gift of your life.
Nourish yourself, connect with fellow attendees, and enjoy the ultimate well-being experience at the Chopra Health Retreat at CIVANA.
