"What are you yearning for?"

This weekend was an unexpected emotional whirlwind for me as I attended a self-care workshop called Finding Your Fuel, hosted by author, Alex Elle. On Sunday, I shared space with 25 amazing women who all came ready to do the work of healing from the inside out. I was way overdue for a good soul-cleansing “ugly girl cry” and I always cry when other people cry so I’m sure you can imagine the waterworks in the room! We got deep…really deep. I loved every minute of it.

Alex started with music meditation and deep breathing. Then, she opened with this question,

“What are you yearning for?”

She gave us time to write and the only “rule” was to answer the question in a complete sentence.

I am yearning for _____________________.

Writing that sentence with “I” holds you accountable to your feelings. When it was time to share, many of us had the same response –

I am yearning for community.

We are all yearning for a sense of belonging. We’re yearning for a group of people who aren’t our family (mom, spouse, kids) that we can talk through our feelings, goals and fears with – people we trust. We’re yearning for a community of people we can learn from and grow with and laugh through our tears as we hug and say, “I thought it was just me!” There was a lot of that going on on Sunday!

Community, love and a strong sense of belonging are at the core of true well-being.

I was nervous about being so vulnerable in a room full of strangers…but I’m so glad I showed up for myself and laughed, cried, laughed while crying, ‘journaled,’ listened and held space for the other women in the room. We all have so much more in common than we’ll ever realize.

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As you move through your week and reflect on the progress you’ve made in May, maybe it’s time to reexamine your community. Who are your people? How do they make your feel? What is your role in the group? Is there synergy between what you give and what you receive? Can drawing closer to people you trust help you get that much closer to your fitness goals? Hint – the answer to that last question is probably yes.