This Week's Mindful Morsel 🍪 | June 18, 2025 — From social atrophy to community care
Happy sweet Wednesday to your tender heart đź’ś
I talk about self care a lot, and I think it deserves that conversation because many of us are taught to be ashamed of or feel guilty about how we take care of ourselves, and much of self care has been co-opted into a heavy consumerism industry that, frankly, I think is hogwash. So I like to keep it front and center on our priority lists.
I also think we can’t ONLY self-care and call it a day; it’s not the only ingredient we need for heart-filled living. We also need community care.
Community care is very much like self care: it’s a relationship of giving and receiving. How are you caring for your community, and how is your community caring for you?
Many of us have shied away from community for a variety of reasons like competitive culture, financial issues, safety concerns, mental health challenges, insecurity, and growing reliance on technology to replace human connection.
I listened to an episode of The Diary of a CEO recently where Esther Perel (LOVE HER!) talks about social atrophy, particularly in terms of the digital dating age, but I think it applies across many realms of our cultural existence.
We’re seeing firsthand how this affects our society on a very large scale: political and social divisiveness, lack of social navigation skills, inability to have challenging and constructive conversations, algorithmic echo chambers, etc. etc. etc. It’s hurting us at the macro and micro levels, and it’s something we can affect directly with personal action.
I’ve definitely shied away from community in many ways at different times in my life, and I’m finding myself in a time and space where I want to reach out more. Not intrusively, but symbiotically and with discernment. With curiosity and (slightly trepidatious) eagerness to see and be seen. And it feels a little scary and totally worth it.
This is a big reason why I encourage you to step out and join a community in-person yoga practice, even if it’s not one of mine. This is a relatively small step you can take within the next week or two that can make big change.
There is so much richness to be had in sharing space with others, even if you don’t say a word. Energy vibes are pervasive. It’s give and receive out there. Be open to it. Peek out into the world and let yourself be seen. We all could use that a little more.
With encouraging energy,
