Community

“I don’t laugh in spite of the pain; I laugh because of the pain.”
- Dalai Lama 

Neuroscientist Dan Siegel used the quote above to explain how we can acquire resilience and perhaps even joy, in spite of the difficult situations we encounter, read, or think about.  “Easier said than done!” you may be saying to yourself. Siegel explains it’s a matter of reframing: think of the sad, scary, or painful situation as a challenge rather than a threat. Well, fine, but that’s not exactly easy to do either, is it? It’s especially difficult during those dim and lonely times when we catch ourselves spiraling into negativity. But that’s when the power of social connection reveals itself as the force for healing and comfort that it is.

Stephen Porges, another brilliant thinker in the realm of navigating the traumas of life, explains that the “social engagement system” is meant to be our default system, even if it isn’t always used as such. In other words, the way we can best deal with suffering and adversity is through connection with others. It’s the way we are hardwired as mammals. “Social connection tunes that part of our nervous system that gives us the greatest resilience,” says Siegel. (Watch the Netflix series “Living to 100” for many other examples of the power of connecting with others.)

Our online Qigong community is a great resource for connection and social engagement. Yes, we’re physically distant, but we’re not socially distant because the classes are live. We engage with each other, learn from each other, and laugh with each other. At the Science of Tai Chi/Qigong conference last month I was grateful to see how much research is being done to investigate the value of live, online learning, and how significant its benefits are proving to be. In-person classes are likely even more beneficial, but the convenience of online classes allows more regular participation for a greater number of people, thus fortifying its value.

So, let’s gong on, online Qi-gongers! We’re right where we should be, cultivating our resilience and wholeness, together with each other.