By Gynae Davalos
With over 340 million people in the United States and the technology to communicate with anyone in the world, how could anyone feel lonely?
Apparently, loneliness is such a serious problem that the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, announced it as a public health crisis earlier this year: Recent surveys have found that approximately half of U.S. adults report experiencing loneliness, with some of the highest rates among young adults.
He has considered it a crisis because: Loneliness and social isolation increase the risk for premature death, heart disease, anxiety, depression, dementia - it goes on and on.
In other words, physical human connection is crucial to the survival of our species. And EarthBacon's holistic healing modality of the 3Ms - Mushrooms+Meditation+Mediation - helps make those connections within each human.
Have you ever been to a concert where everyone in the building is rocking out, vibrating so high off the music from their favorite artist? That is the feeling of life and living and connecting and loving.
While we all can't go to a concert every single day, we can fill our lives with this high-vibrational feeling of exuberance. The simplest gesture of making someone smile - whether it's the cashier at the grocery store, the barista at a busy coffee bar, your neighbor, a teacher - could flip their whole day around for the better. Loneliness isn't an expression easy to identify, but being nice, kind, and friendly to everyone is quite easy. It's also excellent for your overall health and spirit.
There is a scientific term for the chemical reaction in our bodies and mind when we have feel-good moments and experiences; in non-scientific terms, it's happiness. We're all here for it, but some of us have a harder time than others harnessing and capturing it. Connecting, sharing, and being around those that have similar interests or hobbies or enjoy the same activities has a profound positive effect on one's wellbeing and is a surefire remedy for loneliness and isolation.
Combatting negative, low-vibrational feelings begins with reflecting inward and taking a deep look into oneself. Anything one could want for their life is within reach, but it takes effort from within to grasp it.
Here's how EarthBacon's philosophy of the 3Ms - Mushrooms+ Meditation+Mediation - can help the lonely no longer linger alone:
Mushrooms - The mere existence of mushrooms is one of connectedness; they don't grow from seeds, but rather a network of just the right conditions to flourish and fruit. Their mycelium arms 'talk' to each other, reach out, and connect on a path towards the same goal of blossoming into a beautiful, beneficial mushroom community. Therapeutic mushrooms interact with the human body in a similar way; they reconnect the disconnected parts in our brain to help us realize and remember we are beings full of love, ready to share love, and be loved.
Meditation - In the quiet stillness of meditation, each deep inhale and exhale brings one
closer to truths about oneself. It is within this calm and peaceful moment one can reflect, manifest, and reconnect with their spirit and unravel their feelings and thoughts of loneliness in order to let go and heal. There are endless distractions in this world to keep one from understanding the root of the problem; with meditation, it is the serenity in each breath that brings one closer to the answer.
Mediation - The mere act of reaching out for help is a magnificent step towards healing the pain of loneliness and isolation. How would anyone know one needs help if they don't ask for it? The formal definition for mediation is, 'intervention in a dispute in order to resolve it.' With loneliness, the dispute is with oneself and the 'why's' of feeling this way and how to resolve it. A mediator guides and supports a person through the process of healing and resolution without judgement or bias, only understanding and great care.
It doesn't matter how quirky, awkward, or weird one thinks they are - humans are weird - or how anxious one might become. There will always be someone to connect with because we are all connected; we are all beings of energy pre-loaded with love .
Be a friend to the friendless, keep someone company to not be alone, and share because there are people who care. Life is too short to dwell in a negative headspace - uplift and elevate - our health is dependent upon it!