Reflecting on the essence of a happy life and the containment of the soul, I had to admit that the feeling of connection to another and the power and strength of the community had been a pillar along my personal journey.

It is not a secret that the majority of the ancient cultures and wisdom stress the need and value of the community, or sangha, in Sanskrit. The Sangha is there not just as a support but also as a reminder of our own work, as a subtle whisper that can allow you to keep growing, and keep improving.

Community is not just about feeling surrounded by like-minded people (although there are many benefits to this); it is about sharing a goal, about looking at the present and future ahead and remembering the past that brought us together.

It is for that same reason that when opening the sacred space in any of the traditions that I practice as a ceremonial, we always keep a special place for the lineage, the ancestors, the community, to the Parampara or Guru Shishya. In that particular moment, you can sense the energy of all of those who came before you, holding the wisdom that unite us in that precise moment. It is something magic and recomforting and a reminder of the power that comes from people, from the sisterhood and brotherhood of human beings connecting to enhance the threads that, in one way or another, unite us all.

As a society moving forward, we should remember the deep connections that our ancestors had with each other, nature, and the cosmos as a humble reminder of the power and magic that those moments, rituals, and ceremonies had in the welfare of the community and in the processing of the different situations and encounters they faced. Our responsibility as holders of this wisdom is to encourage others to share and bring light and a spark of connection to all around us, acting by example, practising what we preach, and holding the torch of light even in the darkest of nights.

Hari om tat sat.