THE HEALING POWER OF COMMUNITY

BY DR. BROOKE STUART

Having a community, or a group of people that come together for the betterment of all, is a fundamental key to health and well-being. There is power in community, where we are able to connect, join together, uplift and awaken to each other through the power that lies within.

Being part of a group energy through a team, yoga class, meetup group, church, sporting event, service project or any other empowered collective has been proven to have a myriad of healing psychological and physiological benefits ranging from the alleviation of distress, depression, addictive behavior, inflammation, insomnia, heart disease and a number of other broad spectrum disease states.

It’s the perfect way to collaborate, increase awareness, and share experiences while giving and receiving support.

At times, it may seem easier to retreat into isolation. However, these moments may be the most important times to extend your reach into a new yoga class, a supportive community or into the office of an enlightened professional.

In this tech-driven age, it is easier than ever to get caught up in an unfulfilling type of pseudo connection. Here, it is all too easy to seek validation through external metrics, feeling even more isolated and alone behind the guise of a screen. However, it is also easier than ever to connect with old friends, meet new people, join empowering groups and find events that resonate with you— like the “It’s Just Yoga” Health &

Fitness Festival’s – It’s Just One Moment Meditation.

It’s all about perception, intention and choice, and the internet can amplify and affirm both sides and what we believe to be true. As Aristotle said, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” and in this day and age, when it is all too easy to close ourselves off and look down, I encourage you to look up, reach out, engage, extend a hand and to be in community. I encourage you to acknowledge the next person that crosses your path, smile, take an extra moment to hold the door, make some feel comfortable in a potentially awkward situation and be kind—because you never know how your presence can impact that one life and each and every experience you encounter. It starts with you.

So tap in, take it in, add value and show up because within community, you just may find that you come home to yourself.

Dr. Stuart is a doctor in Maitland, specializing in holistic counseling and functional medicine, tailoring treatment plans for her patients and partnering with them to meet their health goals. For more information on her private practice, check here: www.drbrookestuart.com!

JOIN US AS WE CREATE CENTRAL FLORIDA’S LARGEST MEDITATION MOMENT! FREE TO THOSE WITH SMILING FACES AND OPEN HEARTS

3:30 P.M. It's Just Yoga Health & Fitness Festival Register at: ItsJustYogaFest.com

It’s Just One Moment [Orlando], guided by Dr. Brooke Stuart, founder of Let Go & Grow® International, is about gathering together, being in community and waking up to each other through the power that lies within.

One Moment is your reminder to reconnect, reset and remember who, what and where you are—leaving you with a simple, 3-minute, heart-based practice that you can recall anytime, anywhere and activate right away to reenter into that one moment for the better.

There are over 7 billion people on the planet, 300 million in the U.S., 20 million in Florida, and 200,000 in Orlando— all of which can be impacted by you, in just one moment.

Thank you, Chris Vella – State Farm Insurance Agent, for your support of It’s Just One Moment.