Kula: Cultivating Community

By Kaya Mindlin, CSYT and Premal Patel, MD

“In vasanta (spring), persons should spend midday happily in the company of friends, engaged in pleasant games, pastimes and story telling.” ~Ashtanga Hrdayam(ancient Ayurvedic text) 3.25

In the Spring, nature’s buds and branches reach toward the warmth of the sun. We human beings also emerge from the quiet of winter, and reach out to loved ones, craving the warmth of community.

The vedic tradition out of which Ayurveda originated, held high the concept of community. The Sanskrit word kula (pronounced koo-la) is a single word rich in meanings including:

• clan
• family
• tribe
• community
• intentional group

Ayurveda clearly describes the benefits of social interaction and the risks associated with social isolation. Being in healthy relationship with others keeps us “in check” and we are less likely to develop unhealthy habits. Have you ever noticed it’s easier to develop bad habits than good ones – the more so when we are alone? Those around us encourage and bring out the best in us.

“The ‘I’ in illness is isolation, and the crucial letters in wellness are ‘we’.” ~ Author unknown

From the Ayurvedic perspective, loneliness is considered both a symptom and a cause of vata imbalance. As such, loneliness can intertwine with other vata imbalances including insomnia, addiction, anxiety, digestive sensitivities and excess thinking.  Thus, social interaction is in fact considered a remedy for vata imbalance, and is particularly emphasized in ancient texts as a valuable component of a springtime healing regimen.

In the modern western world, we prize individuality – perhaps to our own demise – with many people spending much of life in isolation. Scientists are now looking into the impact of human relationships (and the lack there of) on health. A recent study published in the journal for the National Academy of Sciences, used brain imaging to reveal that the same region of the human brain that reacts in physical pain also responds to social loss or rejection. In other words, the brain’s experience of social loss mimics it’s experience of pain – as the article states, “rejection hurts”.

“Loneliness is the most terrible poverty…Love begins at home” ~ Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Ongoing studies and commentaries re-validate the ancient value of social interaction, loving relationships and community. In his book Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection, neuroscientist John Cacioppo shows a direct relationship between social isolation and our state of health including high blood pressure, diabetes, weight gain, hormone imbalance, weak immune response, and poor cardiovascular function.  Other experts in the Ayurvedic and Allopathic fields agree that loneliness is one of the biggest underlying causes of disease. Dr. David Frawley says that feelings of loneliness may be a manifestation of a sense of unrest and disharmony with nature that leads to physiological weakness. Dr. Dean Ornish says that social isolation increases a tendency to make lifestyle choices that negatively impact health. In a study of 300,000 people, Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad showed that a lack of social network can be just as bad for your health than alcoholism or cigarette addiction and worse for health than obesity.  Holt-Lunstad goes on to say that lack of social relationships should be part of a short list of factors that lead to early mortality. It may very well be that feeling lack of support and missing the joy of friendship induces stress, which can cause physiological changes in the body.

“Where there is love, there is life” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

We’ve all heard the expression, “It takes a village to raise a child”, but when do we stop needing the village? Those around us provide opportunities to give and receive love, nurturing and support. Furthermore, our kula – or tribe of loved ones – serves as a mirror, helping us to see our own blind spots and become better people.

With a support network, you are more likely to engage in healthy, beneficial activities and habits. Community reminds you of and keeps you accountable to your morals and goals. Community alleviates stress and gives you the strength and courage to face your monsters. And community provides you with an outlet to sort through the whirlwind of thoughts that otherwise weigh you down. These relationships have the potential to support your pursuit of joy and health.

“A healthy social life is found only, when in the mirror of each soul the whole community finds its reflection, and when in the whole community, the virtue of each one is living.” ~ Rudolf Steiner

So, as the ancients prescribed: in spring, as all of nature brims with renewed life, reach out and embrace a deeper blooming into your relationships by cultivating your community of support – your kula – and spend some time “in the company of friends”.

You may have more than one kula or tribe. They include your siblings and parents, extended family, spouse and children, friends, colleagues, classmates, and so on. If you are used to going solo, or tend to take your kula for granted, here are a few ideas to get the ball rolling:

• Pick up the phone and call a dear one
• Plan a gathering in a park or at your home
• Schedule and commit to a weekly “family night” or “date night”
• Cook a meal for some friends or family members
• Plan a group hike or picnic or volleyball game
• Start a book club or a board game club.
• Have a “bring a friend” open house gathering where you invite 5 people, and each of those people brings a person… you’ll expand your community in no time!