Scripture ~ “ If one listens, you’ve made a friend.” Matthew 18:15a

Spiritual Focus ~ “ The greatest healing therapy is friendship and love.”

Hubert H Humphrey

The Devotion ~

As children, making friends was our primary job. Some of us like my grandson Jack scan the playground and with in minutes have a posse. Some like my granddaughter Addy stand back to see if her friendship is going to be accepted before jumping in. The benefits of friendships have been studied as a primary factor in a healthy life style, along with church attendance and volunteerism. What these three activities share is a call to community. When we answer the call to community we experience the benefits of knowing we are not alone in the journey of life. When we participate in friendship building, sharing with and listening to each other we reap the full benefit of God’s intended presence in the world, seeing God in each other and through each other!

At Yogadevotion retreats and in some classes we nurture potential friendships through sharing the peace, getting to know someone new and believe it or not when we practice partner yoga balance poses. In linking arms with another as we attempt a balance pose we find out we balance more easily with the help of a friend. Besides being a beautiful experience of needing each other, it is a beautiful metaphor how God intends for us to live, supporting each other in healing friendships.

Focus Pose ~ Anyone legged balance pose. Feel free to be creative, esp. in chair classes; they seem to already be onto the healing benefits of friendships!