We all know or have experienced the feeling of loneliness at some point in our lives. Thankfully, for the most part, loneliness is a temporary condition. Technology has provided us with many ways to stay in touch and to communicate but we still continue to feel lonely. Having meaningful connections is one of the strongest human needs: a human urge to belong, share, and connect with others. We are constantly trying to find ways to get out of seclusion by bonding with the people around us, dissipating the feeling of loneliness, and filling the void within. Indeed, there are many famous pop, rock, and country songs as well as poetry that have been written about loneliness and being alone as part of the human condition. Let’s look at the difference between loneliness and feeling alone. 

However, there is a key difference between loneliness and being alone. Being alone is a physical state of being, a time of solitude, or isolation. We are alone quite frequently in our lives: going to work in the car, working online, or living alone, but we don’t feel lonely. In fact, most of us crave alone time to reflect, exhale, charge our batteries, and be more creative. Loneliness, on the other hand, is an emotion, a feeling of sadness attributed to not having a connection or emotional attachment. 

There is a myriad of major life changes that can bring on the painful feeling of loneliness. The most common of which are painful breakups or divorce, moving to a new country, and losing a loved one. Our loneliness might lead us to sit at home listening to depressing songs and feeling abandoned or not wanted. We can relate to the famous scene from Bridget Jones where Bridget sits in her pajamas alone on New Year’s Eve, lip-syncing to “All By Myself” by Eric Carmen as it plays in the background. We need “connections” to survive. We can be perfectly happy by ourselves but lonely surrounded by a room full of people. So, what is at the core of loneliness?

The Nature Of Loneliness 

Understanding who we are and our interconnectedness to the universe can help alleviate loneliness. We are energetically, as well as emotionally, connected through life force energy. We can tap into this force of light within us when we move beyond our individual egos. Pairing that with the false notion that we are separate and isolated parts in a world filled with other disconnected, isolated parts. 

“A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.” – Albert Einstein

In other words, when we feel lonely, we have lost the idea that we are all one and none of us are separate from the whole. Imagine the universe is like a beautiful, expansive ocean and we are the ocean’s waves, an expression of the ocean, and our unique actions are felt through the total universe. The human ego however is the “isolated self” and tries to convince us that we are separate from the ocean. But a wave needs the ocean to be a wave! When we experience the feeling of loneliness we have actually also disconnected from OURSELVES as well as the world around us. This causes us to feel empty and hollow inside. We disconnect from our bodies where our emotions reside so we don’t feel the loneliness and then spend time living in our heads. However, this creates a vicious cycle where we become stuck in negative thoughts about our loneliness, which can then actually prevent us from social interaction, further alienating ourselves from others. 

Without a connection to each other, it can become easy to lose faith and feel lonely.  However, our crown chakra is our energy sanctuary, the center of our interconnectedness and understanding of our soul’s path and purpose. It’s a launching point for our connection to the creator, to source, to all that is. If our crown chakra is activated, we can channel the spiritual energy of peace, expansion, growth, possibility, abundance, and freedom. This restores our faith back, once again connecting us to the rest of the universe. The crown chakra is our connection to our higher self and reconnects us to our authentic self. Ironically, being alone allows us to reconnect with that authentic part ourselves once more.  

Making Peace With Our Loneliness 

Especially now in these challenging times, immersed in a world of ceaseless chatter and confusion, we can use this alone time to grieve and to heal from sadness, as well as anger, instead of sinking into a state of loneliness. We can meditate and listen to the silence within, reconnecting with ourselves and tuning in to what’s going on in our perceptions, our body, and our mind. Our bodies are our home while we continue on our spiritual path.  

Staying grounded can really impact our lives in a very positive way by allowing us to bring our energy back into the here and now. This creates much-needed space from our superfluous thoughts and helps alleviate symptoms of loneliness, anxiety, and depression. We can release any illusions we may have and recover who we truly are obtaining a state of peace once again. 

Practicing mindful breathing is a wonderful grounding technique that allows our body to release tension, make peace with our loneliness and embrace the child within. We need to recognize that we are part of something larger and are connected not only in this life to the physical body but also to the universe and the Divine. By connecting to your authentic self and our divine energy, we will be redirected back to our true enlightened nature and be happy in our own skin again!

Grounding Meditation 

See yourself standing in a forest and feel the warm sun shining on your face. Hear the rustling of the leaves on the trees as they sway against the wind, and feel the gentle breeze on your face soothing and calming you.  Feel the fresh cool grass under your feet and smell the earthy fragrance around you.  Hear the birds singing in the trees. Take a moment to focus your mind and your senses on everything around you. 

Become aware of your feet on the soft earth below and allow the earth the energy to come up through the soles of your feet, feeling a tingling sensation as you do this. Allow this grounding energy to work its way up through the body, into your calves, your knees, your thighs, your root chakra, stomach, your chest, throat, and then down your arms. Tune in to the sensations in the body as you do this. Feel pulsing energy coming out through the tips of your fingers and palms of your hands. Then finally bringing that energy up into the top of your head, feeling completely grounded.  Now, visualize a bright violet protective light emanating from the top of your head and extending outwards, as you become cocooned in this healing light. Allow yourself to connect to your higher self and receive any messages that come. If you have an amethyst crystal it helps to purify, detox, and bring balance back to your crown.