From the East – February 2022

Greetings Brethren,

Is Freemasonry good for your health? The short answer: It is likely very beneficial.

Let me explain. Interrupting our daily routines not only adds variety to our lives but attending a Regular Communication can also interrupt the usual flow of stress in our daily lives. There is something soothing just in the act of walking into a Lodge room.

There is also a strong social aspect to Freemasonry that should not be overlooked. Attending a regular communication breaks the isolation that the last few years have imposed on us. In fact, psychological studies indicate that people with more social support tend to live longer and social engagement is correlated with a stronger immune system. In addition, interacting with others increases feelings of well-being and decreases feelings of depression (Psychology Today). Research studies have shown that “an active and socially integrated lifestyle in late life might protect against dementia.”

Recent research studies also indicate that remaining mindful in certain activities, most likely in our case, during ritual, can lead to short and long-term improvement in sustained attention. Mindfulness can be defined as awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, and without judgment. I believe that mindfulness occurs when we become proficient at attending less and less on our own thoughts and concerns and focusing more and more on the present moment. Those in the chairs quickly learn that becoming distracted by our own thoughts can often lead to missing cues and late responses.