Imagine, for a moment, that you didn't know that your feet belong to your body. Everything below the ankles belongs to another country. You might stop paying attention to your feet or making use of them. Your body would no longer circulate blood to your feet. What, then, happens to that portion of your body? It withers. Similarly, we wither spiritually when we fail to recognize our inner-connectedness to others. We cut ourselves off from aliveness. We become limited, restricted. The Hindu word Namaste helps to remind us of our universal connection: When I am awake to the Presence in me, I see the Presence in You, for there are truly only One of us here.