That's space, Julia.

Hi everyone and welcome to Radio Headspace and to Friday.

It's Sam here with you.

So every week my family gathers for Shabbat.

This is a family meal that takes place on Friday evenings.

What is a Jewish tradition during which you rest completely, letting go of the busyness

of the week and being present for conversations and a home cooked meal with loved ones?

Our Shabbat table will often feature new guests, friends and family members of friends, people

of all faiths.

And even though I don't practice Judaism devoutly, I really enjoy Shabbat and I support my

family's observance of it.

Of course I can eat and take time to unwind on my own, but I love having this shared

experience with others.

And this got me thinking, why is eating together such a powerful way to bond?

When we eat together, we're being vulnerable in a really primal sense.

We've surrendered our vigilance and we're preparing to rest and digest.

When we're in a state of fear, our hunger usually disappears.

But when we all eat together, we're more inclined to take our time.

We allow the shared meal to be the pause in our day that we so want and need.

I recently had a potluck for members of my meditation group and it was so nourishing

on many levels and we talked, laughed and ate for hours.

Getting to know the members of this group more intimately resulted in us becoming fast

...