When I was studying yoga therapy at Ananda Seva in Santa Rosa, California I had a conversation with the 22-year old son of the couple that ran the center. He was teaching yoga classes at the local community college and I asked him, “How many people do you get coming to your classes?”. He replied, “Oh it can get up to 40 people a class…not always, but that’s not unusual.” I then said, “Wow…I’m happy if I have four people in my class. It would be so much easier if I were teaching yoga in a community where it seems like everyone is doing some form of yoga.”
And then I realized that perhaps part of walking my yogic path was to build a yoga community in my own small city where golf and tennis are king.
It’s been a long building process. At times I have sat on my mat at the front of an empty yoga studio waiting for a student to arrive. I felt sorry for that first person that walked through the doors as I would be like a hyper zealous used car salesperson and pounce on them…”HI! How are you? Welcome! Can I help you set your mat up? I’m Jayne….blah, blah, blah”.
The wonderful thing about being part of this growing experience is that since yoga isn’t just a physical practice, people can stay connected to it through conversation, the Internet, thought, reading and breathing. As you read this weekly e-newsletter, you are participating in this community. If you take even one fully conscious breath, you are breathing with intention as are the millions of other yogis throughout the world.
The importance of being part of community is well known. The communities of The Blue Zones (Lessons For Living Longer From People Who’ve Lived the Longest by Dan Buettner), are people living vibrant lives well into their 80’s, 90’s and 100’s and are part of a bigger community. Common denominators include: vigorous physical activity, spiritual connection, a largely plant-based diet and social engagement. Sounds similar to the intentions of a yogic-based practice. It does take a village to support our wellness on all levels and with our world facing seemingly insurmountable challenges nothing could be more powerful than a collective consciousness of positive intention and peace.
So thank you for being part of this growing community and staying connected to this vital and expanding social network. Simply by being part, not only are you helping to make the world a better place, but the quality of your own life will truly be enriched.
Pass it on. Pay it forward. Keep the ripple expanding outward.
