This past week I have been reminded of the power of community. Often during our peak season I will decline invitations to socialize during the week as I find my energy quota gets emptied rather rapidly if I say “yes” too often and over-commit. However, this past week we were invited to two consecutive evenings of socializing which were both quite different from one another but both driven by passion. One was a passionate quest to support the conservation of cheetahs and the other to acknowledge and quietly celebrate friendship. Although part of me was hesitant to make the commitments, intuitively it simply felt right to be part of it all. Trusting that inner voice that says yes is a powerful thing, particularly when it’s all over and you say “thank goodness, I wanted to be part of that!”
Community is what holds us all together in a multitude of ways. When we gather, especially with people who are like-minded, we have an opportunity to see the best of ourselves. As we sit together, we reflect back to each other what we hear, feel and sense. When we feel comfortable, we allow our vulnerability to be more visible and when it’s held softly in the hands of others it’s as though we are reminded of the gentle touch of a mother. People see who we are and love us anyway.
Some of you reading this may know that my husband, Ed, had hip replacement surgery just over a month ago. And just this week, he wanted to come back into one of his regular yoga classes that I teach for the simple act of being with his fellow practitioners. Although he was physically limited during parts of the practice, he felt driven to be with a familiar and supportive community. It wasn’t about doing poses, it was about being in a supported environment. To sit and practice in the energy of others can not only be uplifting but quite healing. This happened on another occasion with one of my yoga students who had a lumpectomy for breast cancer. She told her doctor that she wanted to go back to yoga within a relatively short time following her procedure. He said he didn’t think it was a good idea as he didn’t want her to pull her stitches. She said she looked at him realizing he didn’t understand her need to be back in a group of people who cared about her and supported her healing process. Again, it wasn’t about the poses but about the loving vibration of being in a space that held the intention of balanced health and healing. She allowed herself to be in the presence of others who understood the desire to connect (and she didn’t pull her stitches!).
The lesson and thought for the week is to allow ourselves to be held by others. The strength of our like-minded networks goes beyond the obvious and into the sublime energy that we exchange with each other. Add into that groups such as a regular yoga class, people who move, breath and share a transformational practice, it seems like a wise choice to hang out with them.
If you want to be inspired, hang out with people who inspire you. And to add to it this week…hang out with people who hold you softly, with compassion and love.
