Embracing your Community
Many times over the last year I have spent time reflecting on the nature of community, my place in it and its importance in the practice of yoga. On a personal level one of my biggest struggles has been missing my practice community. Even though I know my yoga practice is very much a personal journey I find myself attached to my community of yoga buddies.
This journey we are on is not an easy one and I think it’s just as important to have the community around us as it is to have regular teacher. So why is that … Why when we are in communion with others can we dig deeper. We can all be teachers for each other and that could be in working on a difficult asana together or encouraging each other to stay the distance when things get rough which they invariably will.
In class itself it’s the community of students and teacher around you that creates the dynamic of the class and over time shapes your relationship with yourself and your yoga. There is an energetic exchange perhaps not seen but certainly experienced. We have many roles to play in life and if you attend a yoga class whether you realise it or not you become a part of that community where your presence contributes to the experience of those around you.
And so it is in our bigger communities too the ones where we work, live and play. In this time of such unrest , fear and hatred in the world hoping for world peace seems impossible but I think we start with where we are : at first with ourselves and then with our family and friends and then out from there into our communities because after all nothing will change if we do nothing.
At this time of year in the frantic busyness that now seems to define Christmas it is easy to get caught up. There is so much hype and consumerism that I tend to shy away from it all and not want to take part in any of it. Then I see the old adage “peace to the world” and my heart opens. If nothing else let us work towards that in our own small way.
Wishing peace and good will to all.
Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.
"Practitioners of the asana alone often forget that yoga is for cultivating the head and the heart. Patanajali talked about friendliness, compassion, gladness and joy. Friendliness and grace are two qualities that are essential for the yoga student. In the yoga class, students often look so serious and seperate from one another. Where is the friendliness? Where is the compassion ? Where is the gladness ? Where is the joy? Without these we have not achieved the true yoga of Patanjali. "
BKS Iyengar Light on Life p59
Many times over the last year I have spent time reflecting on the nature of community, my place in it and its importance in the practice of yoga. On a personal level one of my biggest struggles has been missing my practice community. Even though I know my yoga practice is very much a personal journey I find myself attached to my community of yoga buddies.
This journey we are on is not an easy one and I think it’s just as important to have the community around us as it is to have regular teacher. So why is that … Why when we are in communion with others can we dig deeper. We can all be teachers for each other and that could be in working on a difficult asana together or encouraging each other to stay the distance when things get rough which they invariably will.
In class itself it’s the community of students and teacher around you that creates the dynamic of the class and over time shapes your relationship with yourself and your yoga. There is an energetic exchange perhaps not seen but certainly experienced. We have many roles to play in life and if you attend a yoga class whether you realise it or not you become a part of that community where your presence contributes to the experience of those around you.
And so it is in our bigger communities too the ones where we work, live and play. In this time of such unrest , fear and hatred in the world hoping for world peace seems impossible but I think we start with where we are : at first with ourselves and then with our family and friends and then out from there into our communities because after all nothing will change if we do nothing.
At this time of year in the frantic busyness that now seems to define Christmas it is easy to get caught up. There is so much hype and consumerism that I tend to shy away from it all and not want to take part in any of it. Then I see the old adage “peace to the world” and my heart opens. If nothing else let us work towards that in our own small way.
Wishing peace and good will to all.
Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.
"Practitioners of the asana alone often forget that yoga is for cultivating the head and the heart. Patanajali talked about friendliness, compassion, gladness and joy. Friendliness and grace are two qualities that are essential for the yoga student. In the yoga class, students often look so serious and seperate from one another. Where is the friendliness? Where is the compassion ? Where is the gladness ? Where is the joy? Without these we have not achieved the true yoga of Patanjali. "
BKS Iyengar Light on Life p59
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