This post is for those of you who thought you were alone on your mat during your yoga practice…
Are you aware of the community of others that you bring with you? It’s not your neighborhood community necessarily, though I suppose it could be. This concept of “community” means those around you who share the way you live your life, your ideas and values – who support you in your work or play or nudge you to move forward to take the next steps toward whatever your goals may be. These are people with whom you have a relationship of connection, some bond that brings you together even when you are apart.
It’s kind of like having back-up when you face whatever you are facing on your yoga mat. Remember that all manner of issues can show up during your practice, extending far beyond the physicality of a pose. Consider how this community shows up for you – maybe it’s a lineage of past and current teachers beckoning you to stay with the difficulty you face. Perhaps a handful of friends, family or spiritual leaders you admire. Or it could be simply the friend or lover you are meeting later. Who knows how many it takes to make a community.
Whether it’s many or few, I trust that we all have a community that surrounds and supports us – often more than one community. Each may serve us in different ways, but they are a source of energy and connection that provides us with a more solid foundation to walk whatever road we choose. I suspect that there are times when this community is more imagined than real or more a desire to connect than a fait accompli, but it can be the energy around imagination or desire that sustains.
We all get to create our own community. Even when we are alone on the mat, we are a member of the community of all those who practice yoga. Communities are like that – they can be more or less personal, depending on what we need them to be. So, who is your community, and how do you need them to show up for you today?