A Community Gives Purpose

    Community brings people together. Period. It's just the way it is. I mean… how many times have you felt like you didn't fit in with something until you realized you had more in common that you thought. It brings a sense of reassurance and calmness when once you feel like you truly belong somewhere. Yoga gives that to people. Yoga is another method of finding happiness in life much like a book club, or a baking crew or even a “mom” walking committee. A community brings people of all different backgrounds together to enjoy one another. A community gives people the sense that they have a backing in life… this idea that no matter what, if all else fails, these people will still be here when I am done. I know for me, yoga gives me the sense of a community. My practice space, though it is online, still gives me the sense that I belong to something greater than just a 60 minutes class to center myself. Being part of the yoga community gives me the opportunity to discuss it with others. Even if these other people do not attend the same classes I do, we still recognize we are interested in the same activities, which brings a sense of community and understanding of each other. It is just a natural human adaptation. I like to look at it like an analogy of a high school championship game. I mean, you could be this nervous wreck going into the activity, but once you see that one person, you get this almost  overwhelming- underwhelming sense of relief. It is the same thing… but not really. Community just gives you a place to go and a place to be yourself wholly and unapologetically. 

    Community within the studio makes it okay to be exactly who you are. Not to be embarrassed that you can't do a posture, not nervous you won't be the best and most of all it makes you eager to be the best you can be. I like to think a community is the best it can be when it does not make you feel embarrassed if you aren't the best, but makes you strive to be like your peers. Most of all, it brings energy into the studio that will surely resonate throughout the other members of the community. Going into this semester, I did not feel like I was part of the yoga community, even though I was sitting in lectures learning the ins and outs of the method behind yoga. It was not until I had my first real live zoom practice when I realized that I am now a member of the community, for real. I had a feeling that this was actually something I can talk about with people now and most of all something I can pass on to those who don't know what I now know. 

    This week I learned Iyengar Yoga. It was a challenging experience focusing on balance and technique. My favorite part of the experience was the repetition. Each movement and posture was done at least three times, and each time I realized more that if I focused enough on my body it would get easier to do. It was challenging in some aspects, but in another, Iyengar yoga gave time to rejuvenate in between poses to make sure the one practicing does not get burnt out. I also liked how each pose had a latter pose to accompany it. This experience brought me closer to realize the enjoyment I get behind yoga. It also gave me a sense of community, more that I am a part of the yoga community and even more so that I am not part of the Iyengar community. I feel as though I am educating myself enough to the point I can discuss it with others. Community is vital in life. For some, it gives them a reason to live, and for others it gives them a sense of purpose, for others it's just another activity but in all cases it defines each person in one way or another. Each person with a different reason, yet all have in common one thing… a sense of community.