The Sanskrit word “kula” translates to “community of the heart”.
We have multiple communities in our lives - the community of our family, the community of our various groups of friends, co-workers, neighbors, religious community, etc. It is human nature to desire connection, understanding, and love. The support of others is vital for our well-being and our communities provide a safe place and a sense of belonging to something beyond ourselves.
I spent the past weekend with one of my important touchstones, my yoga community, my kula. We gathered for a three day yoga workshop to study with our teacher Desiree Rumbaugh and also to be in company with one another. We practiced asana for hours each day. We breathed together, meditated together, sweated together, rested together, ate meals together. We learned, laughed and engaged with one another, offering encouragement and support both on the yoga mat and off.
There was plenty of core work, standing poses, inversions, arm balances, backbends and forward bends. I return with new understanding in my body and some new ways to teach my yoga students. Importantly, I return home renewed because when I gather in the community of my heart, I am seen, I am heard, I am connected to my place in the world and my own humanity.
“If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”
- African proverb
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