Yoga is a Community

Yoga is a community.

The bending. The twisting. The breathing, sighing, releasing.

Our yoga mats unite us, and our pain during particularly difficult poses (for me, it's always the standing bow pulling pose) instills in us a sense of camaraderie that lingers well outside the studio.

We come in all shapes and sizes, yet we all look alike. Stretchy pants, form-fitting tanks, and bare feet. I'm a bit rounder than my friends on either side of me, but as we ooze into our first pose, it doesn't matter. My body moves, stretches, and elongates just like everyone else's.

This is yoga. There is no tension. Anger and resentment, stress and despair - all of those negative emotions are left at the door. The yoga studio is a sanctuary, a reprieve from the outside world and our otherwise chaotic lives. We get along well together.

Yoga is a community that I adore. Every class is a vacation, and the people are like family. We are bonded by our energies. On a simple day, we move together. On an outstanding day, we move as one. Every exhale, every inhale, every inner ohm is ours to share. For ninety minutes, we are a yoga class. For a lifetime, we are a community.

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"We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men."
-- Herman Melville