The most important component of what we do at Elemental Yoga isn’t Yoga. It is the quality and depth of the community that forms around the practice.
When I was a child, I existed on the outskirts of things. I felt the environment around me was structured in a way that I couldn’t call home. At the time I identified minor things that felt out of place. In school, it was the lackluster attitude and the glorification of social hierarchy.
I was disillusioned but I didn’t bother to change things. Instead I acted out by defying social norms: befriending geeky people, dressing strangely and acting out of social context- i.e. standing and singing on desks during religion class.
In college, I discovered a group of people and a major to match my oddness. For the first time in my life, I felt seen and understood. I was overjoyed to be in the company of kindred souls. A previously unfelt sensation of aliveness awoke inside me.
I understood that I had been missing a core component to being human. This newfound awareness became so significant that every city I travelled to and lived in, I sought out and found a community of people. When I finally returned to Fort Worth 7 years later, I knew that I would attract to me the like minds and safe space that I never knew growing up.
So why is community so important anyways? These are four paramount reasons for me:
The community provides feedback loops of communication for individuals to be witnessed in their processes of growth. This can both hold the individual accountable and allow them to internalize their positive qualities on a deeper level.
The community can support the individual to continuously take steps in maturation and courage through the dynamic and collective creation of meaningful events and experiences.
The community provides an outlet for each individual to bring forward their innate gifts.
The community provides the framework to experience the pure and simple joy of living.
We are made to coexist with each other. Being part of a community that is reaching to serve more than just one person makes life worth living. It brings out the light within every person.