Why having a Yoga Community is Essential

Inspired by living in one of the world’s Blue Zones with my family and now bringing groups of retreaters back to this area (Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica), I became curious about the ​lifestyle practices shared by the world’s healthiest, longest-lived people in the planets Blue Zones​. 

Turns out that THREE of the ​9 lifestyle habits highlighted by the Blue Zone research​ are related to Connection. That’s huge y’all! So let’s break it down.

Types of Connection Needed to Live a Long, Happy, Healthy Life

• Connection to Loved Ones (birth family, chosen family, those that love you completely without judgment)
• Belonging to a community that connects to something larger than themselves (faith-based, spiritual, or introspective practices that help cultivate a more vibrant inner atmosphere and inspire growth and evolution.)
• Having a Right Tribe (social circles that support healthy lifestyle and behavior)

Right Tribe

We all know that habits are contagious. From smoking, obesity, and loneliness to happiness, healthy eating, and regular exercise, the habits of those we choose to spend our time with can influence our choices. So, surrounding ourselves with people who lift us up…instead of pulling us down is essential. And belonging to a community that supports our goals and aspirations is helpful in more ways than one.

By consistently showing up for those in our “Right Tribe”, we create a sense of connection & belonging to each other. We offer inspiration and gently hold each other accountable. Together we make learning and growing more fun and supportive than going it alone.

Certainly, there are a gazillion “Right Tribes” to choose from or create.  My sister, Lisa, is part of an amazing “Body-Combat” crew at her local Y. I’ve witnessed firsthand how they show up for one another in and outside of class. And when I worked in Texas Instruments’s corporate wellness facility, there were pre-dawn Run Clubs, basketball leagues, swim groups, and aerobic classes. A community existed around just about any activity you could think of.  Personally, I have a few different “Tribes” that support my continued growth and evolution right now.

Yoga and the Whole Enchilada (not sure where that term came from, but you get the gist)

Because yoga, when practiced in earnest, encourages health in body, mind, and spirit, includes introspection, and draws a loving, judgment-free community, it checks all of the boxes of connection we need.

Without question, my yoga community has become my true landing place. A Home.

It’s where I feel safe to show up authentically and be held. A place to notice imbalances…both mine and what we’re experiencing as a whole. And a place to center and recalibrate. Sharing all of this surrounded by a loving community of like-minded people, people drawn to inner and outer exploration and self-care through yoga (and travel), is priceless.

Here are the ways a yoga community can add value to life.

Growth and Evolution

Everyone who steps on the yoga mat for the first time does so with the impulse toward greater health and growth. Maybe they can’t name exactly what they are looking for, but in time they realize that yoga is so much more than a place to strengthen and open the physical body. It is a path to health and happiness.

Yoga includes introspection, wider breathing, making patient and conscious decisions about your body and your life, and treating others with respect and kindness. It is a place to cultivate awareness of your thoughts and shift to a non-judgmental way of walking through the world and more.

Growing internally like this requires the support of other like-minded folks striving towards a similar goal…and it sure as hell makes it more fun. Knowing that the person in Down Dog next to you is pushing towards the same ultimate goal is comforting and inspiring. It motivates your body and your mind and pushes your practice into the corners of your mat that can be hard to reach without outside inspiration from your community.

Connection

One of the greatest gifts of my “work” has been watching relationships spark and grow in class and on retreats. Now, on STUDIO TEN, my online yoga studio, I’ve watched some of those relationships weave and grow together. Yogis joining me for LIVEstream class connect and say hi to others joining online and in person. It’s lovely.

To deepen those connections, I’m now offering a monthly “virtual coffee gathering” for all STUDIO TEN members. Here we come together outside of class to get to know each other and learn a little bit about the theme we will be exploring for the upcoming month. I include a couple of journaling prompts and leave time to turn over any questions.  I’m excited to see how this grows as we flow into the future and welcome you to join the conversation.

Inspiration

Watching others prioritize self-care encourages us to do the same. So when you show up for yourself, you give others permission to invest in themselves too.

And witnessing the evolution of our own practice and the practice of those we step on the mat with inspires us to continue learning and growing. *I might reap the most benefits in this department, as it is a true joy for me to watch your practice shift, change, and grow.

Accountability

Over the years, countless yogis have disclosed that they show up for yoga more often because of their commitment to class and the community that gathers there. And as a result of regular practice, they reaped more benefits, not just in body, but also in mind and overall being. Slowly over time, the gifts they experienced on the mat, the awareness and presence, started spilling over into the rest of their life in a beautiful way.

Without question, no matter what we strive to learn or achieve, the results are greater with consistence practice. I know this and you know this, yet somehow we don’t always prioritize our own self-care.

By design, the membership model I chose for STUDIO TEN helps hold us all more accountable.

This accountability reaps greater rewards for you…and also offers gifts for me. Your steadiness allows me the opportunity to learn more about you, your body, and your needs. And your emails and questions, especially from those I don’t get to see in person, help me show up with the right support. Your commitment ensures I can continue doing the “work” I love while supporting my family.  Such a gift!

So as we orient toward fall and recommit to our self-care goals, I offer this to ponder…

Who supports, inspires, and encourages you and your goals? Who holds you accountable and helps you live your best life?

And equally important…Who do you support, inspire, encourage, and show up for?

I couldn’t be more grateful for the little “Right Tribe” that has grown on retreat and on STUDIO TEN.

If you are curious about yoga and looking for a “Right Tribe”, I’d love for you to join me/us on the mat from home or on retreat. Let me know how I can help you take your first step.

love,

Tener

“We’re all just walking each other home.” -Ram Dass