This One’s for my Studio

This one's for my studio...and all our students, near and far... on our 8th anniversary…

When I opened Yoga Culture in 2010, I wanted a place to teach the Aligned Vinyasa style of yoga. I also wanted to create a calm but lively space in which to practice that would draw a community of yoga loving people. The style and the space are things I had control over. But one cannot create a community. The community creates itself.

In Sanskrit, the word sangha refers to a community. It is often used to describe a community of monks in the Bhuddist tradition. What makes a sangha different from a collection of individuals is that members of a sangha support each other. You support the practice space, you support the practice, you support each other in words and in energy sharing, you support new members by welcoming them.

I am grateful for the sangha that has formed in this apartment above a former bank. I am grateful for the connection I have to each of you and for the connections that have formed between you. In a world where disconnection seems to be the goal of technological progress, we have created human-to-human bridges and a sense of belonging for all. You are part of the most inclusive yoga studio I've ever seen. There is no concern, once getting yourself out of your car and into the door, that you won't be welcomed, that you'll feel like an outsider or be treated with any hint of disdain for lack of ability. There is no snobbery and no competition. We're all routing for each other - teachers, students and front desk yogis routing for teachers, students and front desk yogis. Everyone wants everyone to have a good practice and a good day.

Our sangha is strong because of the support we give each other. Each one of us has a practice and a life that benefits from the sangha. We are together. We are Yoga Culture.