How Yoga & Community Deepens Your Practice
For some, living in a community sounds exciting. For others, it challenges our comfort zones when it comes to privacy and individuality. Just like in that asana that asks us to breathe into the pain, there is beauty when we use our discomfort zone to our advantage. Here’s how we can deepen our practice in a community of yogis.
“The purpose of life is to watch and experience living. To enjoy living every moment of it. And to live in environments, which are calm, quiet, slow, sophisticated, elegant. Just to be. Whether you are naked or you have a golden robe on you, that doesn’t make any difference. The ideal purpose of your life is that you are grateful – great and full – that you are alive, and you enjoy it.”
Upon waking, you eagerly get your mat ready and slip into your serious yogi mode. Breath is flowing and you’re mindfully moving through surya namaskar as if you’re water. Then you decide to tackle some balancing poses. Yesterday your focus was on point. You could balance anything but today is a different story as you sway in and out of your asana.
In times like these, when you’re alone, you draw from your internal resources for support. Being in a community of yogis allows you to draw upon the energy of the group. The teacher is your support and everyone has arrived on the mat for the purpose of deepening their practice.
This collective energy can have positive impacts on your growth as a yogi. Those more seasoned students, in a sense, hold space for the newbies. One day, as your practice strengthens, you’ll be able to do the same for others.
Yoga & Coliving
Ubuntu Bali is a beautiful co-living environment for yogis. At first, it was an intimidating adventure for someone who relishes in privacy and enjoys ample amounts of time alone.
Stepping outside of my comfort zone was the greatest gift. I stayed at Ubuntu Bali for several months. My focus was to transform every area of my being into the authentic version of myself.
Did I accomplish my goal? No doubt. When we use our discomfort zone to motivate and fuel our spiritual growth then you’ll be surprised how you go from a caterpillar to a butterfly.
Yoga is not about the poses. That is merely exercise. It’s about being in the present moment and learning to see every situation with a new lens. A bit like a photographer.
With so many energies around, you learn to build resilience and adapt to every situation. Listening becomes an important factor as you are now in a community. Being mindful is also about how your actions affect others.
How Community Deepens Your Practice?
At the end of this self-imposed yoga retreat I emerged with a new way of interacting with others. When we’re on the mat, this time is for inner silence. We let our body communicate and we listen.
I was able to unleash this natural ability of listening with full attention and mindfulness and use it in my daily interactions.
As a result, my relations have improved.
Being in the nature inspires the soul to move in harmony. Daily I awakened in the early hours to enjoy meditation and the singing of the frogs. I was usually on the mat by 4:30a and something magical happens during this time. Chanting as the sun comes us teaches us to raise our vibration so that our inner light can shine throughout the day.
Finally, gratitude became my mantra. When we become thankful for the simple things in life then world of abundance opens. Doing pranayama allows us to be greatful for this moment of life. Asanas allows us to discover the various ways our bodies can move and groove. Most importantly, I made some new friends. What more could you ask for?
Ubuntu Bali is a beautiful co-living space for yogis to deepen their practice. Mysore classes every morning, nature, loads of books to deepen your knowledge of the philosophy of yoga and a community of like-minded individuals.
