The Power of Community

I’ve been back in Peru for a couple of weeks now and enjoying reconnecting with my community.  Since I haven’t been teaching local classes for a couple of months, I decided to reach out to plan a little gathering to reconnect with my Maple Grove Yoga and Vibrant Living folks.  I hosted an outdoor yoga class followed by a potluck.  It was so fun that I plan to do it again and invite all my yoga peeps, so stay tuned - I have a big backyard!

The women that came to the gathering are all long time yoga practitioners.  Most of them have been taking classes at my home studio for many years.  Over the years, they have become a strong community.  They support one another in learning, growth and life transitions on and off the mat. 

I dedicated the yoga class to the power of community.  We don’t evolve on our own.  Humans evolve best with support and guidance.  Whether you are working on strength building, committing to a meditation practice, eating better, improving self-care, parenting better, or aging more gracefully, having community support makes all the difference.
Since we were practicing yoga outside surrounded by forest, I felt inspired to also invoke the elements of nature.  I offered a guided meditation on the five elements (earth, water, fire, air, space), how these live inside us, and how different individuals serve as support and guidance to us via embodying these elements.

Try this exercise:
Read the musings below and spend a few minutes in quiet reflection or journaling.  Consider how each element is embodied by different individuals  in your life who serve to support you in growth, development and inspiration.

Earth – GROUNDEDNESS.  Who in your life serves to ground you, anchor you and stabilize you in times of upheaval?

Water – FLUIDITY. Who in your life helps you flow, encourages you “go with the flow”, and assists you when you are stuck?

Fire – POWER + PASSION. Who in your life ignites you, empowers you, and gets you focused on taking action?

Air – MOBILITY + CREATIVITY.  Who in your life inspires you to think outside of the box and gets you into your creativity?

Space – EXPANSION. Who in your life helps you expand beyond your limited constructs of yourself, and helps you step into your Big Self?

Are you looking for a supportive community to help you deepen your yoga practice? 

Are you looking to find other thrive-seekers to join you and support you in creating habits for a more balanced life? 

it’s not fall yet (no, not yet please!), now is a great time to make plans for joining a fall class or program with me (many of these classes fill quickly).  You can check them out here.

xo
Annie