Stronger Together

Dear Yogis,

This has been a tough week. There have been many tears shed in some of our classes along with a beautiful coming together to offer support and connection to one another. I can’t think of a better way to be with our collective pain and fear than to practice together, be fully embodied, be authentic, and inspire one another to be courageous and strong. Last month in many classes at Yoga Sanctuary, we talked about Durga. Durga is a goddess of courage and inner strength and her name means “difficult going”. We had no idea how much we would need her- in the form of the courage inside of ourselves and the archetype in the universe we most need to attune to right now. The results of last week's election have caused widespread and difficult feelings and seem to have churned up the shadows of hatred and division that have clearly been hiding in pockets of our world all along. We have much to learn about the struggles of so many fellow Americans around the country and how to heal what has been broken; how to listen to each other, how to work together.

As a mom of young girls, my work is to affirm trust in the goodness of human beings and the world around us, to help them feel safe, to keep life ordinary and as positive as possible. Children deserve to be sheltered from the complicated challenges of adulthood until they are ready for them. At the same time, for older children and those already exposed to the realities of people acting out of their fear and anger, there needs to be direct conversation and room to process and be heard. Either way I see this as a time we need to be an example for all of our children of courage, strength, love and resilience.

Yoga Sanctuary’s mission- to be an oasis in the community where we celebrate life as sacred and come together to learn, grow and become more of our true selves, is more important than ever. We want to be here for you; to breathe, feel, process, clear the old and connect to your brightest self. By facing the shadows, we make more light. We are in this together, we practice together. This is a time to renew our commitment to our practice, not so much to do a better downward dog, but to develop greater courage and deepen our compassion. What we do with all that, what action we take, is a question we may be asking and answering in different ways for a long time to come.

Each one of us has a unique set of gifts to offer the world. If we’ve been hiding or feeling unworthy, this is the time to step forward into the light and know that our gifts are needed. We need to face the shadows while still finding goodness and beauty in the world. We need to continue to unfold our individual human purpose and potential, to care for each other, to stand up for truth and justice.

Thank you for being part of our community and practicing with us. Together we keep the light alive.

With love,

Sara Rose and all the YS Teachers and staff