My Yoga Place - an evolving community

A new year is often a good time for reflection. In meditation, we sit and notice how things are continually moving and changing and arising and passing away - sensations, sounds, breath and thoughts. In life, it’s that way too; people and situations come in and go out, things move and change, expand and contract, and sometimes for a brief moment settle into place. It's always a trip going down memory lane, looking for pictures for ads and posts and remembering all the people and places I've shared yoga with.

My Yoga Place is something that Carlo dreamed up and brought to life more than six years ago. He discovered a practice that changed his life and decided to share it with others. At the same time, I was on my own journey - figuring out how best to make use of my time in this one, precious life.

Carlo created the My Yoga Place space at New Road, and many of us joined it, and it became a community. To think of it now, it’s remarkable that it survived for a couple of years without any physical place at all, as we took to Zoom and practised together online. After lockdown, things moved and changed again, people came and went, and it looked like we could’ve branched off in different directions. Then a friend suggested I go and see this wee hairdresser's with a lot of light that would be ideal for a yoga studio, and the community came together again. It’s fascinating to think about what makes the community what it is - some core people have been with either Carlo or myself from the very beginning, but many have left, new people have joined, and somehow we can still call it the My Yoga Place community.

We’re in another period of change, as I find myself steering this community. Carlo is taking just a couple of steps out of the yoga studio and into the kitchen, bringing to life another dream - the Mindful Loaf. I’m glad it’s only a couple of steps, and that he’ll be continuing to teach at the studio, as well as possibly checking my emails for the inevitable mistakes, and winding me in when I talk about tearing down shelves and walls. I’m not sure if I would have done this on my own, but I’m really glad I didn’t have to, and that he was my elephant on the road, steering me towards another path and at the same time, my spiritual friend - not only helping me to see when I'm being an eejit, but also helping me work through the mucky territory of understanding why and how to change.

I’m excited about the future and see lots of opportunities and possibilities. Earlier this year, instead of wishing for things, I asked for help and support from the right people, because with that, you can cope with anything and do anything. So, thanks to all of you who have been, or continue to be, part of My Yoga Place.

I hope that the community keeps its essence, whoever is a part of it: its shared values of inclusivity and empowerment, and its reminder to move through life with flexibility, humility and humour.