Invigorating Freshness of January

There is something to be said about carrying your mat up the stairs of Whole, with a contribution of food and a quietness of anticipation and spirit that seems to help you settle into yourself. This is what it felt like for me for my first Athens Yoga Collective meeting on Monday. Having wanted to come since its inception, I was overjoyed that January finally was the month for me to come and share, to climb those stairs and see new faces.

There are few places in the world that you can walk into and even if you don't know a single person, even if you have never been there before, you feel more "at home". The Athens Yoga Collective is one of them. I was touched by the warm embrace of the collective, not just to me, but also to my friend that I had brought with me, a visiting Korean, who did not know anyone, but who had also never practiced any yoga. We both felt the welcome and the genuine interest everyone showed in who we were and the love that surrounded the group.

On a metaframe, it is fascinating to look at many different "poses" we were led into by the entire group. Thanks to Sarah and Katelyn, we were led here to this place, led into a "collective" - a group of like-minded individuals, all ready and willing to share and serve one another, and to experience joy together. Their vision itself is like a pose. Focused, yet flexible, challenging, but necessary and needed for the soul. Then you have Elizabeth whose voice and gentle, yet firm, command of the class lead us through asanas and produced, in at least me, the intent of every practice - a loss of self and sense of body, through the body. Her arrangement and flows enlightened and worked us. At the end we were lost in the the peace and stillness that resonates after such a great class. And then of course, Yogi Jacob, who, in his articulate nature, painted vivid pictures in our mind of our mind. The unique and valuable mediation he led us in was eye-opening, set at the perfect pace to steady the heart and steady the mind, while at the same time, pushing us to see and view not only the world, but the intricate and immaculate world within us with Divine eyes. He showed us the depth that is always before us and in us. Erica demonstrated the pose of courage and cheerfulness, venturing into a group without knowing anyone and leaving with many friends. And Julie showed the grace of sharing - whether it was through her revelations during practice or her eagerness to help my friend. This I think is how you have to see the yoga collective - as a collective. It has to been seen this way because that is how it is felt - as the pose that each person brings to the group, whether they are teaching, leading or simply enjoying.

While there is literal food, that was delicious and nourishing, these Monday meetings have surely become the sustenance for our greater selves. It is a joy and an honor to be brought together, to serve one another, and to be invigorated by joy. It is a delight to delight in others. It is a blessing that this group exists, not just for me, but for you too. I hope that you too are led back and into this home.

Namaste,
Elizabeth