About a year or two leading up to COVID I rarely took a group yoga class. The majority of my practice was spent alone in my office guiding myself through asana and meditation or moving through a pre-recorded flow taught by my teacher online. It was my preferred situation.

I like being alone. I like my quiet time. And my practice is just meant for me.

It’s taken me awhile to realize I’m in the minority here. Turns out a self guided practice or moving along with a video leaves practitioners feeling like something’s missing.

Early in COVID I was jazzed to have access to live, online classes with my teacher. He’s in San Francisco and I haven’t taken a live class with him since 2017. After a few weeks of live classes it dawned on me that it wasn’t just his class I was looking forward to - I was excited to see other faces practicing right there with me. Out of the 50+ students in the Zoom class I may have known a couple personally, but it didn’t matter. I was simply pleased to know there were other people in the world moving through the same flow for one hour.

I gained more insight into the importance of group-learning when I launched Voyager: Online Collective Yoga Exploration in the fall of 2020. My intention for the program was to connect with a consistent group of students and build upon concepts over time. Little did I realize the structure led to something very special - community.

I have never considered myself to be a community organizer or connector. Again, I like my alone time. I’m pretty introverted and need my space to feel like a whole, functioning human. And yet, during a very strange and challenging time in history, I have found myself organizing opportunities for folks to feel connected to a community.

As much as I harp on the idea that yoga is a practice of self inquiry, I also have to acknowledge that the practice of yoga can be a process of community inquiry. Sometimes it’s less about connecting to your own mental and emotional states and more about connecting with the people you are practicing alongside.

If you aren’t back to in-person group classes, I understand. If you’re missing the experience of moving and breathing in a physical space with community, I understand. Although a virtual community isn’t exactly the same as sharing physical space with people, just know that it is possible. It is possible to connect with others and establish community even while we’re in our own Brady Bunch squares.

Whether you’re practicing in studios, virtually, or on your own, I hope you know there’s community supporting you along the way.