Finding Your Sangah

The word “Sangha” is a Sanskrit word that means, literally, a community that joins and lives together. In this sense, I sometimes use the term “network” for it, because all these various people or things that are joined together interact and form a whole. On one level, it can refer to a group of people that live, function and work together as a community. On another level, it can refer to a community of purifications and realizations on a mental continuum that also exists together, interacting and working together. More precisely, on this second level, sangha refers to the true stoppings (true cessations) of true sufferings and their true causes, plus the true pathway minds (true paths) that led to the attainment of those true stoppings on the mental continuum of an Arya. That Arya can be either us or someone else. These true stoppings and true pathway minds also constitute a Sangha, a community living together, in other words, existing and functioning together. - Dr. Alexander Berzin, The Meaning of Sangha

If you know me, I love all things related to yoga; talking, doing, studying, watching, etc.

So when I went away from Saudi Arabia to Taos, New Mexico, USA for yoga and meditation training, I was in my element: 4 days and nights of all things yoga. I was able to leave the desert bubble I live in and travel to an energy-rich small town and connect with other yoga and meditation teachers just like me! I felt like I found my Sangha for four days functioning and living together, connecting over our love of all things yoga.

There was something different about this special group in Taos - a different kind of energy and connection. It’s hard to put a finger on just what it was exactly. Even though we just met, there was a familiarity with these wonderful humans as if I had known them for years. I feel one part that helped build familiarity was our common purpose and love of yoga. We all had different backgrounds and opinions on certain aspects of yoga asana but that only led to deeper discussions and debates on our personal paths forward. There were times when I would just sit back and take in the wealth of knowledge in the room trying to allow it all to soak in. I wanted to dissect our talks for my practice and teaching going forward. Another part was we were a very experienced group of teachers, not just yoga lovers, who knew who we were as a yoga practitioner as well as a teacher. We all had comfort in our own skills and philosophy which really helped allow for deeper conversations since there was less of a need to feel to defend our thoughts.

The lead instructor of the special gathering called our group a special Sangha. It has been a few months since this time of physically being together and most of us are all still connected, especially now during this time of need, helping each other find ways to connect with our yoga students online as well as keep in touch. I feel very comfortable asking for and giving teaching help with this special group and I cherish that feeling of comfort. 

Since that special time, I've been striving to cultivate other Sanghas in my daily life. In Saudi Arabia, I have a few friends who are just as passionate about yoga as I am and I cherish our time together each week, they are my Saudi Yoga Sangha. 

What about you? 

Where do you have strong support? 

Who are the people you feel are your Sangha? 

I’d love to hear from you if you are willing to share. If not, enjoy the journey and cherish the Sangha you have created in your life each and every day. Namaste'