Yoga and Community

elephant journal is proud to co-sponsor the Hanuman Festival. Read the latest installment of the column.

What makes a yoga studio special? What is it that allows us to feel so good by going back time and time again for our practice? We are comfortable. We thrive within community.

There are very few other public places that foster strong community ties built on trust, friendship and genuine loving kindness. Everyone wants to feel wanted, and there is no better way to achieve happiness than immersing yourself in a community of like-minded individuals. The only downfall is the limitations you may be placing on your community-building potential.

At Hanuman Festival, yogis and yoginis from all communities will come together to share, practice and smile. The yoga community is strong along the Front Range and up into the Rocky Mountains. But sometimes it’s easy to place ourselves in the confines of state lines. Our community expands to every state in this country and every country in this world. The power of individual communities is strong; imagine the possibilities of the collective all together in one beautiful place.

This June, you will meet yogis who live down the street and yogis who have traveled across the country. No matter where you choose to practice on a daily basis, it’s inspiring to know that there are others practicing for the same reasons; others who yearn to do good and spark real, meaningful change. Your efforts and willingness to make this world a better place will benefit Off the Mat, Into the World and The Wellness Initiative through Hanuman Festival’s commitment to Seva projects.

Coming together allows you to find more, and go deeper. You’ll learn from the best at Hanuman Festival, and that includes learning from the person on the mat next to you.

So try something new and be open to the possibilities. The possibility of feeling wanted, needed, loved and nurtured – even if those around you are strangers.

Become engulfed in positive energy, and be a part of raising the earth’s vibration – in just four days.

It’s really about rediscovering the good in the world. That is what collective community can do for you.

As John Lennon famously pondered: “Imagine all the people sharing all the world. You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope some day you’ll join us. And the world will live as one.”

For more opportunities to connect with Hanuman Festival before, during and after the event, find us on Facebook and Twitter, read our blogs and sign up for the Hanuman Festival newsletter.

What does community mean to you?

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Ashley Herzberger started practicing yoga in college to balance out her hyper-Type A personality. Each day, she faces the challenge of not making a big deal out of something small. A lifelong student, Ashley aims to learn from those around her, from books and from herself. She is passionate about public relations, communicating and telling stories. Ashley moved to Boulder, CO, in 2006 from suburban Cleveland, OH—needless to say, she suffered mild culture shock. It didn’t take long for her to drink the kool-aid, start working out and eat healthy foods. Then she started practicing yoga. Then she started receiving acupuncture, taking enzymes and burning incense every now and then. Today, Ashley does marketing and public relations for CorePower Yoga, public relations for Hanuman Festival and writes for fun on the side. Her German last name loosely translates to “heart in the mountains.”