Be A (Yoga) Buddy

Last week in We’re All In This Together, I was writing about Michael Stone’s workshop and how he strongly believed in the crucial role of communities.

It really changes your experience to have a yoga buddy. It’s nice to go to class and see at least one familiar face, to share your practice and to talk about  it afterwards.

It can be a lovely relationship, full of kind gestures like saving a mat, and preparing some props, but also it can mean sending a quick text if one of you doesn’t come to class as usual. A yoga buddy can be the one who gets you out of bed if you have the winter blues: and that’s priceless.

[source: www.ehow.com]

Also, there are lots of things you tell your yoga buddy that you might not share with other important people in your life as yoga is such a safe environment for many of us.

Getting to know your fellow yogis seems to be easier said than done for a newcomer, and as yogis, we prefer our carrots and our relationships to be organic. Often the most difficult step is the first one. So here are a few suggestions to start engaging with fellow yogis:

  • drink water and tea: the water cooler and the tea room are the bars of yoga. They are an easy opportunity for socialising.
  • changing room: not all changing rooms lend themselves to conversations but some are quite friendly.
  • friendly accessories: I’ve got a few pair of cute socks from Europe and I get a lot of nice remarks on them. So socks can be an ice breaker!
  • props: ask your neighbour if they need bring an extra prop.
  • partner yoga: why not choose practices that involve more partner work such as acroyoga.
  • teacher training, workshops, retreats: spending time with a group of yogis will definitely create affinities.
  • blogs: read other yogis’ blogs or connect with them on social networks, you can end up meeting in real life!
  • smile: it’s always a good thing!
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