om lite
We’re all in it together
Don’t be afraid of those big, busy studio classes, let’s embrace the community aspect of
yoga and celebrate being part of something greater, says Victoria Jackson
M
y favourite local studio is also - no
coincidence, of course – the favourite
local studio of lots of other people
too. Classes can be busy and we
sometimes begin with the teacher
playing a game of Tetris with the mats, making sure
everyone has enough space to practice safely even if
we’re arranged close together. “Is there room for one
more lovely yogi?” he sometimes asks, and we all shuffle
up again.
In the early days I found this a real challenge. I was
more used to practicing quietly at home or in a very
small group. A busy class was actually quite daunting; I
worried about my out-of-tune chanting, that I might drip
sweat on my neighbour, whether the person in front of
me would kick me in Warrior 3 and what the view from
behind was like when we did forward folds.
But at some stage these concerns melted away. Now
I’ve settled in to the point where the feeling of the group
as a whole surpasses my own little anxieties. Definitely
not a sublimation of the self, not quite a blissed-out
togetherness, but at least an acceptance that we’re all in
this together and I might as well enjoy it!
Being with other people creates a feeling of being
part of something greater. Plus it’s a good opportunity
to practice some generous yogic behaviours and look
out for one other, rather than selfishly spreading out
as much as we might want to. Now as we move through
our vinyasas, I picture us as a shoal of fish or a flock
of birds, all weaving our own individual movements but
forming a single picture. I sometimes wish I could stand
up and watch the ripples and waves of arms and legs
moving in time across the room. In my mind’s eye we’re
so beautiful all together.
At the end of class our final Om often has a different
quality to the opening chant. It’s as though we’ve all
tuned in to one another through our synchronised
movements and measured breathing. Now there’s a
beautiful harmony. And when I roll up my mat to leave, I
gather up any foam blocks I find around me. I no longer
know which are mine, which might be my neighbours’.
And it doesn’t matter.Victoria Jackson lives and practices in Oxford. She is
registered with Yoga Alliance as a vinyasa yoga teacher.