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| Models: Jeremy Simon and Seren Rubens; Photography: Faern |
“Yoga has taught me how to live in harmony with myself and those around me. Practicing challenging poses, especially in partnership, has helped me to find the path of resistance.”
– Jeremy Simon
It’s impossible for to look at this photo of AcroYogis Jeremy Simon and Seren Rubens without thinking about trust, partnership, and unity. It takes some real trust to let someone hold you upside down like that with your head that close near the pavement. One slip and… well, it would not be pretty.
This same sense of partnership and unity is one of the things I love most about being a part of the yoga community. It takes the effort of all involved to make the beautiful shapes we see Acro Yogis practice. If any one person doesn’t fully commit, the whole could come crashing down like a delicate house of cards.
We support each other—literally and figuratively. Yoga philosophy teaches us to see the world in a holistic light. When you help a neighbor, you help yourself and the whole world as a result! We lean on each other when we need help with a pose, but we also lean on each other when we need advice or just a laugh. Each little action impacts the world in a positive or negative way. It’s really beautiful if you think about it.
Does this mean that we never let someone down or get really REALLY annoyed by the person who Oms too loudly or makes every discussion about herself? Of course not. But just as no one gets Scorpion Pose on the first try, it takes years and years of practice to master the art of true community. I am the first to admit that I have a long, LONG way to go … but I’m learning about myself and the world along the way, breathing into the struggles, and enjoying it as much as I can as I go.
What do you love about yoga community? What do you struggle with? How has yoga changed the way you relate to people?
Faern is an artist, yoga practitioner and photographer in San Francisco. Besides making as much time for tea as possible, you can find Faern in a yoga class, at her current art show or wandering the city via public transportation. You can visit her in various places online: FaernWorks website, Twitter, Facebook, Faern in the Works Blog.
I love the sense of community in yoga; everyone trying hard to have an open heart yet recognizing that sometimes it's tough! Yoga has changed how I am present with others and has taught me to approach everyone with an open heart, which in turn opens the mind.