Posts In:

 

Quarantine has provided me with time to reflect deeply on Shanti’s mission, purpose, and direction.

I am unbelievably thankful for this opportunity to take pause and envision the best possible future of Shanti.

The Meaning of Community

What comes to mind first is the word COMMUNITY. This word is present in the title of this space and is the foundation of why I built Shanti. Community is what helped me through my dark times while traveling. I had no family around me nor did I have a solid group of friends. The people around me kept changing due to the nature of my life as a nomad. I felt very alone most of the time and suffered through heavy feelings of isolation and depression.

It was not until my time at the New Life Foundation in Northern Thailand, where I was hired to be a yoga teacher, did I see the power of community. We were all strangers, but due to the nature of New Life, we quickly became a family. This is because of the mindfulness practices we were required to partake in everyday and the group exercises we all did which caused us to reflect and connect with each other.

These group exercises, also known as circles, changed me in so many ways and I will forever look back fondly on my time at New Life. That job gave me confidence in my teaching abilities and allowed me to feel supported, loved, and valued by everyone around me.

It was my dream to bring these practices to Connecticut and share it with the uptight North-Easterners. I say that in the most loving way because, I too, can be in a rush, need my space, and be closed-off. Every human needs community, especially in this part of the world. (more…)