Community, communication, connection - the power of oxytocin!

Its been a good day - actually, its been a good wee while when I take the time to reflect.

My meditation practice continues to be my anchor, and to be honest I don’t know where I would be if I didn’t have that as a mainstay in my life.

Another factor that I find hugely important (apart from my family and my precious doggo) is the community in which I find myself able to be fully present, as myself.

The Latin word ‘Persona’, translated means ‘the mask of an actor’, and when we take the time to ponder - we discover that we all have various different masks that we wear depending on the company in which we find ourselves in. This may be a protective mechanism perhaps to prevent ourselves from seeming vulnerable, or it could be because we are required to behave or act a certain way with a specific set of people. Regardless, we all don these masks, and it can be exhausting. Think how refreshing it would be if this wasnt the case.

I was on an educational yoga retreat with my teacher Dhugal Meachem and 20 or so other yoga folks in Portugal in March, and when I look back at that week, I recall feeling truly present, and at times, vulnerable, raw, and always most certainly ME. Perhaps that is because I was with people who ‘got’ the whole yoga and meditation ‘thing’, and I didn’t feel the need to try to be anything other than myself.

As I get older I choose more and more to show up as myself - and it feels amazing, liberating and energising. I remember being teased in the past for being so devoted to my practice and this area of my life, and feeling that it was a personal slight. In reality, it wasn’t me who had the issue - rather it was those doing the teasing - maybe arising from their own insecurities.

I chose to let that go and move on from it - labelling it as an educational experience.

Feeling connected to something or someone is part of the human experience, but when we force it, it can feel false.

Casting my mind back to my early days as a yoga teacher - desperate to give people a class that would feel good for them, constantly adapting and changing times and class styles to suit the needs of others to the detriment of myself. Not only was it exhausting, but it wasnt going to attract a community if it didnt come from an authentic place.

Rewind to April 2021 as we moved slowly out of the pandemic. I had run some wee classes and the odd retreat (my home classes way before I was qualified were so much fun!), but I felt that doing an outdoor class would be the way to go. As a massive nature and sea lover, teaching on the beach in Gullane seemed like an obvious choice.

The first class date arrived and I remember feeling slightly nervous as I was to be teaching a bunch of strangers and it was baltic outside. I showed up in 2 pairs of leggings, about 3 jumpers, my yoga mat and lesson plan. I loved it, and judging by the fact that some of the same people turned up the next week, they did too!

Fast forward to May 2023 and we are into week 2 of the beach yoga season - many of the original crew still come along, and we have others in tow too. One loved yoga so much that she too is now a qualified teacher (I remember telling her she should train!).

We show up on the beach, do our yoga practice and afterwards there is the option to dip in the sea too. When the yoga stops at the end of the season, many of the community still choose to do a weekly dip, and it has become a solid and welcoming community of like minded souls who come from many walks of life.

This is truly the gold of the whole experience as a teacher. I haven’t created a community, but rather held space to allow a community to flourish - that, for me is a privilege!

As a scientist you will know that I will eventually refer to something geeky, but this is what to me, is the icing on the cake. In social situations, when people get together, chat, make eye contact and hug - the hormone oxytocin is released (people are often aware of this hormone in the context of childbirth, but it has other functions). Often branded a ‘social hormone’ it promotes bonding on a very basic level, and it makes us feel good!

On a Sunday - particularly after yoga and a swim there will be chat over a cuppa - anything and everything is fair game for discussion - usually with a lot of laughs on the way.

We often have new folks come along who perhaps have never tried yoga/sea dipping and don’t know anyone, and that can feel quite scary - but afterwards the feedback is delivered in smiles. Newbies don’t feel like newbies more, and in fact often comment how welcoming and friendly the group is.

Finally, a dear friend sent me a message a while ago now which seems so fitting in terms of community, communication and connection and it’s this - ‘Your vibe attracts your tribe’. Such a true statement. Stick with your values, be authentic, operating with integrity and sensitivity and you will feel connected and alive!

Want to join us on the beach, an upcoming outdoor day retreat, regular classes and workshops? then check my booking page on www.bookwhen.com/satanamayoga