What if the practice isn’t just about me, but we?...

There was a time when yoga was my quiet refuge.  Just me, my mat, and the breath that stitched the pieces of my day back together. I didn’t need anyone else. Or at least, that’s what I told myself.

But underneath the peace and presence, I found myself alone; there was a quiet ache I couldn’t name: a longing to feel connected to something more than just my body and breath.

Over time, I began to wonder:  What if the mat isn’t just a place to meet myself…  But also a place to remember I belong?

That’s when I began to explore the yoga of belonging - not just physical shapes or solo breathwork, but the invisible threads that connect us, even in silence. This idea of being seen and mirrored by the practice itself echoes what I shared in Yoga & Heart-Centered Living : A Tender Practice of Coming Home, that true yoga isn't about the poses but about the heart opening in the presence of others!

More Than Individual Healing

We often hear that yoga is an “inward journey.” And it is. But healing doesn’t always happen in isolation. Sometimes the most profound changes in our lives occur in the presence of others:

• When a room exhales together after a long hold.
• When someone’s quiet tears echo something tender inside you.
• When a teacher says, “You’re not alone”, and for once, you believe them.

There’s medicine in our community. Not because it fixes us. But because it mirrors us. When I show up messy to a yoga session and someone else is still there beside me, breathing too, I feel held in a way my solo practice sometimes fails to offer.

The Power of Shared Presence

You don’t have to speak to feel seen. You don’t have to touch to feel held. A subtle, sacred thing happens in a room full of people moving together with presence: we regulate each other.

This is something I’ve witnessed again and again in group classes:

• A student arrives flustered and breathless, but 10 minutes into shared movement, their shoulders drop and their face softens.
• Someone quietly lies in Savasana with tears streaming down, and no one rushes to stop them. The group simply holds the space.

That’s the yoga of belonging. It’s not about being perfect, or social, or even outwardly expressive.  It’s about the invisible network of breath, presence, and nervous system safety we create together.

From Isolation to Integration

So many of us come to yoga with the belief that we have to figure it all out alone. We isolate ourselves in healing, thinking it’s noble. Thinking it’s necessary. But real healing - deep, integrated healing - often happens in the in-between.

The glance across the mat that says, “Me too.” The shared rhythm of breath that calms something primal in the body. A teacher’s voice reminding you, “You are safe here.”

Belonging doesn’t mean you lose yourself in the crowd. It means you let your whole self exist within the crowd. That’s the shift. From separation to integration. From me to we.

Simple Practices to Cultivate Belonging

You don’t need a big studio or a packed class to feel this connection. You just need to start with intention.

Here are a few ways I invite this energy into both my teaching and my personal practice:

Arrival Circles (Even in Silence):

Whether in person or online, take a moment before class to invite everyone to check in. One word, one breath, one presence - it creates a gentle field of togetherness - even without much conversation.

Hands Over Heart, Eyes Soft:

I often close class with this gesture. We all place our hands over our hearts, breathe together three times, and imagine sending softness to the others in the room. It’s subtle, but powerful. Compassion becomes tangible.

Unified Breath Flow:

Occasionally, I’ll guide you in a session to move with your breath in sync - simple, accessible movements like Cat-Cow or gentle swaying. The synchronized breath creates a calm group nervous system, like one tide moving together.

Witness Without Fixing:

If someone cries or pauses, let it be. Let the group hold space. This is an act of communal care - learning to witness one another without rushing to fix, advise, or correct.

Your Role Matters

If you hold space for others, know this: you don’t have to be perfect to offer belonging.

Your authenticity creates safety. Your grounded presence invites others to land. Your willingness to see each person as whole - no matter how they show up - transforms a class into a sanctuary.

Sometimes all it takes is one voice saying: “You are welcome exactly as you are.”

That’s the invitation yoga has been extending all along.

What Community Looks Like

Maybe community isn’t loud or crowded. Maybe it’s soft. Quiet. Made of subtle moments of knowing and being known.

Maybe it’s the person on the next mat breathing with you, Or the teacher who remembers your name, Or the collective silence before a shared Om.

Maybe community is less about “doing together,” and more about “being together.”

Being honest. Being human. Being held.

You Belong Here

Belonging doesn’t require you to change yourself. It simply asks you to show up - with your breath, your body, your being.

Let the mat be your mirror. Let the room be your reminder. Let the breath between you and another be a bridge, not a barrier.

Whether you’re practicing in a quiet room, a bustling studio, or just with the memory of those who’ve held you before…

You are not alone.

And that - more than any pose or sequence - is the real heart of yoga.