Ashtanga Yoga Nationwide

We're right in the middle of an intense week with Luke Jordan at the shala. One of my favourite things about a travelling teacher like Luke Jordan coming to Dublin is the way in which the whole community of practitioners comes together in one place at one time.There are so many people practising ashtanga yoga in Ireland these days and not everyone is so lucky to be living near a teacher and a community of other practitioners. Having a great teacher come and visit is a great incentive for those students to travel and be part of the buzz of a large group of practitioners for a few days. Then there's also the students from different shalas/teachers all coming together and getting to know each other a little bit.I know I talk about this a lot but we are all so reliant on each other as practitioners. It is rare to be able to practise ashtanga yoga intensely and consistently on your own. Some people can do it, but most of us really struggle to keep up that passion and drive on a daily basis. That's why we need teachers to maintain shalas (or regular classes at least) so that we can draw energy and inspiration for our practice, not just from the teacher but also from the other students.We are social animals. So much so that - as many studies have shown - the more and the stronger our social connections are the longer our lives will be. We literally die younger if we are not part of a thriving community. And the bad news is that our communities in general are becoming more fragmented as each generation passes. That's why being part of a group of individuals with similar goals and values is such a powerful thing. So, enjoy being part of this great community of practitioners in Ireland. It's irrelevant who your teacher is or which shala you go to, or even if you practise alone all the time; when we get an opportunity to come together it's always a positive thing.The effect of being part of this ashtanga community is that it supports our personal practice and makes it easier to maintain. Then the benefits can spread into the wider community.There were almost 50 students who came to the shala to practice the other day (between Luke's class in the morning and my evening class that day). That's 50 people who will interact with a lot more people during the course of their own day. The effect of 50 happy, healthy people leaving the shala and going out into the world can only be a good thing.I'm not one to evangelise about the benefits of yoga practice to everyone I meet (this blog being the obvious exception) but I think that, as students of yoga, we can be a beacon to others who could benefit from this in their own lives. We are all examples of the positive effects of yoga practice on our lives and, in a wide sense, we can raise the level of health, happiness and consciousness of everyone we come into contact with.So, enjoy being part of the ashtanga community, both in your own shala and in a wider sense, and for those of you who practise alone, know that the community is always there to support you when you need it.Thanks also to Luke for his visit, and for bringing us all together for this short time.