Finding Accountability and Community with Yoga during a Pandemic

Post Author: Gillian Ebersole

Yoga is steeped in tradition and history so rich we could spend a lifetime studying and barely uncover any of it. That’s part of what makes our individual yoga practices so important. How can we step into the space of yoga history with grace and gratitude, while also allowing yoga to touch our own 21st century lives

Something I discovered throughout my YTT was the space for yoga to transcend limitations – of the pandemic, of limited physical space, of cramped mental space. During this time when we may feel limited or trapped, a playful and creative yoga practice allows us the space to continue to grow.

It takes about 21 days to form a new habit. As I reflect on my own personal habits, this makes sense – school always began to feel more comfortable after three weeks, committing to reading more becomes easier after about a month, learning a language is enhanced by a bit of practice every day.

As much as I may practice tapas, or the Sanskrit word for discipline, I find I am always better at sticking to a new habit when I have other people encouraging me and holding me accountable. Since isolating in March, my network of in-person support has considerably shrunk, and I found myself struggling to stick to even small habits that I hold to be important.

Enter yoga. During my YTT, I discovered that virtual support can be as meaningful as in-person support, especially if we give it space to be something different than what we are used to. Since ending my YTT, I have a newfound inner fire to practice my habits, buoyed and supported both by my personal yoga practice and the community yoga brought me.

As the pandemic stretches on, our shift to virtual class formats and teacher trainings no longer appears to be a temporary fix, but instead a more permanent adjustment. In many ways, this has given me the opportunity to really examine my own habits, purging practices that no longer serve me (scrolling through social media before I sleep) and replacing those practices with ones that enrich my life (finding time for a moment of quiet meditation).

This ebb and flow of personal habituation and community exploration, honoring and unlearning tradition, seems to underscore our present moment in both subtle and dramatic ways. For me, a daily yoga practice made of asana and personal reflection gives me the strength and foresight to approach change with less fear and more peace.

We have been forced to forge ahead into new ways of living. Many of our traditions are obsolete right now, and we have broken any definition of “normal” we may have held in the past. As we look toward fall, consider taking this time to develop a new habit or strengthen an old one. How can practicing yoga every day shape the way you perceive what is “normal”?

Don’t miss out on Lila Flow’s pass for September classes. With the Back to School Pass, you can take a class a day, for just $45!

There is still time to register for the virtual fall YTT. Visit this link for the application.