A Communal Space

Namasté: My soul honors your soul. I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides. I honor the light, love, truth, beauty and peace within you, because it is also within me. In sharing these things, we are united, we are the same, we are one.
 
Every yoga practice concludes with this gesture, this invitation to connect on a deeper level, this recognition that we are one and the same in this shared moment. It is a symbol of the connections between us, as well as the mutual respect we feel for one another.
 
The heart of our work in Nicaragua took place here in this yoga studio. Initially, we chose this location based on its openness and its proximity to El Coco Loco; however, when I reflect back on our time together, this space is so symbolic of everything we accomplished. Our work was centered and dependent upon making connections, learning from one another, and sharing our stories. It was about building relationships to not only celebrate cultural differences, but also to acknowledge the similarities that we all have in common as human beings. This type of work requires trust and respect, beliefs that develop over time. With only three days devoted to our workshop, we weren’t sure how receptive the students would be to the activities we had planned. Those concerns quickly became a memory, for right from the beginning, the students were so open and engaged. It was truly amazing to see how quickly we were able to bond with each other, allowing us to connect on a deeper level in such a short period of time. We told each other what makes us who we are, we learned about each other’s life journeys, and we reflected about our communities and what makes them so special. Everyone had a voice, and it was so powerful to be able to help each other bring out the voices inside us.
 
The space is such a crucial element to create a safe and supportive environment for conversations such as these to happen, and whether we were aware of it or not, this yoga studio contributed so much to the success of our workshops. The themes of our activities reflected the values that are essential to the practice of yoga: respect, connecting, and understanding. In this space, we were united not only through this experience, but also through the recognition that we share so much in common. This yoga studio became a communal space for us all, a space that created memories, a space that will be within each of our hearts. It will forever unite us, and I’m so thankful for that.

~ Grace Twardy