Ever since I was young, I was searching for something special, something that brought true satisfaction and meaning to my life. During my early years I tried countless paths: art, music, travel, punk rock, drugs and parties, gardening and many other lifestyles. In each one there was something missing, something incomplete. I was never full confident that these paths would bring me to a place of unlimited growth and meaning. I had a yearning for the infinite that I could never put my finger on.

Then, one day, my life changed forever: I went to a yoga class. After an hour an a half of this strange, mysterious practice I walked out a changed person. Without knowing a thing about yoga, I knew that this path was a place of limitlessness, and possibly even true satisfaction. Since that day, I have immersed myself in yoga and joined the world family of seekers of truth and peace. I had come home.

It is a unique human trait that people seek a greater satisfaction in life, one beyond the basic requirements of eating, sleeping and shelter. The human soul longs for connection and meaning in a life that does not immediately give up its secrets to happiness or satisfaction. In order to gain meaning, we must keep refining our lives as we grow and change. However, most of us get entrenched into our patterns and often become stuck in our ways and our attitudes.

The great sages of yoga have created a path for us to explore, one that is focused on dynamic growth and the realization of our higher potential. It is a path that helps us, regardless of our place or position in life. As a beginner I found connection to my body and the wonderful feelings that go along with a healthy and balanced body. As I transformed my body, I was gradually introduced to the next levels of the yoga path which brought me to energetic exploration and transformation. After that, yoga introduced me to the subtle arts of mantra and ritual. Now that I am here, who knows what’s next? But I know I have changed in a way that I could never have had I not found yoga.

I was also introduced to the community of yogis, both at home and in India, who have provided the friendship and support that is so essential when a person is (sometimes painfully) growing and transforming. These people have become my dear and life-long friends and community, my spiritual brothers, sisters and parents.

Throughout this whole process, my involvement with yoga has also brought the perfect teachers into my life, just when they were needed. In the yoga tradition, the teacher is like a spiritual parent, guiding you through  the world of spirituality just as your natural parents guided you through life. Some people are lucky enough to have both natural parent and spiritual teacher in one person, but this is rare.

For thousands of years, the wisdom of the yoga has been flowing, uninterrupted. When we join the family of yogis, we are actually joining a massive family of spiritual explorers which reaches back over 4,000 years. It even includes the Buddha! (He was a yogi at one time in his life) There is nothing on earth like the support and beauty of being part of this yoga family. We have countless sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles, mothers, fathers and even great, great, great, great spiritual grandmothers and grandfathers. It is a truly unique community on earth.

So, when we join the yoga family, we are never alone. We always have support, love and connection with people who also share this beautiful practice. We walk the path together with our spiritual family, allowing each to be as they are, and even eventually taking our place in the role of teachers, guides and mentors for those who are starting the path. In the yoga tradition, we are truly at home, no matter where we are or what situation we find ourselves. It’s the home you can never leave or lose!

Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti

Om Peace, Peace, Peace