Journal 5: Yoga Practice as Community

        This past week I participated in a yoga session via Zoom. The yoga types I learned this week were Ashtanga and Iyengar yoga. Ashtanga yoga is focused on purification of the body and mind. Ashtanga yoga focuses on quick powerful movements that force you to focus and grow as a yoga participant. Iyengar yoga is focused on structural alignment of the body and it emphasizes on precision and detail. Both forms of yoga are enjoyable to me, however, I feel that I prefer Iyengar yoga more than Ashtanga yoga because I feel that I get a better, deeper stretch with the Iyengar yoga.
        My practice space does promote a sense of community. This community of yoga participants feels good and welcoming. The yoga community itself is a very understanding community that I feel accepts all new people. The purpose of the yoga community to feel this way is so that anyone, new to yoga or not, can join in and participate and gain the benefits of practicing yoga. The purpose of how the yoga community is benefits the studio by having people join and it benefits its participants by allowing everyone to feel accepted and truly enjoy yoga.
        I feel pretty invested in this community. I feel that I am a part of this community and I am happy about that. It was easy to feel that way especially with how accepting the yoga community is to new-comers and beginners like myself. The yoga community is one that I am very glad that I joined with due to this class. I am definitely looking forward to the next yoga session I take part in.

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