More Confessions of an NPR Junkie

My family, friends and students know that I love listening to NPR radio. If my family only had a dollar for every time I said “today on NPR I heard…”. Well today during the Radio Boston program on NPR they discussed how face to face relationships and interactions are good for our health. Of course they are, and yoga classes are just one way to make that connection to others and your community.

My students come to class and they get to connect with other people who are also doing yoga. Maybe a student’s spouse, family and friends don’t do yoga, maybe they can’t understand why someone gets up early to do a yoga practice. So in class students are connecting with other yogis who are experiencing some of the same things they are. Students who come to class regularly make new friends and connections. They support one another when things aren’t going well and celebrate with each other the joys in life.

For me teaching gives me face to face time with my students. When teaching a class of really committed students who come to class week after week, not only is there a human connection, but I get to see the changes and lasting effects that they are getting from their yoga practice.

So today on NPR when I heard that studies have shown that though we are more connected then ever through social media, we are also lonelier than ever because we lack face to face connections. That people who have even brief daily interactions with others may live longer and healthier lives. Among yoga teachers we often talk about commitment and community. Students who commit to a yoga class and come weekly get not only the physical benefits of yoga but they join a community of yogis. Come to a yoga class and commit to this wonderful community of yogis, because today I learned that being part of this community can improve your health!