Satsang/Sangha

 

As I write this, on the last day of the year 2020, I’m grateful to be reflecting on what it means to be connected to community.  In what felt like a rapid and head-snapping pivot from teaching in-person to teaching online, followed by uncertainty and bouts of anxiety, almost 10 months later, we’ve found a way to make it work. The theme of this week, Satsang/Sangha is about like-minds coming together with a common intention. I’ve heard both words used over the years almost interchangeably and upon looking it up, I found the root word “Satsangha”. So at some point, it’s likely that the words split. Originating from Sanskrit, it means to be in the company of true people. Sangha means association, assembly, company, or community. So, in essence, a community that holds us up, that supports our journey, and reflects truth to one another.

Satsang often forms due to a “Satguru” or teacher, who shares their teachings to the community that gathers around them. They are most often seen to possess a wisdom unknown and not yet realized by most. I’m connected to the sangha stemming from Neem Karoli Baba (Maharaji), the guru to many Westerners who brought his unconditional love, influence, and indirect teachings to the West. It began with Ram Dass, who met Maharaji in India and was forever altered and impacted. He dropped the stone in the middle of the proverbial still pond which rippled out to others such as Krishna Das, Jai Uttal, and Trevor Hall and continues to this day.

In my most recent studies, I came across a quote from the J.Brown Yoga Talks podcast by Chris Preist (link here). The future Buddha is the sangha. This was one of those statements that stuck with me. It basically says that the collective wisdom isn’t with just one person, one Buddha, but within the collective. The more wisdom that is spread and shared throughout the sangha, the greater the elevation of the collective consciousness for the betterment of humanity.

I have taught many people over the many years of my career and what I have consistently enjoyed is teaching to groups. Some variant of synergy almost always emerges in the group dynamic and, at times, it’s so powerful it’s palpable. This experience is also common when we gather together for Kirtan (a musical experience based in Indian folk music) when the group simply appears to melt into one voice. And I know I’m not alone. People have continued to show up for live online classes because it holds value for those who attend. Of course it’s not the same as in-person, but an energy is still present which connects us during the experience. If it weren’t so, people would simply practice on their own or not at all. But showing up, even online, keeps the thread of connection vibrant.

The past three weeks we have been discussing and exploring the three S’s: Seva, Sadhana, and Satsang. As a recap, Seva is selfless service. How can we support others, particularly those in need or disempowered? Sadhana, is our personal spiritual journey and how we create our own daily practices and rituals to deepen our individual growth. Surround those two with a community, a Satsang, that supports both the individual and collective, we establish ourselves firmly on the path of what it means to be living from a yogic perspective. A perspective of harmony and union, of body, of mind, and of spirit. Our practice begins within each of us and exponentially expands when we reach out to support others and to be supported.

I trust the many lessons we’ve been exposed to in 2020 will lead us to a richer understanding of what’s important. And I’m grateful for the simply realization of the beauty of our yoga community that is reflected back to me every time I step in front of the camera. May we continue to support and grow both individually and collectively, in a more profound essence in the year to come.