March Challenge: The Practice of Community
Dearest Joyn Community,
I’m writing this after a long drive home from Maine, where I spent the weekend skiing with my family. My body is a little tired, my mind a little quieter, and my heart very full.
February has been a month of movement in many directions. I spent time volunteering with a Special Olympics ski team, teaching extra yoga classes, connecting with people outside my bubble, and making space for friends and family. None of it was particularly efficient. There were long drives, shuffled schedules, and plenty of moments when staying home would have been easier.
But the theme that keeps rising for me is community.
Sometimes I get stuck in the everyday grind. The small tasks. The endless lists. The quiet pressure that every hour should be used to get ahead, get organized, or be productive. It can become very easy to say no to the things that feel slightly inconvenient.
My friend Andrea, someone I deeply admire for the way she cultivates community, said something to me recently that has stayed in the corner of my mind:
"The price of community is inconvenience".
And it is true. Community asks us to show up. To drive a little farther, stay a little longer, or step outside our routines. But every time I go to that ski club or walk into a yoga class, I feel the same thing. A bright new energy. A fullness that only comes from being around people who are sharing space, stories, and presence.
In yoga we practice something called sangha, which simply means community. It reminds us that practice is not meant to happen in isolation. We grow through shared experience. Through gathering, listening, laughing, and supporting one another along the way.
Boundaries are beautiful. I know I need more of them myself. Protecting our time and energy matters. But sometimes I think we can become so firm in our boundaries that we forget the joy that lives on the other side of connection. The laughter around a dinner table. The love of a family trip. The unexpected conversations with people outside our usual circles.
These moments might not make us more productive. But they nourish something deeper. They remind us that we belong to something larger than ourselves.
If community is something you’re craving this month, I hope you’ll come practice with us. Sometimes the most meaningful thing we can do is simply show up.
Saturday, March 7 9:00 with Tobey: Yoga & Sauna at Moki, South Boston - Tickets
Saturday, March 21 9:45 with Tobey: Norrona, Newbury Street - Tickets
Much love,
Anna & The Joyn Family
