I've been feeling a bit lonely lately and I couldn't put my figure on why until earlier today. What I realized is that my teaching position is anything but lonely - I have to be 100% on all the time. The result is that when I get home I want to be 100% quiet. Over the past year, since starting the Yoga Advanced Studies Program, my personal time has become extremely personal with lots of asana, pranayama and meditation. This has been wonderful for making space in my mind and heart, but somewhat isolating.
As I reflected on my feelings of loneliness I realized that I don't have a community. In fact, I've given up quite a few communities this past year. First, I moved away from my lovely neighbors when I bought my own place. Second, my favorite yoga class with Nancy Leigh-Smith on Saturdays has ended and I no longer practice with my long-time yoga family. Third, I have taken one foot out of the non-profit arts world now that I am teaching full time in Fashion. And fourth, I am no longer the Co-Chair of C2Arts the Community of Practice that I co-founded four years ago.
Simplification has been my goal and I've achieved it. Instead of seeing this as a problem, I'm framing it as an opportunity. Now I can make a deliberate choice of how to define my own community.
Creating art - photography? Writing?
Kayaking
Practicing yoga
Cooking
Volunteering
Adventuring
What I what I would like is a "third place" other than home and work. Not a club, coffee shop or bar yet someplace like Cheers, where everybody knows my name. Someplace where I am not in front of a computer, iPad or iPhone but actually interacting with people.
