Fear. We learn a lot about it in our yoga practices.  And then because of our practice we realize how it manifests in our lives.

Sometimes what I most fear is attempting what I know can be done.

Recently, my fear was gathering people to practice. How do I get a group of yogis together in a city where I´m only passing through? I had an idea from day one, but it took me nearly two months to overcome the fear of failure to give it a try.

Couchsurfing has been my travel companion since 2007. It now has a function that allows users to create events and gather people together. Arriving in Madrid with language confidence and more time for social media, I created the event. To my surprise, I taught two classes with fourteen students in each on my birthday weekend!

The practices in the park were beautiful because they brought together people from all corners of the world: Bolivia, Malaysia, France, Spain, Turkey, Ireland, Germany, Suriname…the list continues.

We all practice yoga for various reasons. For me, yoga gives me a sense of peace and calmness. I became a teacher to share this tranquility with others and ideally, globally. By bringing cultures together to share in a practice of the mind, body, and breath is by one of the many definitions of yoga or “joining together.”  I´m so grateful to have replaced a fear with a stunning, global yoga community in Madrid.