Saying Goodbye to Your Yoga Studio

When I first started practicing yoga, I was singly focused on two things; the general health benefits and losing weight. That was all I was concerned with and all I was looking to do. I was all about results, I wasn't expecting to really care all that much about the process.

And yoga does bring about good results. According to Harvard Health and countless scientific studies, yoga has a lot of benefits beyond the mat. “Researchers found that people who practiced yoga for at least 30 minutes once a week for at least four years, gained less weight during middle adulthood. People who were overweight actually lost weight,” the research team reported. That was about all I was looking after, but once I started practicing, I realized there was a lot more to it than that.

After reading about all of yoga’s different health benefits for long enough, I attended a few free yoga classes held by Johns Hopkins Bayview down in Baltimore and I realized that I’d discovered something much more than typical group fitness.

When you first sign up and the studio describes its customers as a community, you might be skeptical.

You go in, you stand on a mat, and you stretch. You know everyone has different schedules and doubt that you’ll see all the same people every time you go. How much community is there going to be?

Then you start to have favorite instructors, teachers who take the time to help you improve and answer questions before or after class.

Next, you do start talking to your fellow yogis. Somewhere along the lines, you actually started considering yourself a yogi rather than just some person who takes yoga classes periodically.

You forge connections. You realize it really is a community.

The early skepticism fades most delightfully. You eventually feel comfortable talking to other regulars; this might take a few months if you’re an introvert like me. But even so, I've bet so many warm and friendly people through yoga studios.

The incredible thing about yoga is that when you find the right studio, you find a sanctuary that is always warm and supportive. In the ideal yoga studio, you push to improve. But you do it at your own pace. If you fall over along the way, there are always people to still encourage you and not judge you.

There’s an unspoken understanding that we’re all trying to improve in some way — whether it be small or large — and there’s no shame in literally stumbling or falling sometimes.

Yoga will do more than help you with your health; it’s a thoughtful, introspective activity that will open you up to bonding with others.

I’ve made friends at my studio and I was truly surprised at how many yogis there were who I had other things in common with. Obviously, if you’re practicing yoga with someone, you’ve got some common ground. When I met other writers, bloggers, and former literature majors, I was surprised and delighted.

Since yoga has a strong focus on mindfulness and concentration, after classes, most people feel more relaxed or more open. You come in with a mind lost in your chaos and leave feeling accomplished and a little more peaceful.

Doing all those heart openers may be great for the muscles in your chest, but coming together and sharing in an activity rooted in mindfulness makes people more likely to open up to each other. I’ve had dozens of surprisingly deep, thoughtful, and honest conversations with near strangers after yoga classes.

Then when life changes and you have to leave, your heart breaks.

Saying goodbye to a yoga studio can be unexpectedly painful when you've forged connections and become part of a community. Even if you aren't looking for it, a good yoga studio will encourage connection so subtly that it starts to happen and it feels perfectly natural.

But moving gets in the way of that. If you’re working toward a larger goal in life or simply if your circumstances change, you’re probably going to end up moving a few times in your life. For me, starting work in New York City was the catalyst for this change a few years ago. I've moved around several times in my quest to find an apartment in comfortable commuting range of my job since I've had some poor luck with crazy neighbors recently.

But exploring different studios does open you up to meeting new people.

Leaving a community is hard, but there are some silver linings. Once you get past the painful goodbyes, you can still keep in contact with the people you became close to. Changing circumstances like leaving a job or leaving a yoga studio feels like a separate, but if you bonds true and use things like social media for their real purpose, it's not too hard to keep in contact after you've left a place behind.

Though it's bittersweet, finding a new studio in a new city can have its benefits as well. Going to new places can be stressful, but in a new town, a yoga studio can be a pleasant place to start making connections. Needing to leave a studio might be hard, but when you're in a new place, a new studio might just be the first step to feeling at home. Beyond that, there are always new connections to make, which can be wonderful.

There can always be a silver lining to change; including different styles of yoga.

This is a little less community-focused, but another silver lining is that trying out different studios does make for a great chance to try different types of yoga. When I left my first studio, I was heartbroken. But then I tried out a new studio in my new town. I discoveredashtanga yoga and it transformed my practice. I met new teachers who helped me deepen my practice and other yogis in the community who I had a surprising amount of other hobbies in common with.

Saying goodbye to your yoga studio isn't easy, but there can be greener pastures ahead. Even if you aren’t looking for it, in the right studio, you’ll find a community that helps you keep your spine tall and your spirits even higher.