I Love My Kula!

Kula is a Sanskrit word that can be translated as “community,” “clan” or “tribe.” In Hinduism, the term kula is used in Dharmashastra (religious law) to refer either to part of a village or a member of a family.

The term is used within yoga to highlight the sense of community that is developed by those who come together to practice. In likening the yoga community to family, the term kula denotes the inclusivity and sense of belonging that is often cultivated through yoga.

Any group of people who come together to practice yoga with shared intentions can be considered a kula. Generally, this suggests a welcoming, open-minded and accepting community of practitioners.

MY kula is a group of 7 women, now closer than sisters, who met through our yoga teacher training and retreats. We range in age from 37 to 70, with me being the oldest. We come from various backgrounds and live in different parts of the state. And we would have never met or become friends if not for having lived and learned together for 20 intense days at an ashram, and numerous other retreats, gatherings, zoom meetings, all spurred by our mutual love of yoga and humanity. Among us are yoga teachers, scientists, artists, musicians, merchants, psychologists, chefs, daughters, mothers, wives. When we get together we learn from each other. We share our homes, our food, our adventures, our love, our pain. And we laugh a lot. We do yoga. We hike. We talk. A lot.

At our most recent retreat we took our mats and blankets outside after our shared dinner to gaze at the stars. One of the astronomers in our group pointed out the Pleiades also known as The Seven Sisters. That's us. A beautiful cluster of stars.

I love my kula.