Together We Thrive: Building Community, Unity & Connection

Dear Wolfpack Family,

We are thrilled to share a momentous milestone with you! We’ve successfully completed our first-ever yoga teacher training (YTT), and we're elated to announce that 33 incredible souls have graduated from the Breathe and Flow Yoga Academy. 🎉 

Our students traveled from all corners of the globe, each bringing their unique energy, experience, stories, and dedication to the training. After nearly a month of practice teaching, studying and living together, we truly became a YTT family and it has been an absolute honor and privilege to witness their transformation, growth, and commitment to the practice. ❤️

We're excited to see how these newly certified teachers will ripple the positive effects of yoga across the world. You can check out our awesome alumni by heading over to the Breathe and Flow Yoga Academy Alliance page to find out about each of our students! Maybe you’ll find a local BNF teacher near you ✨ 

Teaching face-to-face and hosting events here in South America, we are able to truly harness the power of connection and the creativity which is sparked when many hearts and minds are aligned. So, it felt fitting that this issue would be dedicated to the joy and importance of human connection and finding your Wolfpack. In today’s newsletter, we’re sharing some ideas and thoughts about creating and maintaining connections, whatever your lifestyle, for a happier life!❣️ 

Like many teams these days, the team of seven here at Breathe and Flow conduct work across oceans and on different time zones relying on voice notes, over a dozen business tools, emails, and video calls to stay synced up. We’re very grateful the internet and business tools exist so we can stay connected far and wide. Our Wolfpack community is also spread across the world and often we don’t get to meet those of you who step onto the mat with us every day. (Shoutout to those of you who were able to join us for our most recent Wolfpack Satsang - soooo awesome to see some new and familiar faces on the monthly call. ✌️)

Even with the connection through tech, it can be easy to feel lonely in today’s fast-paced world. Especially since the pandemic, people talk of feeling a little ‘disconnected’ and mental health experts have described loneliness as the new ‘disease’ seeping into society. But how do you build and sustain a community when work often means sitting behind a laptop, alone?

It’s always good to remember that there is so much more which unites us than which separates us. Studies into ‘what makes us human’ show that we are social beings that thrive when we come together in a community.  Social bonds help ensure humans' survival. Our ancestors lived in social groups to share resources, to care for the little ones and to build, hunt, and gather. Today, we all rely on one another around the globe for information, resources, and connection. Think about the food you buy, the products you use, who you call for help and the information you seek out in any 24 hour period…

Research into social connectedness shows that when we feel socially bonded to others, we’re more resilient, happier, more confident and are actually healthier! Community brings a sense of belonging, support, and love. It is a place where we can be ourselves and learn from others from different generations and backgrounds.

Our monthly Wolfpack satsangs have always been an important part of our own paths as we find and connect with more and more kindred spirits. Satsang is a Sanskrit term which can be translated as "associating with good people" or simply "being in the company of truth," and refers to the act of gathering with like-minded, uplifting people, especially those on a spiritual path. Enjoying positive human connection means being intentional about who you choose to associate with in your life; those who align with your core values and will support you on your personal growth journey.

We always look forward to hearing what you guys are up to and connecting with you ‘face-to-face’. Sometimes we wish we could just gather every single one of you who practices with us in one place, spend some time getting to know you all properly and give you all a huge hug! But, we also realize that having a worldwide yogi-following, spanning time zones, languages and borders is a strength and a privilege, as it spreads the word of yoga far and wide and means we have a diverse, strong and beautiful community. 🧘‍♂️ 🌎 💙

It’s also not essential to have people physically together in order to build a sense of belonging and form a bond. In meaningful interactions, we often feel psychologically close to others, even when we're not physically near them.  That’s why we use terms like "connected" or "close" to reflect this emotional proximity in our descriptions of satisfying interactions. Studies show that our brain processes this closeness similarly to how it perceives physical distance or time.

Even if you are alone, did you know that research also shows that you can still generate feelings of connection to others? Practicing Loving-Kindness Meditation, has shown to increase feelings of connection to strangers in just a few minutes. (Wild, right?! So amazing ✨).

We feel the connection to you guys when you drop us comments/messages and are so grateful for every effort made to be involved in our community. 🥹 Thank you for cultivating such a warm and supportive space on the interweb - (we know with social media it’s not always the case!) but we’re truly thankful for you all and the love you give - it fuels us in our work every day and inspires us to keep creating and sharing from the heart space 🙏

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On a physical level, the very act of synchronizing our movement and breath (as in yoga asana) has been proven to trigger the release of hormones associated with building bonds. Scientific investigations into the experiences of people engaging in group physical activities, consistently reveal that individuals feel a heightened sense of closeness when they move in unison.

When we practice yoga together, we can create a safe, supportive space to be ourselves and connect with others on a deeper level. It also helps us to learn more about ourselves and to cultivate empathy and compassion for others too.

We encourage you to put energy into positive social connections whether it’s through face-to-face interactions, meditation or within online spaces. Positive human connection generates love, the ripples of which can make a difference in the world. It can be a little scary, but the best things usually are at first! Choose love over fear, always. ❤️

By joining our Breathe and Flow Platform you get access to a whole lotta awesome content and an open invite to our Satsang monthly gatherings! There’s always room for one more in our Wolfpack family.✌️

With BIG love and Wolfpack hugs,

Other cool stuff we use, buy and recommend can all be found here in the Breathe and Flow Kit here! From books and to business tools, to travel items and yoga props - we’ve got you covered!

We love this daily mini boost of information and simple tips of how to live a healthy life from 10almonds. Scope out their newsletter and subscribe if you find it intriguing!

If you are reading this, this GIANT hug from the BNF Team is for you. Take a deep breath and soak it in. We’re here for you.

🤗