YO is hOMe
The Odyssey is a story of strength and resilience, one of facing hardships and overcoming barriers. In the tale, Odysseus, the King of Ithaca, undergoes a ten-year journey home after the decade-long Trojan War. During his journey, Odysseus was held captive, faced countless perils, and witnessed the death of each of his crewmates. His story took him south from Troy and through the Greek Peloponnese region on his way back to Ithaca, thereby defining odysseys and the series of expeditions and adventures that create them. Odysseus’s journey offered him a variety of valuable teachings, including the importance of resisting temptation, the virtue of patience and the kindness of guides. As a result of his sheer will to return to his home and his tactical approach to each of the challenges he encountered, Odysseus arrived back in Ithaca. While he was beaten and scathed – so much so that he was recognizable only to his own dog and by his housekeeper who noticed a familiar scar on his leg – his homecoming completed the first odyssey and highlighted the beauty in wandering and uncertainty.
Odysseus’s story inspired Yoga Odyssey’s name; it serves as a reminder that the journey of life will test us by diverting us from our paths and forcing us into a zone of discomfort. Importantly, though, the Odyssey also reminds us that we determine the ways in which the challenges we face define us – whether we allow them to define us as failures or use them to make us stronger.
Over the summer, our community experienced an odyssey of its own. Our home was damaged in a fire and, over the following six months, we wandered through six temporary spaces. Each of these spaces tested us in different ways. Some of them required us to practice in the elements of the outdoors, while others required us to modify our practices to make space for each other. We knew that these spaces were unsustainable for our community, yet we approached each with gratitude for those who offered them to us, openness to new experiences, and faith that our home would eventually be restored.
As both a community and as individuals, we were challenged to carry the principals of yoga within ourselves, rather than finding them within a particular set of walls. We were challenged to be tolerant of uncertainty and patient with the uncontrollable. Despite these obstacles, we learned that each of us are more resilient than we thought and that our community is stronger than we ever could have hoped. Similarly to Odysseus, not for one moment did we consider the easier choice: surrender. Instead, we chose to use our challenges to craft positivity, perseverance, and spirit. Now, as we complete our summer odyssey, we are confident that the lessons we learned will fill our home with a rejuvenated, vibrant, and powerful energy. As we rebuild and regrow – just as Odysseus recovered after his return to Ithaca – we are filled with gratitude for the support of the community and eager to experience the next chapter of our story.