For anyone who's ever felt different

Dearest Ones,

Today’s message is for anyone who’s ever felt different — which I know is many of us who are drawn to the practice of Kundalini Yoga. I’ve been thinking about the phrase “out there” as in, “You’re pretty out there in your beliefs and practices.” What if we gave that our own meaning? What if out there became more of a promise and hopeful message than a label. Imagine that out there implies, Your people are out there. Don’t give up.

Our dear friend and student, Pritam Deva Kaur @iguanaguano777, inspired me in a beautiful Instagram post about this topic. She gave me permission to share it with you all. Here it is:

I can’t recall the first time I recognized that I wasn’t exactly societally compliant. Maybe during the initial sting of the words “You’re weird”, heard at age 7? I learned early on that ‘different’ is largely unpalatable, and have suffered since for the knowledge. The world-even and maybe *especially* the ‘yogic’ community-comes with snobbery, middle school prejudices, and lack of inclusion as a package deal. “You can’t sit with us” is more the norm than the exception. Thank you to all my friends at Montclair Kundalini Yoga. You have made such a difference in my life and trajectory. For the very first time in my life I have felt part of a family. Thank you for this and for who you are, as individuals and as a collective. I have learned so much under your tutelage and friendship.

Obviously, this is very gratifying for all of us at MKY because we want to be there as an alternative family. Our teacher Kimani (Padmani) put it best: “One big happy family of not misfits but fits just right.”

What makes us fit is not that we all practice the same things in the same way or that we all have the same opinions. No. We don’t. What makes us fit is that we share a reverence for each individual’s Truth and their right to live according to it.

All Love! May the Truth in you guide you.

Blessings & Sat Nam,

Cate, Savitri, Kathy, Andy, Jennifer, Manush, Meredith & Kimani

P.S. We’d love to see you this weekend in studio or online. Savitri is teaching on Saturday at 11:30am ET and I’m teaching on Sunday at 11:30am ET. Sign up here.