Mysore Style Ashtanga Yoga with Danielle DePompei

[00:00:00] Adam: Welcome to the people helping people podcast where we talk about social change, social entrepreneurship and culture, and all great things going on in the world. I am very excited today to be talking with Daniel, the pump. A
[00:00:23] Danielle: nice yes.
[00:00:24] Adam: Who teaches yoga up at the Steiger yoga Columbus. Up on Indianola
[00:00:31] Danielle: and Morris road.
[00:00:32] Yes. Cool.
[00:00:33] Adam: So welcome. And I'd just like to start off maybe asking you how you got into yoga, like how did your yoga journey start?
[00:00:42] Danielle: Yeah, well, it started years ago and it was like 2008 and I was living with a friend and, well, for years, for like 15 years, I was a competitive figure skater. And when I moved to Columbus, I came to go to hair school, actually become like a cosmetologist.
[00:01:02] And the girl that I was living with at the time that I moved in with who's now, like my, one of my closest friends, she was like, you should really try yoga. Like she had been going with like her mom or whatever, cause I haven't stopped sort of skating. I just like couldn't like find the time to get to a rank.
[00:01:19] And she was like, you should try this yoga thing. So I was like, yeah. I dunno, I tend to like resist most things that people tell me to do. And so, which I'm getting better at, but not doing. But yeah, so I went to a yoga class and then I just like, I, I mean, I loved everything about it. Like I just, I really honestly, I liked the way that it made me feel and there was like a lot of connection in the like creative sort of movement and expression that I also found in skating.
[00:01:46] But to be honest with like a lot less of the pressure of like the competitive, like figure skating world. Sort of
[00:01:52] Adam: thing getting very competitive.
[00:01:54] Danielle: It could be. Yeah. I think it definitely could be, at least for me, it started to like become less of fun and more about like always training through these life competitions.
[00:02:06] So over time it sort of lost, its like I sort of lost the joy in it cause it was just like training to get somewhere, you know? And I didn't really kind of. I wasn't into that anymore. That aspect of it. Yeah. And then when I moved, it's just became like really expensive to be honest, to do the competing and coaching and all of that.
[00:02:25] So, so anyway, so I got into yoga and just sort of like started dabbling in it for years, just like random classes. I would do it at home. In that time I was doing hair too, so I had like a full time job. I was working full time doing hair. And then I also had like a part time job at the time. So I was working at time and I had a client and uh, I get like really passionate about like the things that I love.
[00:02:52] And so of course I was like super passionate about yoga over probably four years at like kind of grew. And I was like, I'm going to go to a teacher training. Like I want to do a teacher training. Cause I would always get asked if I was a teacher. And I was like, no, I'm not. I'm not a teacher. So when I was like, but maybe I could do that thing.
[00:03:09] Like maybe that could be something that I do.
[00:03:11] Adam: So people would ask you, I just kind of sat in the back of your
[00:03:14] Danielle: head. Yeah. Yeah. And so then I was like, I'm going to do a teacher training. I'm going to go to India. This was in 2010 I'm going to go to India. I'm going to save up a ton of money, and I'm going to go to India and I'm going to do a teacher training.
[00:03:28] This is like far before I knew anything about Ashtanga yoga. So I had a client who is Indian. Sit in my chair and I was like so excited and he kind of like was like the first person that kind of like put my ego in check a little bit, almost see it felt like, you know, and I was like started to really think more about why I wanted to do it.
[00:03:49] And he basically explained to me like yoga is more than what you think it is. Cause I kind of was just doing the physical practice. I hadn't really looked any deeper into yoga and he was the first person that sort of brought that to my attention. And then life took me on a different course. I decided not to do a teacher training and to develop like a home practice cause I figured if I really wanted to teach then like I would be able to stay committed to doing a home practice.
[00:04:17] And so I ended up out West. And in that time is when I decided to develop the home practice. That's when I found Ashtanga yoga. That's when I started reading more about philosophy and. Studying like older texts and things like that, and that was that. But I didn't know what to do. Like I had no idea. I was like, well, here I am home practicing, but I have no idea what I'm doing.
[00:04:41] You know? Like, no one's taught me anything. I've gone to all these yoga classes, but no one's actually taught me anything,
[00:04:47] Adam: say out West. So we were in
[00:04:49] Danielle: California, Arizona. Yeah. I moved out there with a boyfriend. Yeah. I don't regret it at all, but we're not together anymore. So yes. So then I found this in the yoga sutras, it talks about Ashtanga yoga, and I was like on YouTube, and I was like trying to find something that I could do, and I saw Ashtanga yoga and I was like, Oh, that's weird.
[00:05:13] What's that all about? You know, like a talks about it in here and now it's like. On this YouTube video with this like little Indian man. I was just intrigued. Like I clicked on that one and ever since then like I was like intrigued by Vitaly Joyce. The fact that they chanted that the whole class was in Sanskrit and that these people were like moving through the air in a way that I was like, how is anything possible?
[00:05:38] I was like captivated by the practice, by this heavy Joyce, by the sound, all of it. And so that's really when it like. I feel like that's when it started.
[00:05:51] Adam: The moment when, you know,
[00:05:52] Danielle: yeah,
[00:05:53] Adam: this is what I want to do.
[00:05:55] Danielle: Yeah. Or like, this is like my guide for now. This is my guide in order to keep moving forward.
[00:06:04] So yeah. So I practiced that on my own. Like I taught myself the primary series. Or at least taught myself the primary serious pastures. Like I was still very unguided, you know, like, I didn't know, I just had the YouTube video of Patabi Joyce, a sheet of Ashtanga yoga primary series, and like very little direction and like very little.
[00:06:28] That was it. It's just kind of funny. It's sort of how it's taught a little bit, but yeah. And then I moved back from Arizona after some time. And went to a yoga class. I started teaching at a yoga or not teaching. I started working at a yoga studio in Cleveland and it was the same thing. He's like, do you teach?
[00:06:47] And I was like, no, I don't teach. He was like, you should really. Check out the yoga on, hi, who's a studio in Columbus? They're doing a teacher training. It's a stronger yoga intensive. So he's like, basically the whole training is you study a stronger yoga, and they had all these teachers do the workshops for this training.
[00:07:11] So you, your tuition included all these workshops. Okay. And that was how I met Taylor. And that was like my first experience of like a real traditional teacher. That's when everything changed. Like literally
[00:07:24] Adam: my thousand
[00:07:25] Danielle: 13 2014 2014 yeah. And then ever since then my life has just been like, Oh, roller coaster of cool yoga.
[00:07:36] Adam: So then I'm thinking ahead cause I moved back to Columbus. In 2013 and we started going to yoga on high and I remember you coming in.
[00:07:46] Danielle: Yeah, I remember helping you. I know.
[00:07:53] Adam: I think I might've been more flexible then. I don't know.
[00:07:57] Danielle: That's so funny. Oh my gosh. Yeah. While I was in my training, we needed to have a mentor. And I chose Taylor as my mentor, and I came down to assist him in the Mysore room and I never want to leave. It was weird because my whole life has been bouncing around to like different homes, different cities, different States.
[00:08:22] It's been like all this travel and that's like a big part of my life. Like I love traveling. I love experiencing new culture, new places. I like not knowing things like in
[00:08:33] Adam: you didn't know anybody.
[00:08:34] Danielle: Yeah. But being in the Mysore room, it was like the one of the first times in my life that I could be in a tiny little room.
[00:08:43] And time went like that. And I wasn't thinking about anything but like the people around me and I wasn't, it was so interesting for me to be so content in a room for, and really, I mean, cause I would go and I would practice before with him. So it'd be like six hours. I would be in this room and I'd be like.
[00:09:05] I could be here longer
[00:09:07] Adam: and
[00:09:09] Danielle: yeah, there was nothing like that. My needs were so mad and they still are. As soon as people walk in the room, as soon as I start teaching, you're just being there. It's like everything else sort of. Nothing matters, but like what's happening right there and that moment. And that was when I was like, I know that this is what I'm supposed to be doing because this is like, it's literally never happened to me before.
[00:09:31] So then I can, I would drive down every weekend. I would leave my house at like 2:00 AM my parents were like, what are you actually doing? I'm like, I swear. I know that like. I lived a very different life prior, but like I was like, I know that it seems weird, but it's totally okay. I know what I'm doing. And I would drive.
[00:09:53] I would get up at two earlier than that sometimes and I would drive like two and a half hours here to be able to like practice and then assist afterwards and for the first few times that I would drive down here, I didn't even assist. I just sat, I remember like sitting on a stack of blankets with my arms crossed, just like watching.
[00:10:11] It was just so good to be in there. I really needed it at the time too, cause I was kind of like, I was struggling with like life changes, like emotionally going through a lot and wasn't very stable like in any sense of the word. And so being there like also gave me like a sense of stability that I just like couldn't find on my own at that time.
[00:10:32] But yeah, I just wanted to come. I just kept wanting to come back for more. There was like something there. But yeah, that's hard. That yoga on high. Oh, that's cool.
[00:10:41] Adam: How has it changed from being a teacher? How has your yoga practice changed to being a teacher
[00:10:50] Danielle: or your purpose? Like purpose? I think that was one of the biggest things is I was like, I had gained so much from my own practice, like there was so.
[00:11:02] Much that I learned and I continue, like I'm still very much on like the journey, so much insight, so much like love for myself, for other people, a different level of understanding and like compassion for things that I didn't have. To the extent I've always been a pretty compassionate person, but I just not to the extent, way more awareness around things.
[00:11:29] I just can't imagine keeping this to myself. I don't think that I would be serving a purpose if I kept this to myself. Like I feel like I have to tell the whole world about it. You know, if it's done this much for me, like I'm sure it could help somebody else because you find things on your own, you know, you search to like learn from yourself and with any like committed sort of practice.
[00:11:56] I think that comes though too. But there was just something really, really special and I didn't want to keep it to myself.
[00:12:04] Adam: And you mentioned before that you were experiencing a lot of emotional instability in your life. How did yoga help with that? Like what did you find in the yoga process that actually worked
[00:12:16] Danielle: well?
[00:12:17] Oh man. Like so much. I mean, just like the basic like principles and sort of. It picks up all that stuff. It's a good song though. Just the basic outline really of like being somewhere at the same time every day. Really like the consistency of the practice six days a week. And in the beginning it was especially important for me to be there at the same time.
[00:12:45] And so essentially like my life started to kind of. Revolve around my practice. I needed that at that time because I didn't have like a strong relationship with my self. Really, if you're looking at it, I'm like, just like these basic things. It was like a set sequence. Every time you start, you know like what it is that you have to do.
[00:13:09] It doesn't mean that it's going to look the same every day, but I know exactly what I had to do. And there was like no question of that. So the practice in itself, this stability of that goes beyond something that's different every single day. It's just not what I needed at that. I still don't need that.
[00:13:27] You know, like I love the stability of my practice, the basic things of just the breath and the gaze points and that that was such a major focus, this quiet space, listening to the breath, like going more inward. Kind of brings you to the quiet space within. That's where that stable places, if you can go there in any time in your life, and I think it's just cultivated in your practice in times of difficulty, if you can go to that space, you're okay.
[00:13:59] So then if you can carry that into the rest of your life, you're kind of always stable no matter what's happening. So stable. Stability for me for the longest time meant that my physical world was stable. And while that's like important, physical life isn't always maybe that stable. But what I realized is that like if I'm emotionally stable, if I'm.
[00:14:22] Just sort of like trust in the higher power. If I'm accepting all of these things, like the stability can come from within no matter what's happening on the outside, if that makes sense.
[00:14:35] Adam: Yeah, that makes sense.
[00:14:35] Danielle: Being okay in the chaos is something that I learned to cultivate through my practice.
[00:14:42] Adam: That makes sense too, because as you're doing yoga, it's, there's this kind of certain chaos that comes up internally when you meet resistance in certain poses and things like that.
[00:14:53] That's a lot, a lot more than just getting into a pose. There's a mental game that goes on and there's like your physical body, like it's interesting noticing how my body will be intense and one place in order to compensate for. Something which is somewhere else.
[00:15:08] Danielle: Yes.
[00:15:09] Adam: There is that element of yoga, of understanding what's going on in your body a lot more.
[00:15:14] And that's actually very similar to anything else that you're doing in your life.
[00:15:17] Danielle: Totally.
[00:15:18] Adam: Anything else that you're going in your life? There's some tension or some resistance and it manifests physically in your body somehow.
[00:15:26] Danielle: Yes. Yeah. It's so wild and like I get like excited thinking about it, you know?
[00:15:31] Cause there's so much you can learn from yourself and like so many, like. Areas of your life that you can like smooth out just by like sort of just from this, you know, this practice or like you said, like different areas of the body that are tense. Because there'll be times when, you know, I'm like in my practice, I'm like, well my, my right hip is tight, or something like that.
[00:15:51] Or I feel like this like blockage there or something. And then you start to notice in the rest of your life like where that happens. Like, Oh, it's like when I'm in my car. Or I tend to have in that spot or when I feel stressed or when I feel like I'm being like attacked, not in like a, you know, sometimes they can feel like maybe a isn't the best word to use, but like when we're put into like a stressful situation or something you feel where you tense up and like those areas and stuff.
[00:16:17] It's just really interesting because you start to realize that like. Like any of the pains and the tension and things like that you feel it's not necessarily always coming from your practice. It's coming from like what you're doing off of the mat. So they start to just kind of like go hand in hand. A lot of like the moves that I've made in my life has been because of things that have come up in my practice and as a result and like where I've always kind of wanted to be right now.
[00:16:45] Really interesting. I was like, my dad used to tell me all the time, Danielle, if you're doing what you love, you won't work a day in your life. And I was like, I've been working my whole life to get to that place. And I'm like, Oh, I'm here.
[00:16:58] Adam: Like I don't have to get water.
[00:17:00] Danielle: Yeah. Like I'm actually here. Like I did it.
[00:17:03] You know what I mean? We still. Work to do and goals in my life that I want to accomplish, but essentially like that big, huge thing that I've been striving towards. I didn't want to have dress clothes, like I wanted to just wear yoga pants and no shoes all day. Like I get to do that too.
[00:17:23] Adam: I love it. So what are your life goals? Aspirations?
[00:17:28] Danielle: Hmm. All right. I mean, like I said, I'm of, I'm doing it definitely. I mean, travel obviously is a big one. I do have a dream to live in a van, which I've expressed to like a hundred different people.
[00:17:43] Adam: The van, again,
[00:17:44] Danielle: the van, it was actually Taylor. He was like, if you could do anything and money was no object, I'll never forget this question.
[00:17:52] This was after I had just gotten done with like a road trip out West and on the road trip I was like kind of essentially to hitching rides with people living out of a tent and just climbing all over the less, it was just such an amazing like time in my life. And really what it was is I was realizing how simple.
[00:18:14] Life could be, and how important simplicity actually was to me. And so when I got back was when I started this training and I met Taylor and he said, you know what, if money were no object, what would you do? And I was like, Whoa. I would live in a van and I would travel the world and I would teach yoga.
[00:18:33] And so literally everything that I've been doing since then has been like, how do I make that happen? And what I realized is, is actually not that easy. It's not as easy as it sounds. It takes a lot of work and having to be patient. And so currently I'm just building my craft, learning how to be a better teacher, a more effective teacher.
[00:18:58] Continuing decided to practice and make trips to my soar. Focused on my own practice and just sort of like the basic questions of life feel like. A lot of times I could like live in contemplation if I let myself, you know?
[00:19:12] Adam: That's interesting though, when I've talked to other artists and other fields, there is this period of life where you just have to develop your craft
[00:19:19] Danielle: and
[00:19:19] Adam: it's very frustrating because you see where you could be in.
[00:19:22] You're not there. There's just this. Intense.
[00:19:26] Danielle: Yeah, it's, there really is. And it's so cool, you know? And, and I think it's like, there's all kinds of like little things that like keep you going, you know, cause it doesn't take much to like reboot my energy. It could be like, I saw a student yesterday sort of figure out headstands.
[00:19:50] And I was across the room, like I wasn't there by him or anything. But it's like those things, and it's funny cause like I didn't even, I mean sure, I'm like giving him some guidance on like how to do it or whatever. But it was like seeing it happen, seeing like his face afterwards and knowing like the amount of work that he put in and all of that kind of stuff.
[00:20:13] That's what like keeps me going. I'm like, it's like those little things that like get you through those periods of like, you know, all sorts of, I to like a lie, like all sorts of things come up. Like, you know, there's, I'm not like, I'm not where I should be or have so much more to learn or I shouldn't be doing this because I'm not ready or like so much doubt and things like that that like come off at times and it's like, but.
[00:20:40] Somehow like you're given these like little glimpses of like inspiration or like insight throughout the process. And I feel like if you really do love what you're doing, and if you really are like passionate about what you're doing and you want to keep moving forward in it, it's not going to be easy.
[00:21:00] And there's. You're going to have these doubts come up, but like if it's true, those little things will get you like through, it'll be enough to like be like, yes. Yeah, I have to build my craft before I can do it. And so it's an interesting,
[00:21:23] Adam: yeah, I like that. You know, your attitude is shifted of like, Hey, you know what? I'm going to work really hard and be miserable until I get there and then I'll, I'll be happy. And it's like, wow. It sounds like you really love what you're doing now. And then you mentioned this thing about simplicity, which right as you're kind of saying, Hey.
[00:21:40] I like your dream on the van that there's a simplicity about that's important as well.
[00:21:45] Danielle: Yeah, definitely. You just realize, and maybe this was living out, you know, outside for the immense that I was doing that and being in nature and my life was happier. Cause there was a time in my life where I was working a ton and I was buying a bunch of stuff and I was going in a bunch of trips and I was going out all the time with my friends and.
[00:22:08] But I was still not fulfilled.
[00:22:11] Adam: I mean, there was that a lot more complicated.
[00:22:13] Danielle: Yeah. Yeah. And it was so much more, I was like doing more, but like not, you know, it was the fact like, Oh, I could live with a lot less and actually be happier. I was like, Hm. There's something to that. And really, ever since then, my life has been.
[00:22:30] It already is that way. Like I live in pretty simple life as it is. There's really not much fluff to it, but works for me.
[00:22:40] Adam: You mentioned going to Mysore in India to practice. You've been twice now. Yeah. How has that
[00:22:47] Danielle: impacted the culture? There is so like, they're so devotional, they're so rooted in like their traditions and this idea of like the Supreme, it's like what they call it or God at the heart of everything that they
[00:23:05] Adam: do.
[00:23:07] Just get to connect with the locals.
[00:23:09] Danielle: Yeah, definitely. Yeah. Just a whole array of different way of life. And really, I mean, simple things are just simple. They like hanging out with the family, they do their job. There's not like all the stuff they just live. And maybe there isn't a, you know, I haven't been there long enough to see it because I'm there for, you know, two months or whatever in my little yoga vocal.
[00:23:34] But yeah. And then also it's nice to, you know, I've always sort of been somewhat of like an introvert and. Surface conversation isn't really something that I like, like, which I've learned. Like you kind of have to do that in order to get to the other stuff, you know? So there it's like these connections with people happen, like so immediate and like the conversations, at least the ones that I've had, they have like, there's like so much depth in, it's not just like, well, had to do this today and can't see him, this boss.
[00:24:08] And. I dunno. It's just like, you know, there's deeper, it's just deeper. Yeah.
[00:24:13] Adam: Surface issues with three create.
[00:24:16] Danielle: Totally. So having the space to do that and connect with like other people that are sort of on the same path towards this self-realization to connect with people like that is really special. The connections you make to while you're there.
[00:24:34] I mean, because you're literally focusing on your practice. So the connections you make with people are. They happen very fast. You know, like a relationship that could take years to build here in the States because you have like Lord knows what you have to do throughout your game needs to like survive here.
[00:24:55] You make those connections and like these like deep connections that here would take maybe years, especially if you're somebody like me, like some makes sense. I've made a book, you know, like a, yeah, an introvert is. So, I don't know. I mean, it's just in so many ways in the room there is really like a special human being in my opinion.
[00:25:18] Just like watching him and observing him conferences and how he handles all of it has like pretty cool to see. And then just his approach. I definitely sense the discipline part. That's like pretty apparent. He's just like, he like embodies like love to me. Not in like a way that's like a coddling way either though.
[00:25:46] We keep definitely. He doesn't do that, but like real loud, like this is what you need. Sometimes it may come off harsh and sometimes it may be very soft. Sometimes it may be like pushing me sometimes and maybe like not saying anything at all to you, but he teaches every single person from what I've seen in her and just talking to other practitioners is different, you know, a little bit different to everyone and maybe that's just how we perceive him to be like through our own filter.
[00:26:15] He has to be doing something right. If this many people keep going back to cm.
[00:26:18] Adam: Yeah.
[00:26:20] Danielle: Yeah. And like for me personally, there was very little interaction actually, but there was just enough, you know, for me to like form my own questions and be in this sort of like contemplate of state and I don't know, I guess you get, you always get what you're looking for in somewhere, another place.
[00:26:40] Yeah. It's just a really special place.
[00:26:43] Adam: I
[00:26:43] Danielle: would recommend anybody go and like see if they like it or not. You know, I don't think it's for everybody, but it's definitely worth the experience. Kind of
[00:26:51] Adam: one more thing you mentioned here, and I was talking to yoga Columbus, that there's a really great community.
[00:26:58] Danielle: Yeah.
[00:26:59] Adam: Studio. I mean, that's always kind of impressed me how
[00:27:02] Danielle: close people are. Yeah.
[00:27:05] Adam: Scribe that a little bit
[00:27:06] Danielle: and yeah. It's like a group of people that like, honestly, they just like care about each other and nobody in their wants like. Anyone to not feel welcome. Like when I first got here for instance, it's just like describes the community.
[00:27:22] I feel like pretty well. When I first moved to Columbus, when I came here, I actually was passing through in my head. I was like living out of my car cause I was like, well I want to live in a van. I'll see how it is to live out of the car. So I put all my belongings into my car, blow up mattress thing in the back and a sleeping bag, and I pulled into Ashtanga yoga Columbus one morning and I was like, I'm here, I'm going to be here for a little while.
[00:27:48] And then I think I might just keep driving West, but I'm going to stay. I knew I was going to stay for like at least a month and all I wanted to do was assist Taylor. I like no intentions teaching yet. I just wanted to assist him. I wanted to like learn as much as I possibly could. So I got there and I was like, yeah, I'm just like living in my car.
[00:28:07] Like set up, like check out my setup. It's just like so excited about it. It was sweet. It was sweet. It was perfect. I had everything that I needed and it was so comfortable. I loved it. And he was like, Oh my God, I can't believe that you're, and remember him looking at me and be like, this girl's kind of crazy.
[00:28:29] But I was like elated, like so excited. I was free. You know? Like I've always, I love freedom and independence and all those things are like part of what makes me feel alive. And that's how I choose to find those feelings. So like, he was like, well, he's like, I have assistance already and things like this, or whatever.
[00:28:47] And I was like, that's okay. Just whenever you need me. Like please like, let me help you. And I'm gonna, you know, I'm gonna practice for the month or whatever. Like a week or two went by and he was like, you know, I actually need someone to teach these evening classes. The person that I had doing it is unable to do it.
[00:29:04] He's like, would you want to do it? And I was like, Oh sure, why not? It's like two classes a week. Cause I was very like, I'm going to take whatever comes my way, you know, like I'm just going to be, except like what is happening for me. And I was like in the place that I was at. And then he was like, I need at least a six month commitment.
[00:29:25] And I was like, okay, I can do that. Like I can't make any commitment for six months.
[00:29:30] Adam: Yeah, I'm just going to live in my car.
[00:29:33] Danielle: Yeah. Oh yeah, totally. I was like, okay, this is fine. I can do anything for six months. I can make that commitment to you. And here I am still way more than six months. So then like I think another week or two went by and one of the people in the Shala, cause no one totally knew me at this point.
[00:29:50] They knew who I was. Word got around that I was like living on my vehicle and like, especially like the moms and dads and the group, they were like, Oh my God, no, this can't happen. And I'm like, what? It's fine. It's totally fine. I'm fine. This one guy, he like messaged this one girl and then she messaged this girl and they were like, eventually, basically like this community was like, we don't want you to live in your car.
[00:30:17] Like we want you to like live in a home. So these people. Offered their home to me is Dawn, she's another teacher at the Charlotte. She's an authorized teacher, and she was like, you let come live with Jason. And I. You don't have to worry about anything, just live with us until you get things figured out or whatever.
[00:30:35] And I was like, Whoa, okay. Like this is awesome. So I live with them for a little while. And then another friend of the community is another friend, like found like an actual place for me to live with like affordable rent. It was like walking distance from the Shala. So it was like. This community that I did not know, literally like took me in with loving arms and it was like, we need to figure this out for her.
[00:30:58] And then when I moved here, I sort of not gave up, but was like sort of accepting that my sort of wouldn't be like an option for me that year because financially I just didn't think I could swing it. And they started a go fund me for me to go to India. Like they all contributed to like my journey.
[00:31:18] They're just amazing. You know, like they really like band together and there are so many incredible people that are a part of that community. And if you need help, like there's somebody to go to and the practice and when you're become committed to it, it breeds this like understanding. Compassion and love for like your fellow human being, no matter what they're going through.
[00:31:42] That's like something that we have there.
[00:31:45] Adam: That's amazing too. It's like as one person gets better than that helps everyone else get better. It's very much this energy that just goes back and forth on that.
[00:31:53] Danielle: Totally. It's a constant give and take and it's amazing. We're based around that. The community that we have, it's really nothing more than that.
[00:32:03] We thrive off of the fact that we all want to help each other and um, no one's alone in that shower ever. There is not even a chance that that would ever be a thing.
[00:32:19] Adam: It should be like,
[00:32:19] Danielle: right. I know. We should all live in a van and have a shallot in the center a moment. It sounds a little weird, but they could be cool,
[00:32:33] Adam: would be a much better place.
[00:32:38] Danielle: But yeah, the community is the reason. It's also the reason why that place like keeps going is the people don't show up. And that starts with a commitment to your practice. Yeah. It starts like with all of the basic fundamentals of the practice,
[00:32:56] Adam: you determination, the effort, the energy
[00:33:01] Danielle: focus, the discipline.
[00:33:04] Community's good.
[00:33:06] Adam: Well, thank you so much for talking to me today.
[00:33:08] Danielle: Cool. Yeah, no, thank you. Awesome. Yeah, I appreciate it.