Community Conversations is a way to build community through conversation. Coming together as a community is something we highly value at Satya. While each of us leads lives across a diverse array of experiences, beliefs, and backgrounds, the practice of yoga is what unites us all – building a greater connection with ourselves, and each other.  Community Conversations is a space where members of the Satya community – and beyond – continue the unifying practice of yoga through purposeful, facilitated conversations. Much like the physical practice of yoga asana (poses), the practice of intentional conversation is a practice of connection and awareness. As we exercise our capacity for purposeful and patient communication, we gain a greater understanding of ourselves and others, build a stronger sense of community, and carry compassion forward into the rest of our lives.  

This practice integrates fundamental tenets of yoga philosophy, namely ahimsa (nonviolence) and satya (truth), while using the framework of Community Building Circles (CBCs) to facilitate the intentional conversation. In each 90-minute conversation, Madison will guide participants through thoughtfully prepared questions that center around a particular theme, to which all participants have the opportunity to respond. In order to ensure a respectful space for all, conversations follow community-established guidelines.

CURRENT THEME THROUGHOUT SUMMER 2025: Curiosity as Liberation Remaining open while experiencing strong sensations, thoughts, or emotions requires a certain amount of curiosity. Observing without judgement in an effort to be present with everything as it is requires practice This is the work of these conversations, that can lead to a sense of freedom when we choose how to respond instead of habitually reacting. Each time we make a conscious choice, it is liberating, and in starting this process for ourselves we can more easily bring it out into the world, and into many different aspects of our lives.

Curiosity is a radical act. To be curious is to admit that there is something you have yet to understand. When faced with what feels like certainty, curiosity challenges you to remain humble. This practice of being open to new ideas, beliefs, and experiences is often an uncomfortable one: rather than relying on habitually easy patterns of thought, curiosity relinquishes assumptions for the sake of possibilities. Curiosity frees us from dogmatic constraints, inviting uncertainty for the sake of itself. The humble act of asking a question is challenging, but this unique experience of wonder is what liberates the mind.

Community Conversations invites everyone to practice this humbling act of curiosity. As we listen to ourselves and one another without judgment, we gain a greater capacity to remain curious about the world around us. With compassionate uncertainty we learn to invite new ways of understanding each other.