Have you been attending the same studio, or class, for a long time? Starting to get to know the people there? Even starting to feel part of a sort of community?

Yogis call communities sanghas , which tend to take form particularly when a much loved and respected teacher is at the helm. So, it's not surprising to see the sangha that has been showing up for longtime Mindful Body teacher Yolanda Bain, who was recently diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

I took classes with Yolanda, who is also know by her friends and students as "Yo," in the early 2000s when my practice was fairly new. She always had such a graceful and assured presence, and was a pleasure to be around. When I found out about her diagnosis, I felt a big lump in my throat. It's so hard to hear about things like cancer happening to beautiful people, especially healthy and strong yogis. About two weeks ago, I heard that Yolanda was teaching a sort of "last class for now" as a send-off into her surgery and recovery, and I went to take the class.

I knew Yolanda had been teaching at Mindful Body for a while, but it was still amazing to witness the overflow of students who came to show support and love. The feeling of community was palpable, and the event was a testament to the timelessness of the sangha, a much needed structure of life even (or especially!) here and now, where we often lead very fragmented and individual lives.

Yolanda is now home from the hospital and, according to her husband Matt, recovering well! She started a blog (see the bottom of her webpage for the link) so that her students and friends can know how she is doing. In addition, Mindful Body is having a benefit for her Saturday (Feb. 16) that consists of a 6:30pm yoga class led by Maile Sivert and a party that starts at about 7:45pm with live music, chair massage, and a silent auction. The benefit (donations will be accepted) is to raise money for Yolanda's medical expenses and time away from teaching, though Maile says it's also "intended to be a spirit gathering of our extended yoga sangha". It's still too soon for Yolanda to be out and partying, but she and Matt say they'll be there in spirit.