Community Support for Self-Care

At HaLé, we encourage everyone to come to class. Our classes are designed to work for a wide variety of bodies, ages, and experience levels. They are all therapeutic and mindfulness-based, which means they help create health, reduce stress, and improve your overall sense of wellbeing. They can also provide a powerful sense of community connection and support. There is tremendous benefit in having a community with you as you practice. The human nervous system is wired for social interaction. When we watch another person do something, mirror neurons in our brains fire as if we are doing it ourselves. This not only helps us improve our own practice, but it boosts the effectiveness, as our minds amplify the benefits. Learning and practicing self-care with others creates a positive interdependence. This builds trust, boosts motivation, and facilitates learning. It also reduces anxiety and stress levels because you are caring for yourself in a safe, welcoming group. Coming to class then becomes a way to support mental and emotional health and self-esteem. Practicing in community is also a way to deepen and extend your self-care to get the most benefit. Because self-care happens at the intersection of expert tools and dedicated time, it is often marketed as a product you can buy and do at home. However, spending the time is more important than buying the tool. For best results, come to class and spend an hour taking care of yourself, with whichever set of tools and class description works for you. When we practice in community, it uses the social wiring of our nervous system to deepen our benefits, dedicate more time, and care for ourselves more deeply. Come to class, any class, as often as possible. The community support boosts the benefit of the practice itself, creating a sense of deep health and wellbeing.