Yogataveller, Gozo, Malta - 6th June 2009 - By: Aubrey Lampkin

With Gloria Howe, Pamela Lewis and Poppy Choudhury.

Do you have skeletons in your closet? Great! So does everyone. (And I bet mine are more shocking than yours, not to burst your bubble.) Another cool thing about yoga is realizing all human being share similar stories - and your story (however sad or tragic you might perceive it to be) is probably more comparable to mine, or theirs, than you think. The knowledge everyone shares similar stories is not only hugely comforting but also makes you more compassionate which helps better connect you to everyone you meet.

There's a word in Sanskrit which I love - 'kula' - which literally means, 'clan'. In other words, your chosen group of friends, your clique. In the ghetto they'd call your 'kula' your 'peeps' or your 'homies'. One of the coolest things about a kula is that anyone can be in it, as long as they're equal contributors. I couldn't help but consider this week's yoga group to be a kula because of each person's ability to be totally open-minded, honest and candid about their lives (refreshing, thank you!) no matter what their background.

In my book, life becomes interesting and engaging when raw communications happens - the rest is just filler fluff.