The Search for Community
For years, I searched across many countries for a community where I could belong. I visited many places, hoping for a sense of genuine connection, but nothing ever clicked. Eventually, I gave up the search and let the idea fade.
It wasn’t until I came to Govinda Valley Ashram & Yoga School in October 2025 that something shifted quite unexpectedly. Somewhere between shared meals, early mornings doing sadhana (personal practice), and time spent doing seva (selfless service), I realised I had found a community.
“Somewhere between shared meals, early mornings, and selfless service, I realised I had found a community.”
Redefining Community
It began with a different understanding of what "community" means. I used to think it required shared beliefs, identical values, and common goals. Here, I learned it’s about something far more intrinsic: a loving, caring, supportive, and free environment; one where the purpose isn’t to move toward a single shared goal, but to enable each other to flourish as individuals.
“Community is not about sameness, but about creating a space where each person is free to grow.”
The Ashram is nurtured daily through seva. Some of us are in the kitchen, whipping up nourishing meals, while others tend the gardens, clean communal spaces, or mend what needs repairing. It is not considered work, but an offering of devotion. Through these shared acts, we sustain a self-sufficient life in the Valley.
Living With Intention
One of the most important things I've learned here is the power of intention. As part of the kitchen team, we always start every shift with a short huddle. It's a genuine moment to check in while assuming responsibility; not just the usual "How are you?" and "Good, thanks". Daily tasks are reviewed and prioritised, and team members share accountability requests. For example, if I'm feeling down, I don't want that to affect how I'm showing up. By not needing to put on a mask and by being real with myself and others, we are able to support one another and, when needed, gently call each other in.
In this environment, giving happens naturally. When someone helps another, it is not to boost their own ego. It comes from a cup that is already overflowing. Because of this, I feel compelled to offer my own time in return. I now extend this way of being to my friends outside the ashram, giving space to those who need to be heard and acting as a mirror so they can better see themselves. It's not just an exchange of energy; it's a synergy.
I have also come to appreciate gratitude in a new way. In my past experiences, expressing gratitude often felt empty or performative. Here, it’s a space where people truly see and are seen. Gratitude arises from the smallest things; sometimes even for someone’s simple presence, rather than their actions. Just like the sun, which simply shines when it rises, everything it touches naturally flourishes.
A Connection Beyond People: The Ashram and Nature
Coming from the other side of the world to Australia brought its own challenges, and everyone here arrived carrying their own struggles as well. Some people came wrapped in prickly armour. At first, I was hurt by the “spikes” and wanted to step back. Over time, I learned to continue offering care and love, and I have watched them emerge from their darkness. We accompany each other through challenges and moments of struggle.
Care softens even the sharpest edges.
Another thing that amazes me is that our sense of connection extends beyond people to nature. We cheer for a bird, an insect, a flower in bloom. People love sharing photos of “our friends in the Valley.” This simplicity and purity feel deeply precious.
Seeing, Healing, and Becoming
The practices and teachings here invite us into a process of cleansing and healing, and seeing is the first step. When we turn our awareness inward, our subconscious begins to surface through meditation, dreams, and everyday life. We face old wounds, unresolved emotions, repetitive patterns, and deep questions about life. We can choose to process these alone or to share, to be seen, heard, and supported. Bit by bit, we open ourselves, seeing the parts of ourselves that were hidden or suppressed, finding the strength to face what we previously could not. It can be painful, and yet this is growth.
“Perhaps community is not something we find by searching, but something that forms when we allow ourselves to be seen.”
These moments of seeing, caring, giving, sharing, supporting, and simply being with one another are what make this community a safe, loving, and empowering space.
Every unique being I’ve met here has left a mark on my life. Perhaps community is not a place we find by searching, but something that forms naturally when we show up authentically, give openly, and allow ourselves to receive.
In that space, everyone becomes a mirror, reflecting back the truest parts of one another. Through these reflections, I have come to recognise the self I was searching for all along.
Sometimes I catch myself rushing for answers, forgetting the importance of the process. When that happens, I pause, and remember that every moment, every encounter, is an invitation to be fully present. Life is unfolding here, and I am learning to meet it with my whole heart.
That has been my experience of the ashram so far. It has been life-changing, exciting, and deeply educational, with its fair share of highs and lows along the way. After completing my first four months here, I have chosen to continue my journey and begin another course at the ashram. I am grateful for what has unfolded so far and open to what lies ahead.
Sophia
