Sarah Hutchison (they/them)

I started practicing with Indy Community Yoga in the summer of 2019 after I stumbled upon an event for Saturday yoga practice at the 100 Acres. Before that, my practice was limited to sporadic sessions in yoga studios and occasional online guided meditations by myself.

I was immediately profoundly grateful to find ICY because I recognized early on that it was different from anything I had experienced before. Something I noticed right away when I arrived was that Tony came up and introduced himself to me and asked me my name, and remembered it the next time I showed up to practice! Something else I remember about that summer is that I started learning what it means to practice with a group of people who accept me for me, however I show up. There is a special feeling that comes from this kind of practice with others, where there is no expectation about how one “should be”. I noticed that I didn’t have to worry about how I expressed myself, and this is very freeing. To me this feels like community care.

As a community practice leader and board member, I enjoy co-creating spaces for others to practice and connect with each other. Leading the Queer + Trans Community Yoga practice has allowed me to facilitate movement, meditation, and mindful dialog in a safe space with others like me. Laughter during yoga practice delights me, especially when we’re outside connecting to one another in nature. I also find joy in moving slowly and quietly taking in the world around me. I share my home with my dog, Cubana, who is a perfect creature.