By: Amma Fandiño
For the past three years, I’ve had the privilege of working with You Call This Yoga (YCTY) and teaching yoga at Alliance Medical Ministry (AMM) through the partnership between these two organizations. What began as a weekly yoga class has become one of the most meaningful teaching experiences for me, largely because of the special community that has grown around it.
We usually have around 15 students in class, and about four to six of them have been coming since the very beginning. Over these three years, I’ve watched a sense of connection, trust, and belonging grow among them. Seeing students return week after week, getting to know one another, and becoming increasingly comfortable sharing what they need has been incredibly rewarding.
I teach the class bilingually, in English and Spanish. At times, that can be a little challenging, but it has also made the practice more inclusive and accessible. Over time, we’ve found our own natural way of moving between both languages, and I love seeing everyone feel comfortable participating in the way that works best for them.
There are three moments that, for me, really show what makes this community so special.
The first happens before class. Students will often reach out to me in advance to share that they are experiencing a particular pain or discomfort, or that there is something specific they would like to work on during the class. I really value these conversations because they tell me that students feel comfortable sharing what they need and trust that the practice can meet them where they are.
The second is at the beginning of class. We usually take a few minutes to talk about how everyone is feeling that day. People may share that they are experiencing stress, pain, physical discomfort, or simply need something different from the practice. This helps me adapt the class to the group, but more importantly, it creates a moment of connection. People are not just arriving to take a class; they are arriving as a group and checking in with one another.
And then there is what happens after class. I often hear from students about how the practice made them feel, what helped them, or what they would like to explore in a future class. That ongoing conversation has become an important part of the relationship we have built together.
For me, this is what makes the AMM yoga class so meaningful. It is not only about teaching yoga. It is about creating a space where people feel seen, listened to, and comfortable expressing what they need. And over time, simply continuing to show up has allowed relationships and trust to grow.
After three years, I feel incredibly grateful to have been part of that process. What makes me happiest is seeing that this is no longer simply a weekly yoga class. It has become a community, and I feel very fortunate to be part of it.
I’m deeply grateful to You Call This Yoga and Alliance Medical Ministry for creating the opportunity for this partnership and for making this space possible. Most of all, I’m grateful to the students who continue to show up, share, listen, and make this community what it is. They are what make this experience so special.
