How did you get into Yoga?
I have always had a weight lifting routine. A few years ago I started having nagging injuries – one after the other. My daughter Claire is a Yoga instructor and she suggested that I could gain flexibility with a yoga practice. She was right!
How does the quality of life compare now to pre-yoga?
Physically I am stronger and definitely more flexible. I have seen a tremendous improvement with my balance which is very important as we get older. I find that I am much calmer and more thoughtful. I am also more present – for myself and others. I was drifting through life – just waiting for things to happen and then reacting. I feel much more grounded and present today. I recently lost a job that I have had for almost twenty-seven years. If I did not have my Yoga practice I think I might have handled the situation with anger, bitterness, resentment, and self-medication. Yoga has given me the gift of equanimity – a feeling that no matter what life sends I am and always will be Me, so I am and always will be fine. Deeply flawed and mighty fine!
What part of the yoga practice have benefited you most?
The community is hands down number one! I have made true and dear friends at World Peace Yoga. A big hug or an “I love you” are almost daily experiences. Pranayama and meditation practices also benefit me greatly. A year ago I had knee surgery, followed by a traumatic accident in December. I was in serious pain and was not able to practice physical poses/asana, lift weights, even take a long walk for over eight months. Looking back, I really don’t recall feeling the frustration and anxiety I would have expected if I could not move. Being in the presence of friends, conscious breath, and meditation were my way back to a healthy body.
What might your life be like if you had not found Yoga?
If I had not found Yoga I would not have the relationships that I have today. My connection with my wife Helen is deeper and more meaningful. The same can be said for the relationships I have with son Tommy and daughter Claire. I have made many new friends at the studio and my longtime friendships have taken on new meaning and a new dimension. I’m also healthier. About six months in to my practice I had a cardiac event – a blocked artery. Being a part of the World Peace Yoga community made it much easier to change my diet and incorporate pranayama and meditation into my daily life.
Why do you believe it is important, as a Yoga teacher, to be a plant – based vegan?
In the third month of my Foundational Yoga Teacher Training I decided to try a vegan diet. I remember clearly walking down the street with a new friend that had recently completed Yoga Teacher Training. She was talking about her experience with a vegan diet and it occurred to me that while it is not a requirement for training, veganism is a cornerstone at World Peace Yoga. I remember thinking as we walked down Ludlow that I was going to invest the time and money I was investing into my training it would be wise to embrace this foundational pillar of my studio – at least for that year! It was challenging but also very rewarding. I love to cook and I basically learned how to prepare food in a whole new way. I also became aware of the ethical and environmental issues surrounding food choices. This awareness has helped me become more aware and thoughtful, and I believe more compassionate. Awareness, thoughtfulness and compassion are the basis for being a Yoga guide.
Why did you decide to do Yoga Teacher Training and eventually a Yoga teacher?
I practiced regularly at World Peace Yoga for quite a while taking several classes a week. I read an article in The Wall Street Journal about yoga teacher training in the U.S. The article stated that most people that take training – especially those over the age of fifty have no intention of teaching classes. Rather they enroll in training to expand their personal practice. When I signed up this was my intention. A class at World Peace Yoga was always “the shortest hour of the day” and I left the studio feeling better than I did when I walked in. I was aware that there was something going on beyond moving through the different forms in a class and I wanted to find out what that something was. I wanted more of it. I did not intend on teaching – I didn’t think I could handle it. Over the course of the year this changed. I gained knowledge and confidence. I had (and still have) tremendous support and encouragement from fellow teachers and also from my classmates. They showed me that I had something to give to others and I am eternally grateful for that!
Most times I teach I end Shavasana with a poem by Miller Williams – Lucinda’s father. Like my practice and my teaching, the meaning of the poem continues to evolve for me.
Compassion
Have compassion for everyone you meet
Even if they don’t want it. What seems conceit,
Bad manners or cynicism is always a sign
Of thing no ears have heard, no eyes have seen.
You do not know what wars are going on
Down there where the spirit meets the bone.
