Founder of |OMY| and Bikram Yoga Certified Instructor, age 40

When did you first try hot yoga?

Back in 2007, I was invited by a friend to try doing as many classes as I could in 30 days. My local Bikram studio was offering an intro for $30. I came 19 times in 30 days.

What injuries did you earn over the years?

As a golfer, my body was broken down in both knees, wrists, and mostly my back.

How did yoga find you? What did you know about yoga?

I found an old ’70’s paperback on yoga in my mom’s home library when I was 13 years old. It blew me away to see the human body do those things. I read very little, and mostly just tried to do the postures I saw in the book.

Over the next 15 years, I just did a random postures sporadically throughout the day or the weeks. No consistency. Finally found Bikram Hot Yoga and was hooked the first drive home from class.

How was your first Bikram hot yoga class?

You will never forget your first Bikram yoga class. My first class was humbling. I thought I had “done yoga” in the past.  Never had I done this! This 90 minute class was the hardest thing I had ever done. Period.

My lungs felt like they were on fire and my shoulders we so tight. I thought like I made the biggest mistake of my life, and we were in the first set of breathing!

That night, my body felt more balanced and flexible. I slept a full 8 hours.  When I woke up, I didn’t have any of my normal “morning pains” – the creaky knees, tight back, tight neck, grumpy, etc.

I came back to the yoga school the next day at 9:00am.  I couldn’t wait. The whole system made perfect sense to me.

Why did you become a teacher?

Because they made me. ;)

Why did you create Old Man Yoga |OMY|?

I believe EVERYONE can benefit from this yoga, and it is my mission to help spread the word anyway I know how.

Over the years, I have been inspired by the older generation of students at the various schools of yoga I have been teaching. They are most often the mentally strongest students and the ones who hold the postures with the most focus in the room.

Mostly, I want my dad and nephew to become consistent in their own yoga practices. However that shows up for them.