Yoga For Recovery is born out of the need for a practice that unites all levels of a person’s being – physical, emotional, mental and spiritual – as they walk a path of recovery from addiction.  To date, there has never been an effective program of recovery that includes the physical components of life – breathing, eating, moving and resting/rejuvenating) within its doctrines.  The goal of yoga is to move a person from darkness into light, from unknowing into knowing and from dis-ease into a state of Ease.  It deals with the whole Human Being and therefore, it is a perfect complement to all other paths of recovery.

The miraculous 12-steps, which I credit with saving my life, provide a solid foundation of recovery to anyone who can embrace its core tenets.  They are the most successful widespread solution to addiction that we know today.  They provide a wonderful “blueprint for living”  with such critical lessons as:  connecting with a higher power,  living in harmony with others and being of service.  However, the physical needs, what I would refer to as “Humanology,” are left out.  There are no guidelines regarding health, wellness, diet, stress management and the development of a practice of meditation that can elevate one’s consciousness beyond addiction.

My classes are a combination of Vinyasa Yoga, Kundalini Yoga and Meditation with recovery philosophy woven in.  Everything begins with the breath.  When I learned to breathe, my life in recovery got sweeter and stronger.  So developing a relationship with breath is integral to all I teach.  I talk a lot about “getting the issues out of your tissues,” which Yoga was created to do.  Often, emotional energy which is stuck in the body cannot be reasoned or talked out.  There has to be a deep physical approach to moving these stuck energies along.  I have found that energetically speaking, Kundalini Yoga is the best for “taking out the garbage”.  When we remove all that stuck-ness we can become fully present in “the now.”  From that place, we can walk the path to True Recovery.

Several decades ago, I was a drug addict living in confusion and fear, expending my energy trying to satisfy an urge that could never be sated.  Seeking help for this problem was not a decision I made.  It was forced upon me by my circumstances.  I would not have made the decision to get sober on my own, which is why I have such a profound belief in God and am humbled by the gifts that I received despite myself.  After 12 years of sobriety, I needed to go deeper into something to move myself forward.  I was given a gift once again – the greatest gift we can receive, which is an elevated teacher to guide me on my way.

I trained for 5 years one-on-one with an exceptional man named Guruprem Singh Khalsa, a master of Kundalini Yoga, an advanced Ashtanga practitioner and a lifelong gymnast.  At 57 years old, he moves through the world with grace and ease leaving his brand of enlightened kindness everywhere he goes.  My “apprenticeship” with him is what helped me to find the tools I needed to walk the path of True Recovery.  We would sit opposite each other, practice breathing, yoga, meditation and talk about life.  He is my teacher in this life and I feel a kind of love and gratitude toward him that would be impossible to explain.  This work with Guruprem, my 8 years of practice of Kundalini Yoga and my beloved 20 years of practicing Vinyasa are the experiences that have placed me in a position to heal and now to teach about True Recovery.

Regarding the universality of Yoga for Recovery in treating addictions of all kinds, I would say this:  Yoga For Recovery is for every Human Being regardless of whether they are dealing with acute addictions of any kind or not.  If you are not addicted to The Big 5 – drugs, alcohol, food, sex or money.  Then you might be dealing with what I call The 4 Aggravations:  Resentment, Negative Thinking, Self-Doubt and Procrastination.  These “less harmful” addictions sap us of our energy, cause lots of damage and must be faced in order for us to live a life of fulfillment and to heal ourselves and the world.  So I guess you would say I am a proponent of a path of yoga and meditation for everyone.  The specific type of yoga will vary from person to person, but I am in support of any practice that brings us home to the heart and teaches us how to be healthy, happy and how to live in purpose and on purpose.

2.) We know you have a book in the works and a weekend coming up at Kripalu , but have you considered doing training for other teachers who might want to bring yoga into a recovery program for their students?

There is a teacher training out there in the future for sure.  This work is so important and it needs to spread as much as possible.  Right now I am focused on spreading yoga and meditation through the Tadasana Festival.  It is hard to focus on anything else until that show is done.

3.) We loved seeing you on the cover of Yoga International magazine because we teach lots of men in our classes.  Do you have any tips for encouraging reluctant males to come to the mat?  Are there things you emphasize differently as a male teacher?

I emphasize breath, alignment and strength (mental and physical).  The practice of yoga is perfect for any human being regardless of what you are after.  You want physical strength?  Yoga can give that.  More flexibility?  No problem.  You want more of an emphasis on connection with the divine? Got that.  You want to chant in languages you can’t understand? We got that, too.  To the guys out there:  Jump into a yoga class.  Connect with your body and breath becoming stronger and more flexible.  Become the best version of yourself that you can.  Don’t wait.  Come on in.  Get your sweat on.  Get your breath on.  Get your mind right.  Let’s do it.

Interestingly, there are no books specific to Yoga and Recovery that I would yet recommend.   The ones that are out there may be helpful to you and they can all be googled.  No one has yet written a seminal book on this topic.

Important and Favorite Books/DVDs:
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Translation and Commmentary by Sri Swami Satchidananda
The Aquarian Teacher by Yogi Bhajan
Divine Alignment by Guruprem Singh Khalsa
Radiant Body Yoga DVD Series by Kia Miller
Meditations From The Mat by Rolf Gates
The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous has worked its magic on so many people who have struggled with addiction that it is worth mention here.  If you want to understand the 12-step path that has been helpful to so many, this book lays it out.

Resources that I will always turn to for inspiration and guidance:

Guruprem
Rummy
Rilke
Herman Hesse
Paulo Coelho

5.) Tell us about how you came up with the idea of the Tadasana Festival and what sets it apart from the other festivals.  If a yoga teacher wishes to be part of such festivals what advice do you have for them about setting up a festival or getting a teaching spot at one?

My business partner, Fabian Alsultany, and I conceived of Tadasana Festival over a long period of time.  Fabian is a ninja when it comes to knowledge about, connection to, and love for World Music.  I am a yoga teacher who believes that yoga holds the keys to the kingdom, which for some strange reason are so necessary at this time in Human evolution on a mass scale.   We thought that it would be exceptional to bring a large-scale yoga/music festival to a city with the special twist that in most classes alongside a world-class yoga teacher there would be a live ensemble of musicians from cultures across the globe.  So, while you are in yoga class at Tadasana you are also experiencing a live concert with outstanding world musicians who are improvising in the moment with the teacher.  It is a fully improvised collaboration that brings together the ancient practice of yoga with diverse live music offerings.  We do not believe this has ever happened before in this way and the significance of bringing it to the city is not lost on us.  Los Angeles is the largest yoga market in the world.  If you love music and love yoga, we invite you to join us as we stand together over Earth Day Weekend celebrating all the things that make life worth living.  We are very excited and have plans to bring Tadasana to many other cities globally.

For those teachers who want to teach in any yoga festival, here are a few ideas:

1. Make a point of introducing yourself to the people who run those festivals.  Put yourself on their radar because if they have never heard of you and have not practiced with you and do not know who you are, it will be tough for them to book you at their festival.

2. Grow your presence as a teacher by teaching a lot, writing a lot and getting yourself out there on Facebook and Twitter.  This will help people to hear about you and get to know you.  For better or worse, the yoga world is very active on social networks.  You might also use social media to plug their festival (make sure to tag them) and help them to get the word out.  This is always appreciated and a great way for someone to take notice of you for spreading goodwill in this way.

3. As for setting up a festival of your own, first, check yourself into a mental hospital for a 72-hour observation period.  If you get released, don’t try to produce a festival.  If they keep you longer, then you might consider it.

6) Final Thoughts about Yoga and Recovery:  A warning for Drug Addicts and Alcoholics who think yoga is all they need…

My experience is nothing more than that: Mine.   As a writer, I do not want to encourage people who are young in sobriety to blow off their existing program of recovery thinking that yoga is the magic pill they’ve been looking for.  This could be the biggest mistake of someone’s life.   Addiction is a subtle and powerful foe.  Do everything in your power to stack the odds in your favor because with people in recovery the odds are squarely against us.  Work your program!  AND once you get your feet underneath you, add some yoga into what you are already doing and watch your life blossom and your spirit soar.

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