Men do yoga | Julio d’Escriván

 

When and how did you start yoga?

Back in 2001, my Ironman triathlon buddies thought it would be a laugh to join an Ashtanga session which was meant to be very hard. It was!

 

What style of yoga do you practice?

Ashtanga, Rocket and Yin.

 

How has it changed your life?

Substantially. I finally took up yoga teaching a year ago. It is my main physical activity - running and cycling have faded into the background and I swim only occasionally. Yoga provides me mostly all that I need for fitness. It has also changed my outlook on life and contributed to positive personal changes.

 

 

What is your most memorable yoga moment?

Accomplishing a clean Ashtanga jump-back for the first time was an Eureka moment I guess. Though I'm trying desperately to come up with something less ego-driven to mention but I got nothin'.

 

What makes a great yoga teacher?

The ability to let the student do the yoga, expressing the poses in their own personal way.

 

What is your favourite pose and why?

Marichiasana D; it resets my back in a way nothing else does.

 

 

What do you do when not doing yoga?

I have a full-time job at university. In my free time it's more music, and some running and cycling.

 

What are you listening to?

Revisiting Michael Hedges, the originator of the acoustic guitar percussive style.

 

What are you reading?

Haruki Murakami's 1Q84.

 

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Enlightened.

 

If you could be any animal in the world, what would you choose?

The wolf.

 

Who would play you in the film of your life?

Stanley Tucci.

 

 

What is your guiltiest pleasure?

Watching chick flicks with my daughters when they visit!

 

When are you happiest?

Mostly on Saturday mornings around 10am.

 

What is your greatest fear?

The death of loved ones.

 

Where would you go if you could time travel?

Back to 1970. I was there already but I was only 10 years old and I'd like to go to Woodstock without a chaperone. 

 

Why should people do yoga?

Because if they stretch their body, their mind will follow.

  

Finally, tell us something we don’t know.

There is only one standing pose mentioned in Byhasa's notes to the Yoga Sutra in about 500 - 600 CE. While the much later (16th C) Hatha Yoga Pradipika mentions only sitting poses. There is a good chance that standing poses as we know them are all derived from early 20th Century gymnastics as described in Mark Singlelton's book.