Yoga came to me only when I was ready to receive it. As a New York journalist fresh out of Brown University, I dabbled in a few yoga classes, and continued to do so after moving to Los Angeles to work in the film industry. But the yoga didn't take hold right away. As time passed, the movie business slowly dimmed my creative spark, and daily gym workouts had forged a muscular armor, stunting my freedom to move and breathe. I felt stuck.

"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude." Maya Angelou

Something needed to shift, and I approached an Ashtanga-based yoga class at my gym with new eagerness. It was a revelation! The deliberate breathing and foreign-sounding postures slowly pried open my body, releasing years of unconscious tension and stress. When tears welled up in my eyes during a seated hip opener, it dawned on me: yoga went far beyond the body -- it connected to my emotions, my intellect, even a long-buried sense of Spirit...

"I wanted to understand this mysterious and marvelous 'yoga,' which could reveal to us our innermost secrets..." BKS Iyengar ("Light on Life")

Focusing heavily on asana, I pushed my physical practice to its limit, tearing my knee cartilage, thanks to over-ambition and sloppy alignment. Good timing led me to the YogaWorks Teacher Training, taught by Lisa Walford and Annie Carpenter, my soon-to-be mentors. Their depth of knowledge and life experience redefined my practice, literally from the ground up. The philosophy and meditative practices spoke to my innate beliefs about a true Self -- or universal Consciousness -- that exists beyond our narrow ego identities. I began to view yoga as a lifetime practice, one that transcends fitness or postures.

"The only source of knowledge is experience." Albert Einstein

I immediately began teaching wherever I could, gradually finding my own voice and developing a unique style that highlights intelligent sequencing, encourages creative inquiry, and honors yogic tradition without enforcing dogma. Blessed with incredible mentors, I've continued to study all over the world with master teachers, including the Iyengar family in India; the late Sri K. Pattabhi Jois; Ana Forrest; Paul Grilley, and Sarah Powers, to name a few. Ultimately, my own daily practice is the best, most humbling teaching source, fed by steady inspiration from the incredible students and loved ones accompanying me on this long and fascinating ride...

All gratitude, David