David Swenson is a man who needs no introduction in the yoga world. If you practice Ashtanga yoga, you’ve likely studied his Ashtanga Yoga practice manual, and he recently wrote another book called Only Dead Fish Go with the Flow.
This is his second appearance on the leadership and yoga podcast and his stories are like none other. They will leave you in shock, and sometimes with a laugh, but always with a sense of remembering that anything is possible.
This episode is a reminder of what happens when we follow our dreams and when we persevere. It is the purest form of inspiration for us fellow yoga teachers, and a beautiful reminder that we find life‘s purpose in all the little moments that are always moving like a wave beneath us, propelling us forward, sometimes as if by magic.
Sign up for Rocket Training @ Yoga East Austin. Code ROCKETSHAWNA for $100 off.
https://www.yogaeastaustin.com/events/rocket26
Enter the signed copy of David Swenson’s book giveaway:
https://www.shawnakru.com/giveaway
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Own a copy of the guided journal I created.
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time stamps:
00:00 intro
05:19 stories are the most powerful tool we have as humans
07:19 why create in addition to teaching yoga
09:19 samskaras and expectations
12:49 confidence built through yoga
14:49 the tipping point of confidence in teaching yoga
20:19 David’s first classes teaching at 14 years old
21:34 getting fired from teaching yoga
23:19 self-pity and depression turning point
26:49 scraps of paper by his bed
30:19 memorization and details
33:49 creative process of the famous Ashtanga Yoga Practice Manual
36:49 energy for problem solving and figuring things out
40:49 confirm our own journey
43:49 yoga means trying hard and detaching
48:49 can yoga change the world?
50:34 yoga can be a selfish endeavor
53:49 peacefulness does not mean an absence of difficulty
56:19 this energy is a gift, it’s not for me to hoard
58:19 what is enlightenment?
59:49 David wore a wig for 3 years
01:02:49 jesus has long hair. are you a communist?
01:08:49 selfless action
01:12:49 a yogi is someone who leaves the place nicer
01:17:49 ashtanga yoga doesn’t have to evolve
01:21:49 landed back on his mat
01:26:49 rapid fire
