The Origin of Avita Yoga
Yoga Loft was to be a place for those who need yoga most. By this time, yoga had gained popularity and was rapidly becoming more of a workout than the “work-in” it was meant to be. I saw the yoga industry like a speed boat racing through the water, leaving injured and disenchanted students in its wake. Yoga Loft Boulder and the yoga I would teach was for those who can’t or won’t do contemporary yoga—those who genuinely desire a better way. With a lot of faith, we opened the doors in the fall of 2012.
Injuries But No Accidents
One beautiful winter day on Vail mountain, I was having the time of my life skiing with my good friend Philippe. Making big and fast GS turns, we seemed to have the entire mountain to ourselves, but somehow, we managed to smash our hips together at the apex of a large turn. We were in each other’s blind spot. It was a mess. Our gear was scattered. Humbled, we picked up the pieces and called it a day. The “real” pain came later. I began to limp, and I developed sciatic pain that I could not shake. For the first time in years, the yoga I was doing did not solve the pain of my injuries. I tried all kinds of PT, and the doctors told me the trauma would get worse and eventually lead to hip replacement. But in the meantime, I had to find a way to solve the pain. Months went by. It was not easy, but I forgave myself for the accident, which, in spite of the annoying pain, allowed the Voice for Reason to come through, and I was reminded that nothing happens by chance. No accidents.
Prayer of The Heart is Always Answered
Lying on my back in Savasana after yoga one day, I willed for a better way. I closed my eyes, and without attachment, I sincerely asked for a way to resolve my hip pain and fulfill my vision of providing a style of yoga that would benefit those who can’t “do yoga.” My desire, my prayer for a better way, was soon answered.
A week or two later, a “random” email came through announcing a Kaiut Yoga class in a church basement in Boulder, CO. I felt that it was the answer to my prayer, and without hesitation, I signed up for three classes. In the first 30 seconds of class, I found myself in a shape that put pressure on the traumatized area of my hip, and I knew this was going to resolve my hip problem and sciatic pain. I got it. My life flashed before my eyes as I realized the healing potency of adding pressure to bones and joints. After the second class, I befriended the teacher and asked him to lunch, where I invited him to teach in my studio, Yoga Loft.
I didn’t realize it at the time, but that was the high point of our relationship. Shrouded in mystery, I don’t think Francisco expected anyone to understand the inner “mechanics” of the yoga as quickly as I did. I also don’t think he trusted how willing I was to promote him and his brand. Only my wife, Lori, will ever know how hard I tried to work with him, but the more my classes grew, the more distant and elusive he became. Communication breakdown evolved into an undermining of my friends, teachers, and business that tore at my heart. I had to grapple with dropping my involvement in yoga altogether or branching off and starting a new brand of yoga. It was daunting, but the intuitive guidance that brought me this far told me the yoga needed to be evolved and understood in the light of truth. I didn’t need to do it, nor did I really want to form a new brand of yoga. However, I felt a higher calling or responsibility to see it through and share the depth of the practice in full transparency so that others could pick it up and evolve it down the road.
What does Kaiut Yoga and Avita Yoga have in common? We share many shapes that improve bone density and joint health. The sequences and the approach to them are different. Avita philosophy and purpose of practice are different. Avita is never about accomplishing the shape and always about using the body and the feedback generated in the shape to heal the mind. It draws on the timeless wisdom of the Yoga Sutras of removing the samskaras and barriers to discover pristine peace and happiness. It matters not what form of yoga you are drawn to. But, it can be remarkably helpful to look carefully at the purpose you give it. Like anything in life, purpose is always given, not found. And with a bit of quiet reflection, you will find that purpose is our only real choice in all we do—to separate or join. When we can’t do the yoga we prefer, all becomes yoga.
I hope you can see that this practice called Avita Yoga came to me and then through me. The time with my dad, the early days of yoga, and questioning its definition; 23 years with A Course in Miracles and the experience it promises; the insights from the Yoga Sutras and the writings from The Gift and The Yoga Mind, all came together in 2016-18. The idea for deconstructing traditional poses and using compression came from two teachers. It was the final piece of the puzzle that put it all together. Avita evolves as I evolve, but the founding principles remain unchanged because they follow a direct and timeless formula to know the truth: Don’t seek for truth but rather identify and resolve the barriers to it. This is how we join. Avita Yoga is a gem that has restored my sense of youth and radically changed how I see health, fitness, and our potential to heal. It works. And when something works, we naturally want to share it.
Perils of Time and Gravity
From the moment we are born, our bodies begin to age, and we each age differently depending on our karma, life events, and circumstances. No one can deny the consequences of time and gravity on the body. With any luck, our minds soften, and we become wiser as time goes on. If it were not for that possibility, life would indeed be incredibly futile. Our bodies may not last forever, but we can gain control of the aging process. Could you take a moment and think about the activities you do day by day? In any given week, what do you do to ease and erase the buildup of tension in your body? Whether you run, walk, hike, cycle, sit, drive, compute, read, or even meditate—repetitive behavior creates patterns that adversely impact the body.
A Yoga Practice for You
Yoga is an ancient tradition that tackles this issue head-on. It is a way to maintain, if not reclaim, our body’s youth. But it takes work, time, and a little dedication. Many are inclined to believe there is no hope. It’s easy to say, “This is how I am, stiff and sore. I can’t do yoga. That’s for flexible people.” Some have been gifted with flexibility. You usually see these in a dramatic yoga pose in some beautiful setting. Don’t be misled. There is a yoga practice for you, and it will help restore your youth.
Avita Yoga
Avita Yoga consists of subtle movements that work toward easing the body’s aging process. It is an approach to yoga that specializes in treating injuries, chronic pain, stiffness, and hyper-flexibility. Avita Yoga brings areas of rigidity to light so we can focus our efforts on them to slow down the aging process and create more freedom in mind and body. The goal is to remain healthy and as pain-free as possible for as long as possible. This is the central approach to Avita Yoga. It is a system and methodology that pays close attention to each individual’s body, and students receive the greatest benefit when practiced at least two times per week. Avita Yoga works for students of all ages, abilities, and degrees of mobility. It truly is a yoga for every body.
