Happy Inspiration Friday! Today’s inspiration is Guilherme Alves and DeRose Method Hawaii. Gui teaches “Bootcamp Stretch” a few times a week for Egan’s Fit Body Bootcamp but also has yoga classes all across the state. The style of yoga that he teaches is the DeRose Method, named after Professor DeRose, who you can read more about on Gui’s website www.derosehawaii.com
DeRose Method is what is known as Swasthya Yoga or “Ancient Yoga” and the benefits of this practice are many…but the practice is not just about the body, it is about the mind and the spirit. As it says on www.derosehawaii.com:
“The objective of all sorts of Yoga is a state of self-knowledge called samadhi. While promoting this state of extreme lucidity, the Ancient Yoga (Swasthya Yoga) also gifts the practitioner with several preliminary effects which will reinforce one’s biological structure. It increases the yogin’s vitality, health, energy, and life expectancy, to promote its goal: samadhi.
Yoga’s physical benefits (muscular, articular, circulatory, neurological and endocrin) are nothing but interesting (and positive!) side effects of its practice.”
All I know is that I feel so clear, energized, and happy after taking Gui’s classes. And I have gotten so much more flexible. Yoga is not for everyone, I know. I bet some of you are saying, “I don’t like yoga”, “I’m not flexible”, “it’s too slow for me”, or “it’s boring”. I get it, I’ve said all those things before. But I’ve grown to love yoga and when I take the time to slow down for an hour of class with Gui, I feel like I have given myself a gift.
I will admit that there are definitely times when motivating myself to come to yoga class is hard. Especially when I’m busy. I often feel like I should skip yoga to get some extra work done. But the reality is that I am usually more productive after I’ve centered myself with an hour of yoga. Slowing down can sometimes be hard for me and I know this is true for many of us, especially at Bootcamp.
Getting motivated to go to Bootcamp is different. You know you will be pumped up by the music, the trainers, the other bootcampers, the intense workout. But with Gui’s yoga classes, it is just you, your quiet classmates, Gui’s soothing voice, and your mat. You will be forced to be calm, to be still, to slow down and breathe, reflect, and BE with yourself and your body. I think THAT is what many of us are actually resisting, not the yoga itself. Something to think about for sure.
Now I’m not here to convince you guys to do yoga. Even the DeRose Method philosophy states, “One must not choose yoga thinking in terms of ‘are its benefits worth the time spent?’, these benefits being neither physical nor, even less, spiritual. One must seek yoga if one feels attracted to it, as a painter would feel the need to paint.” But I will offer that yoga is a great way to help you become a more balanced athlete and all around human being.
So try out one of Gui’s classes, if for no other reason than to witness what an amazing athlete he is. Gui is living proof of what a strong yoga practice and vegetarian diet can help you attain. He can lift his entire body weight with his finger tips and can roll his stomach muscles in a way that will blow your mind. Conscious, caring, and devoted to his students, Gui is a true inspiration and a super cool guy! Thank you Gui for sharing your gift with all of us.
One last thing. For those of you that think yoga is just for for girls, hippies, or senior citizens, check out this awesome video that Gui showed us of Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion Rickson Gracie doing Swasthya yoga. Love it!
Camp Kimi 