Question for David Procyshyn

Hello!

I’m a relatively new subscriber here. This is my first subscription to a yoga app and I’m very much enjoying the classes.

A question for you: I’ve really enjoyed your classes, which strike me as quite different from other yoga classes I’ve taken (both through this app and live.) Just out of curiosity, what yogic influences, schools, and teachers have most shaped how you teach?

Also, any chance we could get some more long (hour plus) classes from you soon? :slight_smile:

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Hi Matthew.

Thank you so much for sharing. I’m happy to hear that you are enjoying the site and my classes.

To answer your question, I’ve had a lot of people influence my teaching over the years. When I started, I was also a massage therapist and thai massage therapist, so I incorporated a lot of physiology and anatomy into my classes to reinforce alignment and stability. I did a 250-hour YTT with David Goulet, who - along with the yoga basics - taught us about transcendental experiences through meditation and breathwork. My experience with the long, silent meditation retreats that Goenka leads taught me how to calm the mind and nervous system and how to guide others into that experience. Many books by famous yogis like Erich Schiffman, and Iyengar shaped the way I look at practice and life, along with the talks of Krishnamurti.

Friends and other yoga teachers have also had a great influence, particularly Fiji McAlpine, Rachel Scott and Tracey Noseworthy. I feel like life is constantly giving us moments to learn from, since everyone has wisdom to share, and often what I learn in conversation with others can enter my teaching.

I hope that answers your questions. And yes, I do plan on filming more long classes. Hopefully soon!

Thanks for the question, Matthew.

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Thank you for taking the time to share, and for the thoughtful answer! I look forward to more of your classes here.