Teacher Feature: Mitchel Bleier

1. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOGA?

I think of everything as yoga. It is my awareness of my rhythms, whether that is in moving my body or the rhythms that govern my day like waking up with the sunrise and looking at the sun with my skin exposed to absorb the light. It is listening and from listening learning what and how to speak. It is regulating, managing, shifting, transforming my nervous system, cells, body’s resonance to be in harmony or neutral. It is being in love and being loved.

2. HOW DID YOU FIND YOUR WAY TO YOGA?

I find my way to yoga first thing in the morning by going outside with my dog and sun gazing. I meditate and move my joints. I connect to the Earth. It sets my daily light cycle. I feel like this is what the ancient yogis meant by a Sun Salutation. Breathing, meditating, moving, light, water, listening are my primary gateways to yoga.

3. WHO IS YOUR PRIMARY TEACHER RIGHT NOW?

Primary… I am in love with American Ninja Warrior and have been running obstacles with some of the TV athlete/ninjas. So friends like Ethan Swanson and Michael Torres are helping me trust my body’s momentum and learning how to let go and fly. I love joint mobility work by Scott Sonnon, and am obsessed with Dr. Jack Kruse’s work on mitochondria. Finally, Butyeko breathing has been a big teacher too.

4. WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO KEEP TEACHING?

What inspires me to keep teaching is God, my family, students, my love of teaching and wanting to be in some way a light that helps others find the way to their light.

5. WHAT IS YOUR PRACTICE LIKE OFF THE MAT? HOW WOULD YOU SAY YOU LIVE YOUR YOGA?

Like I said above I think everything is yoga, my mat is the tiniest representation.

6. DO YOU HAVE A ROUTINE OR RITUALISTIC WAY TO START EACH DAY? IF SO, PLEASE DESCRIBE.

I wake up early (with the cat). I drink my water that I brew, make coffee, then go to the park to sun gaze and earth. I move and meditate and breath while doing this. I come home and embrace the faces and voices of my family as they wake up making breakfast and lunch and getting ready for the school day.

7. WHAT ARE SOME NON-NEGOTIABLES YOU HAVE IN YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW TO MAINTAIN BALANCE AND HEALTH IN EVERYDAY LIVING?

Sunlight, proper water, breathing, some supplements, and my family.

8. WHAT DRAW YOU TO THE LILA COMMUNITY?

Lila has some of my favorite and closest people to me.

9. IF YOU WOULD SUGGEST ONE BOOK TO THE COMMUNITY TO READ AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEEPEN THEIR LEARNING ON LIFE, YOGA, AND ALL THINGS, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

Hmmm….So many and yet my mind goes blank. Ha! Let’s go without getting into things too radical…The Radiance Sutras by Lorin Roche