>>>
>>> OUR
>>> OUR NEXT GUEST FOUND HIMSELF WANDERING DOWN THE
WRONG PATH FILLED WITH
ADDICTION AND VIOLENCE.
THROUGH YOGA AND MEDITATION,
HE'S BEEN ABLE TO HEAL THAT
TRAUMA AND IS NOW SHARING THAT
POSSIBILITY WITH THE COMMUNITY.
>> CLINT IS A BALTIMORE NATIVE,
THE AUTHOR OF A BOOK STRONG IN
BROKEN PLACES.
BROKEN PLACES. WE ARE SO HAPPY TO HAVE YOU
HERE.
HERE.
HERE. >>
HERE. >> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> SO YOU ARE FROM BALTIMORE,
LIVE IN VIRGINIA NOW.
WHAT WAS THAT PATH, THAT
DESTRUCTIVE PATH YOU FOUND
YOURSELF ON THAT YOU WERE ABLE
TO GET OFF OF EVENTUALLY?
>> GROWING UP IN BALTIMORE,
WHICH IS KNOWN AS THE HARROWING
CAPITAL OF AMERICA, MY FATHER
WAS ADDICTED TO HEROIN.
I WAS RAISED BY A SINGLE MOM.
WHEN I WAS 14, I WAS DIAGNOSED
WITH ACUTE ANXIETY AND
DEPRESSION, WAS TOLD THAT I
NEED TO BE ON MEDICATION, BUT
THEN WHEN I WAS 26, I WAS
DIAGNOSED AGAIN WITH SEVERE GAD
PANIC DISORDER AND MILD TO
SEVERE MAJOR DEPRESSIVE
DISORDER.
DISORDER.
DISORDER. I SPENT TWO YEARS ADDICTED TO
PRESCRIPTION PILLS.
PRESCRIPTION PILLS. WENT TO A NON-FATAL OVERDOSE
AND SUICIDE TWICE BEFORE I
ACTUALLY FOUND SOME LEVEL OF
VALUE IN MY LIFE.
>> WHAT WAS KIND OF THE WAKE-UP
MOMENT FOR YOU WHEN YOU SAID, I
HAD TO TRY SOMETHING ELSE.
>> IT WAS WHEN I WENT TO THE
DOCTOR AND TOLD HIM THAT I WAS
ADDICTED TO PILLS AND INSTEAD
OF HIM WANTING TO TAKE ME OFF
LIKE I WAS REQUESTING, HE
WANTED TO PUT ME ON SOMETHING
ELSE.
ELSE.
ELSE. SO
ELSE. SO IT WAS LIKE, THIS ONE THING
THAT I WAS TOLD WAS SUPPOSED TO
HELP ME IS ACTUALLY KILLING ME
AND THE PERSON I'M LOOKING TO
FOR HELP IS ACTUALLY KEEPING ME
ON IT.
ON IT.
ON IT. IT
ON IT. IT WAS AWKWARD, RIGHT?
GROWING UP IN BALTIMORE, YOU
ARE TAUGHT THAT THE DRUG
DEALERS ARE THE ONES WITH THE
HOODIES AND NOT NECESSARILY THE
ONES WITH THE PHD'S AND THE LAB
COAT.
COAT.
COAT. >>
COAT. >> WHICH WE SEE SO MUCH.
THAT'S THE EPIDEMIC RIGHT NOW.
SO YOGA AND MEDITATION, HOW DID
YOU FIND THAT HELP TO YOU?
>> WELL, I WAS RUNNING A
PERSONAL TRAINING BUSINESS AT
THE TIME WHEN I WAS DIAGNOSED.
I HAD MY FIRST PANIC ATTACK IN
THE GYM, SO I WAS AFRAID TO GET
PHYSICALS.
PHYSICALS. SO THE FIRST THING I DISCOVERED
WAS JUICING, BECAUSE I KNEW
THAT FOOD HAD AFFECTED THE WAY
THE BODY
THE BODY
THE BODY WORKS, THE BIOCHEMISTRY OF THE
BODY.
BODY.
BODY. AND
BODY. AND THEN THROUGH DOING
RESEARCH, I SAW A YOUTUBE VIDEO
WITH SOMEBODY DOING YOGA, AND I
TRIED IT AND LOVED IT AND I'VE
BEEN ON EVER SINCE.
>> THAT'S THE STORY RIGHT
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. >>
THERE. >> WHAT IS YOUR KIND OF DAILY
ROUTINES FOR FOR SOMEONE TRYING
TO GET INTO YOGA AND
MEDITATION?
MEDITATION? HOW DO YOU FIT IT ALL IN?
>> I LIKE TO SAY THAT, YOU
KNOW, AS LONG AS YOU CAN
BREATHE, YOU CAN MEDITATE AND
DO YOGA.
DO YOGA.
DO YOGA. IT'S NOT NECESSARILY ABOUT
GOING TO A CLASS OR TRYING TO
FIND TIME TO FIT IN YOUR
SCHEDULE, IT'S JUST TAKING FIVE
MINUTES IN YOUR CAR RIGHT
BEFORE YOU GO INTO WORK AND
USING THAT TIME TO BREATHE AND
BE REFLECTIVE.
BE REFLECTIVE. YOU KNOW, TAKING 10 MINUTES OUT
OF YOUR LUNCH BREAK AND DOING A
FEW POSES IN YOUR OFFICE OR
WHEREVER YOU HAVE TIME OR
SPACE.
SPACE.
SPACE. I
SPACE. I THINK WE GET BOGGED DOWN
SOMETIMES BY HAVING TO SCHEDULE
IT AS A TASK AS OPPOSED TO JUST
EMBRACING IT AND ALLOWING IT TO
BE A NATURAL PART OF OUR LIFE.
>> I WANT TO SAY CONGRATS TO
YOU.
YOU.
YOU. YOU
YOU. YOU ARE THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
OF YOGA ALLIANCE.
>> I AM THE VICE PRESIDENT OF
THE YOGA ALLIANCE FOUNDATION.
WE ARE AN ORGANIZATION THAT
YOGA ALLIANCE IS THE MEMBERS
AND CREDENTIALING BODY.
THE FOUNDATION IS, ESSENTIALLY,
COMING ON TO FIGHT FOR EQUITY
AND EQUITABLE PRACTICES AND
RESOURCES WITHIN THE SPACE AND
COMMUNITY OF YOGA.
WE ARE SPEARHEADING INITIATIVES
AND PARTNERING WITH OTHER
ORGANIZATIONS TO MAKE THIS AS
ACCESSIBLE AS POSSIBLE.
>> ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYBODY NO
MATTER WHAT.
MATTER WHAT. SO YOU ARE GOING TO SHOW US