Yoga allows me to be who I am without struggle. To notice, breathe, remember and enjoy this body, this moment. I love returning to my yoga mat to play in the body awakening, breathe into a heart wide open and find gratitude for the infinite that I forgot was me.
David and Tegan… a fixture at the studio.
David Vendetti is the founder and co- owner of South Boston Yoga a vibrant hub for both yoga and community. The studio invites gathering, and boasts four cavernous areas for practice in the form of open (Hot Yoga, Aerial Yoga, Ball Rolling and meditation) classes, specialty yoga workshops and Personal Training. South Boston Yoga also offers treatment rooms for Acupuncture, Deep Tissue Massage, Structural Integration and more!
Giving back is a natural extension of South Boston Yoga. Over the years, that limb of the studio has assumed a variety of shapes. They enjoy an important affiliation with the incredible local fundraising charity and inspirational Yoga Reaches Out. They are also (enthusiastically) involved with the Wanderlust Festival, the Nantucket Yoga Festival happening July 7th – 9th, and the Prague Spirit Festival. South Boston Yoga is also home to a local chapter of Dharma Punx – a meditation group for those with an edge and it specifically support those in recovery from addiction. Yoga Hope is another non-profit with whom the studio and its teachers share deep ties. “We have also worked with One Recovery Boston to raise money build support for those in recovery and with the incomparable Kate Graham and Soulful Yoga Therapy an organization which uses mental and physical tools to help with depression and other psychological needs. It is a profound honor to have been able to know and work with these people the last few years,” beams David.
David is highly regarded for his strong command of asana and brings much to the mat. His classes integrate a clear foundation in anatomy with intelligent alignment, hands on adjustments and ever evolving flows – all designed to heal the body. He is an instrument for wise practice yet also for cheer. Along with encouraging his students to cultivate a deep passion for self examination, he also prescribes a healthy does of light heartedness in the exploration. “Yoga allows me to be who I am without struggle. To notice, breathe, remember and enjoy this body, this moment. I love returning to my yoga mat to play in the body awakening, breathe into a heart wide open and find gratitude for the infinite that I forgot was me.”
We caught up with David in the wake of his sold-out New Year’s Eve Spectacular, a Boston tradition which ushers in the new year with joy and laughter, and of course a healthy dose of asana… The new year finds him continuing an easing back into practice after his 2016 double hip surgery.
wind up… how do you wind up, prepare for the week ahead
Everyone has there own special way to prepare for the week to come. I like to take some time on Saturday and Sunday to clean my house and the yoga studio leaving a special “to do” pile in each place. I find that getting a feel for what is happening in the city weather wise, news wise, in our community or politically helps to guide what sort of sequences and also music would help to support our students best. I usually grocery shop, walk the dog and do some arts and crafts to calm and center me for the week ahead. It’s a daily adventure that sometimes takes crazy turns and loops one can never anticipate so it helps to have as much lined up for success as possible;)
and, when you need to exhale… what’s your other direction?
When I need to kick back and relax I water the plants and check in on each one, go for a long walk with the dog or go out to a new place to eat with my husband Brandon. If its been a really crazy day I take a long hot shower and put some Origins Peppermint Leg Lifts on my feet and buy myself a cupcake. I love arts and crafts like to make little gifts for friends or the studio. I watch a little TV on the couch and sometimes crush some epic video games:)
what three things are you never without?
Three things I am never without… Can I say deodorant, breath mints and chapstick? If you are working out you have to smell good, after all that kale and wheat grass a tooth brush or mint is always good. And when I teach for hours I find my lips never get chapped if I bring something for them.
could you repeat that? one cue that you regularly share with your students, and the story behind it…
The cue I repeat the most for my students is to lightly bend the knees so that the low back can open and position the pelvis more neutrally. This will also bring the grounding experience of a Thai Chi practitioner or Martial Artist into their practice. Hopefully this will help alleviate low pain pain and make uddiyana bhanda more accessible.
the sound of music… you have room for 5 tracks on your playlist, they are?
5 music tracks?… sigh… only 5? Okay I can do this.
Promise, by Ben Howard
Rise Up, by Andra Day
Wona, by Mumford and Sons and Baaba Maal
We Call, by Trevor Hall
I Could Hear The Water at The Edge of All Things, by Hammock
The book I give away the most often is actually Trailguide to the Body (Books of Discovery, 2014) by Andrew Biel closely followed by BKS Iyengar’s, Light on Yoga (Schocken, 1979). Both are helpful foundations for teachers and students… one for the origins of yoga and the second for clear accessible anatomy.bliss pose?
I love bhastrika with breath holding (after 15 pumps) on both the inhale and exhale. Repeat it 3-5 times and it feels like an electrical storm brewing inside and starts building heat and energy right at the start of a practice. Also anything with a bolster. Side bend, twist, backbend, forward fold and savasana… total bliss for sure.
finish the sentence? i’d like to teach the world to…
I don’t think I need to teach the world anything. It’s bigger than me and I need some more time to observe how unbelievable it is and let it reveal itself. It might take my whole life but yes I would really like to keep learning from everyone and everything.
As we wrap up our conversation, I can’t help recall the poetry of Cat Stevens in his classic song, On The Road to Find Out…
In the end I’ll know
But on the way I wonder
Through descending snow
And through the frost and thunder
But, then there’s that plucky assurance with which he glides into and about a room… As the sanskrit term goes, “best to come see for yourself”. Ehipassiko! You can do just that and practice in person with David next month at SUPERFLOW 2017. We are delighted to welcome David as a 2017 SUPERFLOW presenter on Sunday, February 5th at Boston’s Intercontinental Hotel. Tickets are now on sale!
Author Susan Currie is an Associate Editor at LA YOGA magazine. Her words and images have been featured in the Boston Globe, Elephant Journal, Yogi Times, the Tishman Review, the Huffington Post, Spirit of St. Bart’s and on the cover of the book Moving into Meditation (Shambala) by Anne Cushman.
Susan is also the creator of the Daily Inhale and an RYT 200 registered yoga instructor. She unpacks her various professional experiences through the creative and yoga workshops she leads throughout the country. Her new book, GRACENOTES (Shanti Arts 2017), a blend of words and images, is now available in wide release.