An ancient tradition that originated in India, yoga has now become a trend of western culture. Though it is tempting to brand yourself as a yoga aficionado after just one or two classes at your local gym; some people, like Rocky Heron, devote their entire lives to this practice.
As the founder of Yoga with Rocky, Heron’s goal is to touch many lives through his transformative program.
“My mission is to connect with other people on this journey of conscious expansion — to study, learn, practice, and share the tools that help make life the enjoyable and exhilarating experience that I know it can be when we are connected with ourselves. It feels good to play a role in that process for people. It is part of what makes my life enjoyable,” said Heron.
Initially, Heron planned to pursue a career in acting. But life’s path took quite the turn when he took his first yoga class. From the fast-paced world of theater to the peaceful world of yoga, Heron now teaches full-time. But it’s an understandable switch: both the performing arts and fitness use the body as a powerful medium.
Heron advocates for people to incorporate yoga into their lives for myriad reasons.
“It teaches me how to practice the art of doing anything well, including how to live my life. Curiosity, discipline, study, effort, knowledge, playfulness, commitment and focus are all required and cultivated through the practice of yoga, all of which are required to carry out any task with skill,” he said. “I find yoga extremely practical in that way. It's also really fun and makes you feel amazing.” But apart from fitness, Heron’s sparkling personality is seen through the multitude of other activities he engages in.
“I'm also a singer/songwriter, so playing and singing with my guitar really is so enjoyable for me,” he said. “When I'm not teaching, I can usually be found swimming in whatever river I can find, eating Thai food, surprising someone with an unexpected card trick, or laughing with friends. A perfect day for me would involve all of those things.”
As Heron continues this enriching journey of helping others gain peace, we can take some of his wise words into account when we rise each day. He said, “The chance to witness more of my desires coming into manifest, many of which are about my life, the planet, and the people who I care about is why I rise. I'm motivated when I consider the incredible people that I'm fortunate to teach and practice with, many of whom would be quite disappointed if I slept through my alarm.”
Visit Rocky Heron at his website, yogawithrocky.com.
