Greg Nardi: A World Renowned Yoga Teacher Making His Mark on the Philly Yoga Scene

By Lauren Z.

Greg Nardi starts his morning before many of us have even rubbed the sleep from our eyes and had a sip of coffee. By 6:30 am he is instructing his  three-hour Mysore yoga class at Shanti Yoga Shala, a beautiful studio located right in the gayborhood at 12th and Spruce.

Greg Nardi

Greg is one of a select number of Level 2 Authorized Ashtanga Yoga teachers worldwide. I repeat, worldwide. This distinction reflects years of dedicated practice under the guidance of the K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute in Mysore, India. In 2009, at the age of 94, Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois passed away. Greg is committed to honoring his teacher by spreading the Ashtanga method.

For those unfamiliar with the yoga world, Ashtanga Yoga is a Vinyasa practice – in other words, it focuses on breathing and movement, and follows a therapeutic and progressive sequence of postures. Greg teaches Mysore style yoga. In this style, each student is given a one-on-one lesson within the larger group setting. He or she is taught progressively, according to his or her individual needs. It has been a long road, however, from Greg’s first yoga class to teaching in Philadelphia and throughout the world.

Greg’s yoga journey began back in 1996, when a friend of his asked if he would be interested in attending a class at a local yoga studio in New Jersey: “We had taken a few dance classes together, and had laughed through the whole experience, so I was in it for the fun factor. But from that first class I could feel that this was a powerful technique, and I just knew that I was meant to do it,” he says.

Greg grew up asthmatic and because of that, was never really comfortable with physical activity. When he took that class, however, his life changed. “This was the first time I felt good in my body, but it was more than that. It was like this yoga was satisfying a very deep longing for meaning that I had always been looking for. I didn’t know much about yoga or what it meant at that point, but I knew I wanted more.”

Greg Nardi

As he became more and more fascinated with yoga, he began to search for experiences that he considered to be traditional or authentic. He discovered Jivamukti Yoga in NYC. Greg began to do more research, and learned that the owners guru (teacher) was Pattabhi Jois of Mysore, South India – the founder of the Ashtanga method. He then found an Ashtanga teacher by the name of Raji Thron near his hometown in N.J., started taking classes right away, and never looked back.

He first traveled to Mysore in 1999 to study with Pattabhi Jois, who was 84 years old at that time. “It was a rare blessing to have a living master of his caliber to study with, and I have gone to India eight times since then.”

While he was loving his new found passion, Greg’s yoga practice often made it difficult for him to meet people, as, in his words, he lives at the opposite end of the clock from most people. That changed, though, on a May day nearly four years ago, when Greg was living in Miami: “In our yoga tradition, we respect the lunar cycle by not practicing on the new and full moon. So, on one particular moon day, I had no classes to teach and thought it might be fun to go on a date.”

He cruised around on Gay.com, and met a Panamanian born boy living in Miami named JuanCarlos. “We had a nice time, but I thought we wouldn’t see each other again because of my schedule. But he called me up the next day, and asked me if I wanted to go out with him to a little dive bar in Miami called The Abbey. We’ve been pretty much inseparable since then!”

While JuanCarlos didn’t practice yoga when they first met, he too soon got involved. In fact, he’s now studying to become a teacher himself. “It’s such a gift that he has fallen in love with the practice in his own way, and in his own right. He is my partner-in-crime, and it just makes life that much sweeter to share this with him. Now we teach each other about yoga, and it is really beautiful.”

The two ended up Philly almost by accident. When Greg met JuanCarlos, he was here on a student visa. The U.S. government does not recognize the rights of its citizens to sponsor their same-sex partners for immigration purposes due to the homophobic law known as The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Therefore, they had to find a place to live that they can share citizenship, and Canada is one of three countries that allow self-sponsored immigration for skilled workers. Thus, they began the process to begin their lives in Canada.

Greg adjusts JuanCarlos in Prasarita C

Greg received a temporary job opportunity to teach and consult with a new studio in Tampa Bay, which would buy them the necessary timeto get everything processed in Canada, and move – or so they thought. It turned out the immigration process to Canada was back logged and it would take anotheryear. “Fortunately,” says Greg, “I was offered another job to consult and teach here in Philadelphia at Shanti Yoga Shala. It has worked out well since I’m originally from New Jersey, and I’ve gotten to spend time near my family.”

The couple will be leaving the City of Brotherly Love this summer to travel to India and Southeast Asia and continue their studies. Their intention is to travel for around nine months. “This will be my first trip back since Pattabhi Jois passed away, and it will be JuanCarlos’ first trip ever, so it’s a special one.” Their trip will also follow the couples plan to marry in NYC this April before leaving the states on their mid-eastern adventure.

What’s after that is up in the air. They dream of opening their own shala (studio), and offering in depth training in many different aspects of yoga, including yoga philosophy, Ayurveda, and Sanskrit.

 This much is true: yoga does not come without discipline and sacrifice. Greg and JuanCarlos practice early in the morning, before the sun rises, six days a week. It’s physically demanding, and requires mental and physical focus as you get to the more advanced levels. “It can be difficult in social situations where your friends or family don’t fully understand the reasons behind the practice. Of course, it’s learned gradually, and you commit as your inspiration dictates,” he explains.

Greg offers the following advice for those who are thinking about practicing yoga, but are undecided: “Do it now! I often hear people say they aren’t flexible enough, or healthy enough to do yoga. We can always find an excuse not to do something, but this yoga really changes your life, even if you do it a couple of times a week. And you’ll find that among the many, many benefits of a consistent practice, you’ll get flexible, strong, and healthy.”

Philly will certainly be sad to see Greg leave this summer, but we’re grateful the universe brought him here to share his knowledge and expertise, and this city has certainly left its mark on him: “Philly is a great city. We have met really good people since we’ve been here, that have made us feel really at home. And the food is awesome!”

We couldn’t agree more.

If you’re interested in practicing with Greg before he leaves, there’s still time! Shanti Yoga Shala is offering a New Student Mysore Yoga Package. Sign up by March 7th to save $30! Click here to register. For more information about Greg or to contact him directly, visit http://www.ashtangayogaworldwide.com.

 

[box] Contributor Lauren Z. is a freelance writer and editor based in SouthPhilly. She graduated from Temple University magna cum laude with a degree in Communications. During the day,she’s an SEO Specialist and in her free time she handles marketing and public relations for Phierce Philly. If you would like to share an upcoming LGBT event or tip with Lauren please contact her at lauren.zumpano@gmail.com[/box]

 

We Are Supported By:


AshtangayogaAP24

Join Our Community. Click here to learn more