David Swenson is a man who needs no introduction in the yoga world. If you practice Ashtanga yoga, you’ve likely studied his Ashtanga Yoga practice manual, and he recently wrote another book called Only Dead Fish Go with the Flow. 

This is his second appearance on the leadership and yoga podcast and his stories are like none other. They will leave you in shock, and sometimes with a laugh, but always with a sense of remembering that anything is possible. 

This episode is a reminder of what happens when we follow our dreams and when we persevere. It is the purest form of inspiration for us fellow yoga teachers, and a beautiful reminder that we find life‘s purpose in all the little moments that are always moving like a wave beneath us, propelling us forward, sometimes as if by magic. 

Sign up for Rocket Training @ Yoga East Austin. Code ROCKETSHAWNA for $100 off.

https://www.yogaeastaustin.com/events/rocket26  

Enter the signed copy of David Swenson’s book giveaway:

https://www.shawnakru.com/giveaway 

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Own a copy of the guided journal I created. 

https://www.ritualofwritingjournal.com/ 

time stamps: 

00:00 intro

05:19 stories are the most powerful tool we have as humans

07:19 why create in addition to teaching yoga

09:19 samskaras and expectations

12:49 confidence built through yoga

14:49 the tipping point of confidence in teaching yoga

20:19 David’s first classes teaching at 14 years old

21:34 getting fired from teaching yoga

23:19 self-pity and depression turning point

26:49 scraps of paper by his bed

30:19 memorization and details

33:49 creative process of the famous Ashtanga Yoga Practice Manual

36:49 energy for problem solving and figuring things out

40:49 confirm our own journey

43:49 yoga means trying hard and detaching

48:49 can yoga change the world?

50:34 yoga can be a selfish endeavor

53:49 peacefulness does not mean an absence of difficulty

56:19 this energy is a gift, it’s not for me to hoard

58:19 what is enlightenment?

59:49 David wore a wig for 3 years

01:02:49 jesus has long hair. are you a communist?

01:08:49 selfless action

01:12:49 a yogi is someone who leaves the place nicer

01:17:49 ashtanga yoga doesn’t have to evolve

01:21:49 landed back on his mat

01:26:49 rapid fire