What sets your approach apart from others in the field? What unique elements do you bring to your practice?
“I draw inspiration from so many different parts of my life in the way I teach. I love being queer; I love queer history and culture and art, and I love to bring that queer spirit to my work. There is a freedom, an originality, a courageousness, and a vulnerability to queer spirit that makes it such a powerful force in the world.
My retreats are fun. We have a great time. We do the hard work, but what’s the point in doing all the hard work if you don’t prioritize pleasure and joy? We laugh a lot. We play stupid games. We have ridiculous and heartwarming cabaret shows. But we also do a lot of yoga!
I love nature. I’ve been on many expeditions and adventures around the world, climbing mountains, filming sled dog racing in Alaska, and I walked the Camino de Santiago during the pandemic for 1600 km. I’m a free spirit with a very adventurous streak. So on retreat, I love to encourage participants to embrace epic nature. We go on big hikes along the coast, swim in the Baltic Sea, jump through big Atlantic Rollers, sit out under the full moon, spend hours sweating out in the sauna.
My retreats are designed to take participants out of their comfort zone. That could be singing or dancing in a group for the first time since school, it might be offering a performance for the cabaret show. It could be spending time in nature they are not familiar with. The yoga practice is the foundation. It’s the practice that brings us together in a trusting and supportive way. It’s the base from which we feel supported in being ourselves, opening up to each other, and most of all being present.
Because when humans feel present and safe with each other, that’s when life starts to flow; we laugh, we joke, we cry, we play, we feel. We remember who we are, we fortify our gratitude and appreciation for life, we wake up and come alive.”
In what ways have you seen your work ripple out into your community or beyond?
“10 years ago I rented a room in Berlin for my first gay men’s yoga class. 27 guys showed up, and many of them still practice with me today. I had no idea where this first class would lead to, and in the following years, hundreds of men and a few wonderful women from around the world have practiced with us in Berlin. Friendships and relationships have been made, and a community was born.
For me, yoga is about community. When you join a yoga class, you join a community. It is the greatest joy and privilege of my life to do this work and see the impact that this practice has on their lives. People who are feeling lonely, depressed, and disconnected from life and from Berlin suddenly find themselves surrounded by warm, friendly, and supportive students. Friendships and connections are made, and whole new avenues of life open up in the city—events, communities, experiences!
I nervously started with 2 weekend retreats in Brandenburg. These went well, and the following year I took a group of 30 guys to Tuscany for my first week-long retreat. Since then, each year we’ve been to places in Portugal, France, and a glorious private island near Stockholm.
I’ve brought over 200 guys to a stunning rural Alentejo to the Lua Nua guesthouse, where we’ve discovered the most beautiful and epic beaches and landscapes. We’ve had 3 retreats on a tiny private island in the Archipelago near Stockholm. On each retreat, old friendships are deepened, and new connections are made, and the web of this community gets bigger.
This is what I’m most proud of. All of my work is made up of the people who show up to class and join me on retreat. I’m filled with awe and admiration for the trust and courage of my students for joining me on this journey. I love watching the community grow, I love welcoming new students, I love bumping into yoga students in strange places around Europe. And I love how these students take their experience of yoga out into the world.
My journey, and my life’s work, is about healing and integrating the past, so instead of it becoming this immense burden that we drag through life, our past experiences become our greatest teacher, the source of our power, so we deepen our love and passion for life. We embrace joy and pleasure and community, and we inspire others to do the same.”
What advice would you give to someone who is just beginning their own journey of healing and wellness?
“Take it one step at a time, one breath at a time, one day at a time.
Get excited and curious about the journey! Trust in the total unknown and the perfection of whatever will unfold along the way.
Listen to your heart and trust your intuition, let them guide you to people, places, and experiences that will support you on your way.
Do the hard work on your yoga mat and meditation cushion; it’s going to be painful and challenging and bumpy along the way, but also prioritize joy and pleasure and simplicity. Some of the greatest lessons I’ve learned have been through embracing joy.
What makes you smile? What makes you laugh? What makes you feel free and powerful and authentic? What excites you? What turns you on? What challenges you? Go towards all of that!
Please—never trust a spiritual teacher without a sense of humor, or who doesn’t know how to laugh and play. Otherwise, what’s the point? Find teachers and communities that make you smile and laugh and play and that celebrate life.”