There is a new movement among us -- the hip hop yoga movement. Yoga instructor Paul Schneider founded Namasdrake earlier this year in Downtown LA's Resident and it is just as lit as you'd imagine. Listening to epic rap music is a spiritual experience in itself, but combining that with 60-minute of strength-building vinyasa flow, is taking chi to the next level. In fact, the vinyasa flow classes are selling out so quickly that Paul added first Kanye-themed class called Namasye.
For those who just can't get into yoga, Paul wasn't the typical convert either. He only turned to yoga for healing when he had no other choice. Here's is the om-ing entrepreneur's story:
What were you doing prior to Namasdrake?
It’s sort of a long story, but I promise it’s all important to how I arrived at this point: I moved to LA to work in the music industry to work as an audio engineer at a recording studio that was primarily pop and hip hop. That’s when I fell in love with rap. I was also partying a lot, taking lots of recreational drugs, feeling super depressed, and just not listening to my body. Believe it or not, those things are kind of in the job description. I went to visit friends in Brooklyn and I had a bit too much to drink and one too many pills and fell off of their roof. I shattered my tibia bone, which is the top bone in your ankle joint, into about 19 pieces and also fractured my heel in two places.
It took me an entire year to recover from that and I was on the east coast that whole time. When I was finally able to, I moved back to LA. I was still in a lot of pain from misalignments in my body and I just wanted to find a low impact workout that could bring strength and symmetry back to my body. I have a friend who did her teacher training at CorePower Yoga and brought me to her studio because she thought it would be a good fit for me. Literally in that first class I knew I wanted to teach and practice yoga every day even though I had no idea of what I was doing.
How did you come up with the concept?
I was in an all-day lecture about Chakras during my teacher training, and we got the sixth Chakra and I just thought of the pun “Views From The sixth Chakra." It also is perfect because your sixth Chakra is also known as your third eye, which allows you to see deep within yourself and also see things that may happen in the future, so it’s literally your views from the Six.
I made a Facebook status that was just like, “Wouldn’t it be funny if I made a Drake-themed yoga class and called it ‘Views From The Sixth Chakra?” My best friend and business partner T.J. Petracca texted me and was like, “That’s actually a genius idea. Let’s do it.”
You've had a Lot of Success already. How would you like the classes to expand from here?
I honestly have a Kanye-like vision for what I want to do with this. Yoga totally saved my life. It saved me from substance abuse, life long depression and helped my physical body find balance again. I want others to come to my classes and discover the strengths within themselves to change their lives for the better. You can listen to "Truffle Butter" and be zen AF at the same time. Eventuall,y I want to grow it into a healthy lifestyle brand that makes nutrition, fit fashion, different forms of exercise, and just being healthy in general super fucking hip. Can I curse?
The only other times I’ve ever felt truly in my element and able to be in the moment was when I was on tour. So I’m going to take my classes all over America. We also have friends who are DJs and club Promoters in London. We’re working on getting me over there to do some classes, speculatively in February.
Who should attend your classes?
Everyone should come. I have friends who came today that are the most incredibly strong yogis and they were doing handstands and forearm stands. On the other side, if you have zero body awareness, or you feel stressed, maybe your back is always killing you from sitting at your work desk, I want you in my class too. Just be ready to have a great time while getting a serious workout.
You've done drake and Kanye classes. Whose music are you planning to use next?
We are doing a Halloween “Glow Flow” class (yoga in the dark with glow sticks!) on October 30th at Resident. That playlist will be all goth/metal/industrial to go with the Halloween vibe.
For the Namasdrake series, I’m definitely going to do a Beyonce class (Namasbey) and at least one more artist I haven’t decided on.
We LOVE Kanye and after hearing Paul's new take on the traditional we knew we needed to send our yogi Carissa Kaufman to experience the class for herself. Check out her personal account:
I love Kanye, but when I think of yoga, I would never associate Yeezy with downward dog. So when I heard of Namasye and how I’d be getting lit with my fellow Kanyogi’s, I was stoked but I had no idea what to expect.
I laid my mat down, grabbed my toes, and stretched as I waited for the room to fill. Lining the front row were model-esque ladies with abs that showed they’d been listening to “The New Workout Plan.” I was hungover and immediately regretted inhaling that tuna sandwich before class.
Then it began. Not only is Paul an expert instructor, but he’s an incredible DJ —every song perfectly matched the flow. I mean, honestly, “Ultralight Beam” during Surya Namaskar (aka Sun Salutations) was everything. Beats aside, this class was no joke. I was a hot mess and looked like Taylor post 2009 VMAs, but felt like Beyoncé post 2009 VMAs.
The class was unexpectedly challenging, but don’t be intimidated! Just make sure to bring a towel and 'pass the refreshments, a cool, cool beverage.' Now that I know Paul also teaches other kinds of themed yoga classes every week, I will definitely be back to try Namasdrake next!
