It is my sincere honor to introduce you to David van Zyll de Jong, our Featured Human of MYS. This quiet gentle soul has cultivated a strong dedication to his practice and his ever-evolving journey of self-care and acceptance. Although we are featuring David as he begins a big relocation to FL, we are confident you’ll see why this yogi inspires us. We’re definitely going to miss this fellow and are grateful to share his story before he goes. May his wisdom and humble peace inspire you as well!

 

So David, when did you start practicing here at MYS?

My first class was just over a year ago. I’d “done yoga” before, but Modo was the first studio I found that spoke to me in a way that led me to begin cultivating a practice.

 

What brought you to yoga and Modo Yoga Seattle?

Aside from the knowing whims of fate… I’d been interested in learning more about yoga for a long time but always made an excuse not to go. I didn’t expect that yoga was going to help me learn about myself through breath and moving my body…basically through being a human. I started for one reason and found a multitude of others to keep me engaged for a lifetime of practice.

 

You’ve been so dedicated to your practice over this past year, coming over 140 times. How has your practice influenced your life?

I’m more confident in calmness. I allow myself to be assured of who I am and what I want for my life. Giving myself the peace of walking into the studio and making time for myself helped me see the value in working that peace into other aspects of my life.

 

Could you share some words of wisdom that you have gained from your practice?

I’ve learned to be compassionately persistent with myself. I realize that in all corners of life, I can look at my hands and turn on my legs, figuratively, to give myself the support I need. I feel now, more than ever, that I am enough.

 

Can you share an achievement from your life that you feel yoga helped make possible?

Since beginning my practice, I’ve learned to listen more closely to my heart. And, after a long career in theater working 6 and 7-day weeks, my time learning how to connect with myself through my practice was invaluable in helping me realize I wanted a new career and to be closer to my family in Florida. So, I leave for Fort Lauderdale June 7, and I just started a new career in event production. I’m sad to leave Seattle, but life is full of trade-offs, and I can’t wait to see my sister and my parents more often. My deepest gratitude to everyone at Modo for helping me see my own strength through peace and compassion. Every teacher. Every student. And Marley!

 

One last bit of fun – do you have a favorite book or documentary that you think everyone should read?

Anything that keeps your imagination active, but I’m pretty partial to nature documentaries – so gorgeous, and so much information. My dad would take me and my sister to the Natural History Museum IMAX theater when we were kids, and there’s still something so wonderful about seeing the natural world on the only screen that has a chance to capture all its beauty.