Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Ryan.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
After a whirlwind romance with house music which culminated in Djing at the world famous Manchester (UK) nightclub The Hacienda I turned my attention inwards and hung up the headphones and jetted off to Mysore South India to immerse myself in Ashtanga Yoga.
In the 20 plus years of being immersed in Ashtanga Yoga (in both practicing & teaching) I have taught Yoga all over the world including Europe, India and America. I have set up and established Yoga studios in Manchester (yoga-manchester.co.uk, yogaexpressmanchester.co.uk) London (yogalondonclub.co.uk) and Los Angeles (mattryan.yoga). I have an A list of private clientele which includes various members of British Rock groups and also players from the English football premier league. I hold the highly coveted Ashtanga Yoga level 2 teaching authorization from the AYRI, the governing body of Ashtanga in Mysore, South India.My own personal yoga practice includes working through into the Advanced B series of Ashtanga Yoga – one of the very few yoga practitioners from around the world working at this level.
I am an Ambassador to the Operation-Shanti charity (operation-shanti.org) which is based in Mysore South India, organizing fundraising events (when I’m in Mysore I also play soccer with the kids who the charity supports). In 2015 I created the ‘nee-ji’ the safe knee support for yoga & meditation (nee-ji.com) a unique standalone product that helps to support knees in yoga and meditation practices. Matt created the design and logo for the product including sourcing all materials from China. The nee-ji has a worldwide customer base. For the past ten plus years, I have also immersed myself in Zen Buddhism which added another layer of internal practice.
I currently live and teach Yoga in the Venice Beach area of Los Angeles – teaching private clients and also classes at Ashtanga Yoga Sherman Oaks.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I started yoga over 20 years ago – before social media and the interwebs took over – all my friends thought I’d gone mad. Trying to convince all my friends and family to try the practice out took some doing, but slowly they all come round -it did take the best part of 20 years for some of them though! It’s also been hard finding the right balance of running various yoga businesses whilst maintaining my own practice (and looking after my kids!).
In the last two years, a huge dark cloud has appeared over Ashtanga Yoga as allegations came to light of Pattabhi Jois’s (the now deceased Guru of Ashtanga) sexually assaulting women under the guise of adjustments – in both written and video testimonies. Since these allegations, I have personally moved away from the whole scene and now consider myself to be just a Yoga teacher.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I must admit I am most proud of becoming an ambassador for Operation-Shanti charity Mysore South India -For more information on Operation Shanti – their history, mission and how to donate please go to their website www.operation-shanti.org.
With regards to Yoga, its hard to know exactly what sets me apart from other teachers/studios – my sense of humor maybe – here’s a lovely testimonial that I’ve had recently.
I can’t express my praise fully enough here. Matt’s the most engaging and purposeful Ashtanga teacher I’ve ever had the privilege of practicing with. I’ve practiced for seven years or so with input from 20+ teachers. None of them get in the stiff and stuck areas that need attention or go as far with those adjustments as MR. I’ve had great Ashtanga here in LA and elsewhere, and Matt is at the top of those experiences. What a force for positive change!
Also, the fact that I maintain the studios in Manchester & London as well as the nee-ji prop all by myself from a crap laptop in Venice Beach. I work bloody hard – I always give everyone in my class 110% and I mean everyone – teaching maintaining the level of personal practice both yoga and meditation and family (which includes four kids) and I’m now 51 and knackered!!
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success? Making my kids (and my wife) smile – everything else is just gravy. To be honest, I’m just happy doing my thing telling students crap jokes especially when they are in difficult postures – not taking myself too seriously
Contact Info:
- Website: mattryan.yoga
- Phone: 3235409316
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: mattryanyoga
- Twitter: @mattryanyoga
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