Читать книгу Sit Down, Be Quiet: A modern guide to yoga and mindful living - Michael Wong James, Michael James Wong, Майкл Джеймс Вонг - Страница 8

Introduction

Hi, I’m Michael James Wong. Global Yogi, Wellness Warrior and founder of BOYS OF YOGA.

But before all of this, I was just a boy who was born in New Zealand and grew up on the beaches of Santa Monica, California. I was from a place no one had heard of until the Lord of the Rings movies and, growing up as an immigrant, I just wanted to fit in and belong.

In those days most of the other kids thought New Zealand and Madagascar were the same country (remember, this was before wifi and Facebook). On a good day, they assumed New Zealand was part of Australia. Growing up in LA, some kids looked at me as if I was from a distant planet and teased me because I had a ‘resident alien’ card in my wallet that my mom made me carry around to prove I was allowed to live in the US.

At the time, I lacked confidence and identity. I wasn’t American (I didn’t get my citizenship until I was 16) and I didn’t feel Kiwi (I didn’t have the accent and only visited once a year during the holidays). I’m also Chinese-Asian, something that I battled with growing up because it made life more confusing. I had the surname, but no ties to the culture or country other than weekend dinners and select colloquialisms. I was a bit from everywhere, and at the time I felt like I didn’t belong anywhere. As a kid that was tough. But looking back I can see that it made me who I am today, and has allowed me to live the life I have now. And for that I’m forever grateful.

I had a pretty typical childhood in a liberal progressive city … playing sports, being the drummer in a band, becoming a Boy Scout and living life in shorts and a t-shirt. I’m lucky to have an amazing family with supportive parents who have always been there for me, no matter what. My parents moved us to LA early in the 1980s because of work (my dad was the general manager of Canterbury of New Zealand back then) and in those early days when we had just moved to town I didn’t have a lot of friends, so family life was everything.

My dad coached soccer and he never missed a game or school function and to this day is still a pillar in the Santa Monica social and sports community. My mom is the family rock – kind, thoughtful and compassionate. She taught me how to cook, be a gentleman, respect everyone and see the good in people. I don’t think she has ever taken a night off, she really is the best mom in the world (in my humble opinion).

I am the middle child of three. I have an older brother, Andrew; he was the guy you always wanted on your side, not because he was a tough guy (though he frequently reminded me growing up who was in charge), but because he’s loyal, trustworthy, honest and kind. I give a lot of credit to him for me turning out an ok human being. My little sister, Nicole, is the family superstar; straight-A student, artist, creative and Daddy’s little princess. Even to this day she still puts her older brothers to shame and we expect nothing less.

After high school, I went to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) on a music scholarship, but later gave it up and instead graduated with a degree in Sociology and the study of human behaviour. It was clear even back then that I enjoyed immersing myself in the study of real life, rather than notes on a page.

My journey with yoga started around 2005 and it changed my life for ever. Despite growing up in LA, yoga wasn’t part of my vocabulary until my early 20s. When I started, I started reluctantly. A few friends dragged me to that first class and it felt awkward and intimidating. I just wasn’t any good at yoga, and the problem was I thought I was supposed to be. Touching my toes is an ability that comes and goes daily and I’m certain my foot will never reach behind my head, but that’s not really the point. Yoga has always been great to keep me fit and flexible, but the benefits are far greater than just this. Yoga changed, and saved, my life.

‘YOGA CLEANSED ME, SHAPED ME AND GAVE ME SOMETHING TO BE INSPIRED BY’

Yoga gave me passion and perspective, something I’d never had growing up. I lived in a bubble; parties, late nights, all the glitzy superficiality that comes with growing up in LA. My reality was skewed and my ego over-inflated. I can honestly say I’m not sure how I would have turned out if I hadn’t stumbled into that first class at City Yoga on Fairfax Avenue.

Yoga cleansed me, shaped me and gave me something to be inspired by. The asana (the physical practice) committed me to a daily dose of strength, flexibility and mobility; it gave me a challenge that I couldn’t talk my way out of. These days, this part of the practice reminds me how lucky I am to be able to tie my own shoes, pick up and play with my niece, Koa, and walk away from things that don’t serve my life.

Michael James Wong © Niki Priest

Yoga gave me peace in a way I didn’t even know I needed, the kind that helped me battle my daily insecurities. Even more, yoga helped to calm the chaos in my mind, manage my personal anxiety and perceive the world from a kinder point of view, one day at a time.

Through the practice, I’ve started to slow down. I’m quieter now than I used to be. I enjoy the silence. Beyond anything else, yoga has given me space, something I never knew was lacking in my life. Yoga helped me to find confidence in myself on and off the mat. Those first few years of dedicated practice allowed me to realise that life wasn’t all about being cool.

‘YOGA HELPED TO CALM THE CHAOS IN MY MIND’

At the age of 25 I left the US to travel the world and experience a little more of what life had to offer (to the anguish of my mother, I’ve yet to move back home). Since leaving, I’ve split my time between Sydney and London, getting my passport stamped in as many places as possible on the way.

And I’m still going. I’ve been teaching yoga, modern mindfulness and meditation for the past ten years and I am blessed to have an amazing community of yogis, teachers, students and friends all over the world.

Michael James Wong © Niki Priest

I give credit to my parents for my diverse upbringing and the trust and freedom they allowed me to continue exploring the world.

I’m grateful for all the choices I have made to get me to this point in my life. I always thank my parents for showing me the world through their eyes. I’ve been lucky enough to be an immigrant my whole life. I was raised to respect everyone from everywhere, because I was welcomed everywhere. Home has always been where friends and family are, and these days, no matter where I go I’m home.

This is me living my Yoga.