Australian_Yoga_Journal_2016_08_09_downmagaz.com

Recommendations

Info

Peak PERFORMANCE Yoga superstar and founder of Power Living, Duncan Peak, talks to Jessica Humphries about his rise to success, finding the true meaning of yoga, and keeping it real. august/september 2016 yogajournal.com.au 38 LETS BE HONEST Duncan Peak is kind of a big deal. If you haven’t practiced at one of his Power Living studios, you’ve likely encountered him in the social media realm or heard his name uttered in a yoga class. But he’s not just a yoga-lebrity. He’s got a great story too. One that’s hard to condense because not only is it a story of finding the true meaning of yoga and receiving yogic benefits, but it’s a story of unparalleled business success in the yoga industry due to the development and growth of Power Living. Duncan has become an unintentional icon in the yoga world, inspiring thousands of students to delve deeper into both their physical and spiritual practice. Duncan lives in Byron Bay and spends his days surfing, socialising, yoga-ing and running a successful business. And he’s nice! I’ve been working in the yoga world for a while now, and I’ve only ever heard great things about this guy. Now, I understand why. There’s something about his ability to be present that makes you feel like you matter. I chatted with Duncan about where he came from, his passion for all things yoga, and how he feels about the ever-changing industry. Duncan, or Dunx as he’s affectionately known, started his yoga journey at 15 when he moved into his best friend’s house. He fondly remembers his friend’s dad – “a pretty eccentric fella” – who would chant and meditate regularly, as well as practice various styles of yoga. Dunx delved into the spiritual practice with his friend and father and fell in love with the deep peace he experienced, which was something he says that “really PHOTO: LEEROY TEHERA, LEEROYT.COM
helped me with the anger I had as a rebellious teenager”. Two years later, Dunx learned to put those teachings into practice when his friend devastatingly passed away in a car accident. Dunx says, “The meditations and yogic/Buddhist philosophies we were taught by his father became very important to me, and they were a way of dealing with the grief and unfairness I felt towards the loss of my best friend and the cruelty of the world.” Dunx says his physical practice didn’t begin until years later after an injury in the army motivated him to try Hatha Vinyasa. Beginning in his late teens, Dunx served as an officer in the army for six years. Because of the contrast between the two disciplines, he is often questioned as to why he joined the army. “They seem polar opposites,” he says. “In its volition it is, but the discipline for practicing yoga and being in the army are very similar … I joined the army because I was a very troubled teenager. Even though I had already been introduced to yoga, I was a confused young man who lacked direction.” And although Dunx’s reasons for joining were in reaction to his distress, he acknowledges the importance of this time of his life. “My he started giving them tips and private lessons. Eventually he hired a surf lifesaving club, and every Saturday morning his friends would come along with their donation, which Dunx passed on to charity. He says, “After that I started teaching at the only ‘power yoga’ studio in Sydney and helped to run it.” In 2004, Duncan started running Power Flow which quickly became the busiest studio in Australia. Soon after, Dunx purchased the business and renamed it Power Living. He was teaching up to 18 classes a week while also working as a full-time business consultant. “I slept on the floor of the studio many a night, waiting to get up to teach the next morning before having to go to work. I felt plugged in, directed, a force was working through me and nothing was going to stop me teaching regardless of how hard I had to work. “My whole life changed. I now many festivals, yogi celebrities, diluted yet popular practices, and so much competition driven by people with only business goals. It’s now mainstream … yoga is to fitness as organic is to food. My attitude to it is to let it evolve but stay true to what I feel is a sincere practice in a modern world.”How does Dunx stay grounded and authentic in the modern world of yoga fame? “I didn’t really have a vision to be ‘Mr Power Living’. It just happened because I wanted to teach transformational yoga because of the way it had really helped me. People who lose themselves in the yoga celebrity world are either very young or have lost touch with their practice. I’d whole life changed. I had ambitions and be lying if I didn’t say I know this from felt for the first time in my life that I had ambitions and felt for experience. There have been times when could make something of myself.” the first time in my life that I lost my practice and got lost in fame, At 24, Duncan sustained a lifethreatening illness – a ruptured ulcer that success. But my practice motivation was fortune and the seductive comfort of I could make something of occurred during an army exercise which myself.” always to be at inner peace, so I always had been designed to assess his leadership skills under high levels of stress. As a result, he was medically discharged from the army and went on to work as a business consultant. He remembers this time fondly as he was able to explore the leadership qualities that continue to come so naturally to him. However, by the time he had turned 26, Duncan decided to follow his heart and set off on a two-year travelling stint through South America, Europe, and India. It was during this time that he was able to reconnect with his true self – the young boy who had discovered yoga all those years ago. I’m curious about how one of Australia’s largest and most successful yoga businesses came to be. Dunx tells me he was working through the Ashtanga series quite seriously I wanted to share yoga’s joy with everyone,” he says. Since then, Power Living has thrived. It has nine owners and studios, employs 130 yoga teachers and has graduated more than 1000 teachers from its trainings. Dunx tells me, “The evolution of the studios was really an organic process, as junior teachers of mine wanted to make careers out of yoga and the industry allowed this to happen.” Dunx has seen great transformation in the yoga industry since he began practicing. He says, “I think the longer you’re in the yoga bubble, the harder it is to let it naturally morph into something bigger. Sometimes I get lost in how it was and should be rather than how it is. So, I try come back to that. When it comes down to it, we (the Power Living crew) realise our success is a divine essence working through us, not just us, as individuals, being amazing.” Dunx says it’s not always easy feeling the expectations of the yoga world upon you. “I struggled with myself for years as the stereotype of what a yogi should be was thrust upon me. Now I just accept who I am and that’s it.” What advice would Dunx give to his beginner yogi self? “Do it all again the same way. Yoga comes from your heart. Be yourself, honour tradition, and create from that. There is so much wisdom to learn. Don’t be so hard on yourself. You need no-one’s permission to be who you at the time, and when friends showed interest to just observe impartially and see the truly are, but remember everybody else in why he was so strong, flexible and clear, positives of the industry growing. There are shares that potential too.” 39 august/september 2016 yogajournal.com.au
Page 1 and 2: LIFE IN BALANCE FIND inner Peace In
Page 3: Voted #1 Wellness trend for 2016 by
Page 8 and 9: editor’s letter ISSUE NO 53. AUGU
Page 10 and 11: connect AYJ FAMILY Meet the Yogis a
Page 12 and 13: nn t TALK TO US yimi Connect with u
Page 14 and 15: connect EVENTS What’s On Your ess
Page 16 and 17: the latest IN THE NOW YOGIS UNITE O
Page 18 and 19: august/september 2016 yogajournal.c
Page 20 and 21: 22 DVDs to guide you through BUY O
Page 22 and 23: . . . . Add a splash of colour to y
Page 24 and 25: om COMFORT itc FOOD ari NOURISH YOU
Page 28 and 29: Best intentions Setting the right i
Page 30 and 31: Om INTERVIEW Q&A WITH Michael Frant
Page 32 and 33: Mindfulness training for health pro
Page 34 and 35: Om PARENTING Master Minds Help chil
Page 36 and 37: om EAT WELL Better burgers Expand y
Page 40 and 41: Dedication, transformation, august/
Page 42 and 43: Stuff we Home 1. Integrity Candles
Page 54 and 55: 4. Ardha Hanumanasana (Half Monkey
Page 56 and 57: KEEP IT contained While most of us
Page 58 and 59: THE creativity GENIUS OF By Sally W
Page 62 and 63: expose yourself to situations or id
Page 64 and 65: 30 minutes FRITTATA This Italian eg
Page 68 and 69: GRAPE TOMATO AND COLLARD GREENS FRI
Page 70 and 71: ti HOME PRACTICE A home practice fi
Page 72 and 73: ti HOME PRACTICE 9 Elbows-Back Plat
Page 74 and 75: your practice YOGAPEDIA Poses of th
Page 76 and 77: your practice YOGAPEDIA Benefit Cre
Page 78 and 79: travel EXPERIENCE august/september
Page 82 and 83: travel EXPERIENCE Although all yogi
Page 84 and 85: Off the Mat INTERVIEW Africa Yoga P
Page 86: inspiration MEET MY TEACHER TheGift
Page 89 and 90:
Target your core, outer hips, glute
Page 91 and 92:
The Directory Your Essential Guide
Page 93 and 94:
AYJ REATS Yoga Retreat Rishikesh, I
Page 95 and 96:
AYJ DIRECTORY | TEACHER TRAINING/ C
Page 97 and 98:
Next Month Inside the next issue of
Page 99 and 100:
N E W T E D Quality yoga props and
show all

Australian_Yoga_Journal_2016_08_09_downmagaz.com

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?