You're into yoga, has that always been the case?
Not at all. I used to work out a lot in the gym and got pretty hench, but I didn’t focus on my core, breathing, or mind state – all the things that make yoga such an incredible approach to exercise. If anthing, I probably used to leave the gym feeling more aggro and pent-up than when i arrived. Now, with yoga, it's the complete opposite.
How did your first session pan out?
The first time I went I just kept drifting out of the zone. I couldn’t hack it. It was too much for me and I even walked out of the room, which shows what sort of a negative place I was in at the time. I could go to the gym with my friends and it was much easier, but I needed to front up to how I wanted to be and the hard work it would take to achieve that. Over the last few years, I've mellowed out a bit so going to my first session for a while I was far more open-minded and receptive to yoga's underlying principles.
How has yoga postively impacted you?
It’s been a bit of a breakthrough for me. Though the physical side is proving really beneficial in terms of keeping me limber and feeling fresh, it’s more of a mental thing. The gym can be an aggressive environment and I’m quite an aggressive guy, so going was fuelling that as opposed to calming me down. I don’t care about the past anymore either, I believe in adapting your lifestyle and accepting your demons. It’s been all about shedding skin and starting afresh.
If someone had suggested yoga while you were going to the gym what would you have said?
I would have said it’s not for me, but fitness has changed so much recently with new techniques, routines and exercises that it’s no longer just about heavy weights and working on specific muscles, it’s also about core strength and a holistic approach to health. People are getting into different sports too, such as cycling and swimming, whereas back in the 90s it seemed to just be that guys lifted weights and girls did aerobics, and that was about it.
How does yoga help you to cope with the manic lifestyle of a DJ?
Living in the music environment can be pretty toxic. When I did drugs in the earlier stages of my career I didn’t really know what it was doing to me. Yoga brings so much clarity. I now get so much work done because of it and I never thought I’d say it, but it really has rewired me.
Check out Goldie's new yoga clothing range - Yogangster
If this inspired you, then be sure to visit Bikram Yoga to try your first taste of hot yoga.
Photography - http://www.benknightphotography.co.uk
