Mario Austin didn’t think he would find his passion working at a gym’s front desk. Like many millennials, he graduated college during the Great Recession, and thought he was just taking a temporary gig in a brutal job market.
While Austin was there, he befriended several instructors, many of whom taught yoga. They encouraged him to take a class, but he refused their advances… until he showed up to work on his day off. Perhaps it was divine intervention, or maybe just chance. Either way, Austin found his way onto the mat.
And hated it!
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“I was just like, ‘Yeah, this is definitely not for me,” he said.
Despite his misgivings, Austin returned for another flow, and started to breathe in the asana. While “asana” refers to the physical practice of yoga–downward dog, crescent lunge, half moon–it literally means “seat.” As in, the seat one takes for meditation.
Yoga isn’t about just doing poses; but rather, examining how the postures feel. The body keeps score, after all, and provides many clues about our inner-self.
“I went down a rabbit hole, and it was something about certain balancing postures,” Austin said. “I just love the complexity of the different kind of yoga postures and their benefits.”
Once Austin went down the yogi rabbit hole, he stayed! The DC resident gained his certification in 2015, and spreads the message of “asana” as a full-time instructor at Alo Yoga and Equinox.
Queerty recently caught up with Austin to talk about the keys to a great practice, sexiest poses and… stretching out with puppies and goats. Here’s what he had to say…
QUEERTY: What makes for a good yoga class?
MARIO AUSTIN: Community. I stand by that 100%. It all starts the moment somebody walks into the classroom. If somebody doesn’t feel the sense of being welcomed, then you don’t have a class. I’ve been teaching all these years, and I’ve heard horror stories from many people of different backgrounds where they either felt unwelcome, or they felt judged based upon their ethnicity, background or orientation. And sometimes, even the way they look. That one little situation can really be a detriment to somebody who’s trying to build a practice. I don’t care who you are, or what you do, I am all about bringing everybody together and making sure when you leave my classroom, you learn something more about yourself.
What’s one tip you would tell a newcomer?
Trust the process. One of my favorite lines, somebody came to my class and said, “Is this witchcraft?” And I’m like, “No! Some of us might want to levitate and float in the air, but we are not witches!” We are all here for the same purpose: to tap into the mind body and spirit. That was one of my favorite yoga quotes, and it didn’t really make sense to me until I got deeper into my practice. There’s gonna be a journey that comes with yoga. You have to be trusting of that journey from the beginning until infinity, because technically the journey never ends. I tell my students all the time, “I’m learning stuff about my practice each and every day.” I know I look 20—and I’ll take it—but I’m way, way down the age range! I love the things I learn every time I get on the mat.
What’s one part about being a yoga instructor that people don’t know about?
You have to able to be an effective time manager. Most people, at a glance they think it’s easy breezy. “You just come in with a crop top, short shorts and you’re done.” And I’m like, “No! There’s so much more to it.” You have sequencing, you have yoga philosophy. There’s a whole lesson plan when it comes to being a teacher.
What’s on your playlist for class these days?
One of the first things I love to tell a first-timer is, “I’m not your average yoga teacher.” I drop a few f-bombs, talk about my lack of a dating life! I want you to just let go and enjoy yourself in this experience. Everything from meditative music… I’ll usually slip in some Mariah. I have to! Old-school R&B. There’s never a constant, set playlist. I just want to make people comfortable, and I’ve found that tapping in to most musical genres that people love and enjoy, I find that usually works out pretty good.
Women are twice as likely to practice yoga as men. Why do you think that is?
Oh, this is a whole other interview! I will say, once yoga became Westernized, if you will, at one point there was a certain demographic that was always in classrooms: primarily women, who would usually come in groups. Every now and then, there might be a man or two in the classroom. But I think once it got to the point where, the brotherhood of yogis started tapping in and just saying, “Hey, It’s OK for you to go to yoga. No one is looking at you, no one is judging you. Some people may be able to touch their toes, but this is exactly who the practice is for.” Thankfully, there’s been such a insurgence of male yoga teachers, which I think is crucial to recruiting more people who identify as men. It’s OK to come in.
We’re not saying you need to come in with leggings and a moose-knuckle or anything… seriously! Teaching 10 years, I have seen it all. Some people it’s just like, “If this outfit makes you feel good, I am here for it. I am supporting you.” Some people like to push the envelope with their attire. It’s dumb. It is “come one, come all,” but sometimes, just be a little bit careful. Some things might be falling out that shouldn’t!
But definitely, the presence of male instructors has caused more men to come to the classroom. When people come to these classes, they want to see somebody they can connect with and relate to. For me, you’ve gotta think, not only am I Black, but I’m Black and gay. I’m a Black gay man. That is the holy trinity. “Maybe I can come to a classroom if he’s in there.”
Related*
Step inside MMX, the yoga studio where touch is encouraged
MMX Yoga only offers nude yoga, and there’s a method behind it.
Nude yoga is gaining in popularity. What do you think, yay or nay?
Yay! Absolutely. I think it’s a beautiful thing. I’ve done some nude yoga shoots myself. The body is just such a beautiful display of many different variations. Why not just add a little more flavor to your practice? It goes back to bringing people together. Some people might feel, “I don’t want to feel like I’m weird, or creepy because I want to practice yoga nude.” You’d be surprised. There are so many other people who want to practice yoga in the nude as well, because that’s what gets them calm and centered in their practice. I tell people all the time, any type of yoga that doesn’t break people down or send them off on a bad note, you’re got my vote. Even puppy yoga. It’s so niche, but it’s like one of those things. It’s just too cute. There are so many niche type of yogas. I’ve actually done goat yoga before. It wasn’t the cleanest experience, but thankfully I was wearing my shoes at the time. Those goats, they were all over the place!
Wait a minute… what’s goat yoga?
It’s kind of like a puppy yoga class. They release [the goats]. Everything is fenced off, and the goats are crawling on people, falling asleep on mats. It’s an interesting experience. It’s actually pretty cool. As long as you’re wearing shoes, you’re good. But if you’re not, hint hint, you might run into something you don’t want to!
Here’s the most important question: what’s the sexiest yoga pose?
Hmm… my sexiest yoga pose is called Astavakrasana, or Eight-Angle Pose. I am a big arm balance nerd, and this is one of those yoga poses that displays so much strength. Whether it’s male, female or you don’t identify with a gender, it’s one of the sexiest things. It displays so much strength, so much beauty. Just seeing somebody get into it… I love to demo and practice this pose. Depending on a good day, you might even see somebody’s veins popping out. Their sweat is dripping. It’s just a really, really sexy pose for me.
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