GQ South Africa – September 2019

Where

can you

do yoga?

JoburG

Original Condition

Meditation & Movement

original-condition.com

cape town

ReUnion Yoga & Meditation,

reunionyoga.co.za

durban

The Toolbox

facebook.com/

thetoolbox260

port

elIzabeth

Yoga Shala

yogashalastudio.co.za

For more information on

Dave Gardner’s classes,

workshops and retreats, visit

original-condition.com

teachingyogain2013,he

alsostudiedBudokon,

whichis a fusionofyoga,

martialarts,callisthenics

andanimallocomotion.

Hetravelledtovarious

countriesaroundthe

worldseekingteachers,

includingGermany,

Australia,theUS,Central

AmericaandBrazil.

Hestudiedopen-form

movement,acrobatics

anddanceinEuropeand

CostaRica,andhosted

retreats,workshopsand

trainingprogrammesin

SA.Nowadays,heruns

hisownpracticecalled

theOriginalCondition

Meditation&Movement.

‘Theword“yoga”

meanstoyolk,’heexplains.

‘Theprocessofyolkingis

tostudyyourthoughtsand

behaviour– thewayyou

think,feelandrelateto

yourself,otherpeople

andtheoutsideworld

• withouttryingtochange
  anything.’Caseinpoint:
  Gardnerasksmeto
  imagineaneggwhiteand
  yolk.Heexplainsthey’re
  oneandthesameeven
  thoughtheylookdifferent.
  It soundslikeeveryone
  canbenefitfrompractising
  yoga– notjustwomen.
  ‘Peopletendtothinkit
  involvesstretching,sitting
  insilenceandobserving
  Indianbeliefs,’hesays.
  Gardnertellsmeoneof
  themainreasonsmenare
  morereluctanttotryyoga
  thanwomenis because
  they’reresults-driven.
  ‘They’renotinterested
  unlessit willmakethem
  better,stronger,fitterand
  happier.’Anoutcome-
  basedapproachisn’t
  necessarilya badthing,
  ‘it’sjustcontradictoryto
  yoga,whichis process-
  driven’.It’sjustyou,your
  thoughts,yourbodyand
  thewayyouinterpretyour

teacher’sinstructions.

Yogaleavesyouvulnerable

ina waytraditionally

male-dominatedsports,

whichtypicallyinvolvethe

supportofa team,don’t.

Thepracticeencourages

youtolookinsideyourself.

Andwhenyoudo,you

discoverhowthethoughts

inyourheadsoundand

yourbodyresponds

towhat’shappening

aroundyou.Gardner

admitshefoundthe

processfrighteninginthe

beginning.Buthe’ssince

learnttoembraceyoga,as

opposedtorunningaway

fromit.

Whathashelearnt

fromhisexperience?

‘I canfeelthebenefits.

I’mmorepresent,show

upasmyauthenticself,

I’mlovinginmy

interactionswithmy

family,andI’mable

toengageindifficult

conversationsthat

I would’veshiedaway

frominthepast.’Yogais

ultimatelyaboutpushing

yourselfbeyondwhatyou

believeis possible.

Howelsecanyou

applyyogatoyourdaily

life?Gardnerasksmeto

imagineI’mstuckina

trafficjamwhensomeone

cutsinfrontofme.

‘Stayingpresentinthe

momentallowsyoutobe

moreresponsiveandless

reactivebecauseyou’re

“The universe is as

intense and destructive

as at it is beautiful, calm

and life-sustaining”

Photogra

Phy by Forgetting Sarah Mar

Shall, Forget

Me not collective

F o r

i n S

tagra

M / n

ix Jacob

S,

i n S

tagra

M / r

eunion

yoga & Meditation, Facebook/

the

toolbox

aware you have a choice. The person who has cut in front

of you expects you to be angry. But imagine if you take

a different approach, remaining calm – it might cause

them to stop and think,’ he says. ‘I would roll down my

window as they pulled up beside me at a robot and ask

them if they were aware of what they’d done,’ he explains.

This would give them the opportunity to reflect on their

behaviour. Even when pressure mounts up at work, the

practice of self-inquiry gives you a choice as to how to

respond to external stimuli.

‘Yoga is about managing your thoughts and behaviour,

using movement and breath, and learning how to respond

to what’s happening around you.’ Though Gardner is

aware this process can take longer for those who struggle

to let go of preconceived ideas about themselves.‘Yoga

is a safe space in which you can observe, study and let

go of anger, sadness and fear. You discover you have the

capacity to change, direct your life and be the person

you’ve always wanted to be,’ says Gardner. ‘On the other

hand, the practices of yoga and meditation reveal aspects

of life you have absolutely no control over. Which is

another reason men fear yoga. Society has conditioned

men to see themselves as heroic, which means acting like

they’re in control. Some people actively look for escapism

and the idea of relinquishing control. The universe is

as intense and destructive as it is beautiful, calm and

life-sustaining.’

In the absence of a frame of reference, I ask him how

yoga allows you to do this. He reminds me of the sense of

self, which is at the core

of yoga. ‘Your teacher

merely offers you the

space to navigate the

self. But if you’re not

open, receptive or

willing to work alone,

you won’t succeed.’

Even if your only

reason for doing yoga

is that your favourite

sports star looks cool

doing it, Gardner says

that’s as good a place to

start as any, provided you show up with an open mind.

Gardner’s practice isn’t confined to a single space: he

hosts retreats in the most beautiful parts of SA, which he

particularly recommends to those with high-pressure jobs

• a few days away from your desk can work wonders for
  your wellbeing.
  ‘Your mind is better able to process what’s happening
  around you because yoga is the opposite of extreme
  stimulation. It involves observation, stillness, silence,
  listening, and listening again. Living via feeling and being,
  as opposed to reacting.’
  I began my conversation with Gardner a blank canvas,
  but I’m ending it coated in vibrant brushstrokes of colour.
  Heasksmeonelastquestion:‘Who do you want to be in
  theworld?’Yogamat,anyone?
  
  
  • Thobeka Phanyeko