From USA to India. On Yoga with teacher Jeremy Eaton

Yoga teacher Jeremy Eaton (@jeremyeatonyoga)

We had the pleasure to interview one of our favourite teachers, someone who has a wide perspective on Yoga from a western perception to a pure traditional Indian view. He has also achieved a fantastic body transformation. We are happy to share his vision in exclusive for TwentyFour Seven:

247: What is your favourite definition of Yoga?

Jeremy: The one by Maharshi Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras: “Yogash cittavrtti nirodhah”. It simply means: All the fluctuations of the mind, stop it

247: What’s your definition of success?

Jeremy: Success varies from day to day. Some days, success is in fact that feeling you get when you are in the zone and nothing can stop you. Other days, success is seeing someone smile. On the worst of days, success is knowing that you did the best you could.

247: How did you come into Yoga?

Jeremy: I started practicing Yoga in California at a Bikram studio in the Haight-Ashbury District. I volunteered there so that I could take class for free. When I came to India, I found The Yoga Institute by accident, took one class in the evening and I signed up to be in the Basic Teacher’s Training Course the next day.

247: One principle to become a better Yoga teacher?

Jeremy: Learn from as many instructors as you can. After getting my teacher’s training certificate, I didn’t teach for a whole year. I learned from all kinds of disciplines and teachers during that time. Without these teachers, my teaching style would not be what it is today. If you have been a teacher for a decade or a student that just got your teaching certificate, be a sponge regardless of how much you think you know.

247: How is Yoga in USA compared to India?

Jeremy: Yoga is deep in the Indian culture compared to the US where yoga is widely looked at as fitness. Many people in the US do not know that there are Yamas and Niyamas, for example. It is one of my favorite parts about going back to the US. I get to teach people something that they have never heard of before.

247: Your favorite yoga technique or principle?

Jeremy: My favorite yoga technique would be Karma Yoga. There is so much good that you can do in this world quietly. People don’t take notice of the amount of good that happens in this word compared to the negative things. A simple act has the power to change someone’s entire life and that is empowering.

247: If you could teach your best friend only a yoga principle or technique, what would it be?

Jeremy: I would teach my best friend about detachment. There are so many things that attach us to pain in this world and I think that anyone that truly learns this principle will lead a happier, less painful life.

247: You are certified sound healer too. We are a little bit sceptical here but, what is sound healing about?

Jeremy: Sound healing is using vibrations of different types through singing bowls to heal ailments, mental illness and disease. The bowls are split into the Tridoshas (*Three basic humors according to Ayurvedic medicine): Kapha, Pitta and Vatta. By using these sound vibrations people claim that they can even cure cancer. I was a skeptic too until I had a therapy session that healed my knee. I had pulled something while getting into Padmasana and it hurt for several months. After one session with Dr. Vade, my knee hasn’t hurt since. You too can become a believer.

247: What does yoga way of life mean to you?

Jeremy: A yogic way of life has a lot to do with the internal in the beginning but as you work on the inside, or closer to the subtle koshas (*Layers covering the Self,) you start to notice the world outside of you changes as well. Being present to those changes is what the yogic way of life is all about.

On the left: Jeremy on January’17 /// Right side picture: Jeremy on June’19

247: You had a great body transformation. Could you give one tip to improve your body through yoga?

Jeremy: Bringing your food closer to nature is the best way I have found to improve your body. I used to eat all kinds of fast and processed foods. It has taken a lot of training but eating those foods has become less desirable. Now, I crave things like carrot and cucumber sticks. Being more present of how many people’s hands that food has touched has also made me aware of my choices. Farm, preparer, goods deliverer, vendor and then in my belly is my favorite way to consume food. Too many hands absorbs too much energy and you never know what kind of energy it is.

247: And to improve your mind?

Jeremy: Improving my mind has been the most rewarding part about this journey. Before, I was taking antidepressants and sleeping medication just to survive. I had to learn to just sit with my thoughts and myself. This is still a work in progress and will probably always be, but I no longer take antidepressants or sleeping pills. This is a huge victory because even without them I am happier than I have ever been. I have learned how to deal with anxiety and depression through my breath and asana practice. Looking back to three years ago, I don’t even recognize that person.

247: One healthy tip about nutrition?

Jeremy: Eat less meat. Vegetables are colorful and make your insides smile. The more basic your food is the better you will feel.

247: If someone is too busy, can yoga help? How?

Jeremy: One of the misconceptions about yoga is that you have to go somewhere to do it. With the ample resources in social media and video streaming, anybody anywhere can practice yoga. If you think you are too busy, that’s your first problem. Slow down and ask yourself why are you making yourself so busy.

247: Some words to the TwentyFour Seven Yoga Mats community?

Jeremy: Being a person that sweats a lot, I enjoy 247 because in the time that I have used the mat I have never slid and fell. Also, cleanliness is next to Godliness so the fact that you can wash these mats in the machine makes me rest easy knowing that there is not a fungus growing on my mat, where my skin spends a lot of time on.