Teacher Highlight: Richard Freeman & Mary Taylor
I came to know of Richard Freeman the same way I came to know of B.K.S. Iyengar, through his striking presentation of asana, or yoga poses. Back in 2010, the hot-yoga studio where I began my journey in earnest used to sell books, videos, and props for the practice, and they had exactly one copy of a DVD box-set of Richard’s yoga practice videos. The box-set contains the well produced: An Introduction to Ashtanga Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga: The Primary Series, and Ashtanga Yoga: The Intermediate Series. These videos are the gold standard in the presentation and philosophy of the practice, and Pattabhi Jois himself told Richard to make the videos—high praise from the guru. After eyeballing that set for some time, I finally anted up and bought it to take home for study and practice. I skipped the Intro video and dove right into The Primary Series, which is over 2 hours in length. I was amazed at what I saw and have ever since attempted to emulate his example. When I finally met him in person in Chicago a decade ago for a weekend intensive, he blew our minds with the endless detail that simply a good Samasthitiḥ could engender in our embodied experience. Truly, forty minutes into class and I think we had only covered lifting our arms up over head, but the techniques he shared with us have changed my practice forever. In all the years since then I have recognized Richard as my teacher and a mentor. So too has his wonderful wife become one of my most cherished teachers, the heartfelt Mary Taylor. Before they met and eventually wed in Boulder in the mid 1980s, both of them had already lived exceptional and eccentric lives...
Richard became a student of yoga in 1968, later living abroad as a sanyasin, or renunciant, in India. He remained in Central Asia and the Middle East for years, eventually even becoming a yoga teacher to the royal family in Iran, before fleeing from the revolution there in 1979. He had a close bond with Ashtanga guru K. Pattabhi Jois, and also worked with the celebrated guru B.K.S. Iyengar. A philosopher since boyhood (he read Walden when he was 13), Richard returned to academia in midlife to achieve a Master of Arts in the subject.
Mary Taylor herself was for many years a professional chef, earning a grande diplôme from Julie Child’s culinary academy in France at a young age. She began studying yoga in 1971 during university, drawn to the calm the practice gave her. In the years since she has been part of the core faculty of the Being with Dying program at the Upaya Zen Center, as well as part of the senior faculty for the UZIT training program, both of which apply various contemplative practices to improve patient care within medical settings. She founded The Yoga Workshop in Boulder with Richard in the late 1980s, and directed that studio for nearly 30 years, both of them helping countless students in developing their own personal practice.
If you ever have the opportunity to go and learn from either of them, both Monica and I highly recommend it. There is so much that could be said about their twin brilliance, benevolence, and compassion, but to keep it brief I can confidently say that they are masters of the middle path, which in Buddhist circles means steering clear of both extreme asceticism and sensual indulgence. They’re just bang on. We salute their continued efforts, and their approach and methods are forever part of our guiding light in establishing The Mysore Program here in Montréal.
The other night during one of Richard & Mary’s monthly online Studio Talks, they reaffirmed their slow and highly considered—and considerate—approach to practice in general, their black sheep status in the Ashtanga community at large, and how they perceive this moment our global community as one of great potential. That talk was their June 4th one titled “The Highest Common Denominator: Embodying Truth”, and we’ll include a link to their website below where you can find the recording along with many of their talks and teaching schedule. They offer a studio talk on zoom once a month. Always free to join and always insightful. You’ll find the schedule for upcoming studio talks on their website as well.
“Our aim is to share practices and teachings of yoga, Buddhism and life that we’ve explored over the years that have given us some insight into the nature of being. We are dedicated to asking questions rather than giving answers, finding connections instead of divides, and embodying the teachings and practices that have helped us along the way, rather than simply theorizing about them. Our hope is to inspire others who, like ourselves, wish to keep an open mind and tender heart, to listen deeply and live compassionately, finding ways to serve in this troubled world. We plan to continue studying, practicing, and teaching as long as possible. We know life is precious and could end at any moment, so we are committed to practicing and helping others in whatever ways we can so that together we can begin to wake up right here and now, since it’s all we really have.”
–Richard Freeman + Mary Taylor