fitbody


SOUND YOGA PRACTICES


by Meredith Montgomery


As a long-distance runner, professional singer and songwriter and worldwide community and environmental activist, Michael Franti lives a life driven by yoga-inspired philosophies, both on and off the mat.


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nown as one of the most con- sciously positive artists in music today, Michael Franti has been practicing yoga for 11 years. The disci- pline resonates with him as a solution to the physical and mental stress he encounters touring on the road, and he has practiced yoga daily ever since his first experience. “I still recall how stiff I was during my first class. I couldn’t touch my toes and I could barely sit with my legs crossed,” Franti reflects. Franti reports that he is in better physical shape today than he was 20 years ago. “The great thing about yoga is that it’s not a competition,” says the 45-year-old, who grew up in a competi- tive household with four siblings before going on to play college basketball at the


26 Collier/Lee Counties swfl.naturalawakeningsmag.com


University of San Francisco. “In yoga, you’re not competing against anyone, which has been a valuable, if difficult lesson for me—to stop thinking, ‘I wish I could do a headstand as well as the person next to me,’ but to instead really embrace where I am at that moment.” After suffering from a series of physical hurdles, including joint prob- lems, operations on his abdomen and a ruptured appendix, Franti continues to be grateful that yoga has prolonged his livelihood as an athlete.


He recalls, “There was a time when my body felt like it was breaking down and I thought I was never going to be able to play catch with my son again. But through yoga, I’ve learned that it’s possible to heal my body.” He attri-


Photo courtesy of James Minchin


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