#58 – Keen on Yoga Podcast with David Roche

David, at 78 looks back over his rich life, already having outlived his prognosis with a terminal form of cancer. This episode was therefore extra special for us; deeply poignant and touching at moments, joyous at others, and, if nothing else, seriously thought-provoking.

After growing up gay in a Georgia, USA, where it was not a welcome choice at the time, he escaped from military school (where his step father sent him – to make him a man), by faking a broken-jaw in a compulsory boxing match he was forced to undertake.

From then on, he pursued his main love of dance. Studying under the foremost disciples of Martha Graham in New York, he became a professional dancer and then a teacher , finally moving to Adelaide, Australia where he ran the dance department.

After deciding to marry and have a family, he finally stumbled upon Ashtanga late in the day – at 48 years old. This makes him probably one of the oldest teachers ever to achieve certification. For many years he travelled and taught – he was one of the first teachers to go on the road, His teaching incorporates the lessons gleaned from his career as a dancer, choreographer, and, artist.

More recently, needing to settle down, he headed up the Jois Yoga Shala in Sydney whilst still visiting Mysore each year for 3 months (up until last year), to study and assist Saraswati teach. David is a highly sensitive and thoughtful individual, quite unique to this modern age, and it has been a pleasure to spend this time with him. We, in fact, recorded this episode twice, after technical issues got in the way of our first attempt.