Dr. Dave: “Paulie, why do students who do your art with some diligence tend to respond so much better than they do with other styles and methods of teaching?”

Paulie: “They respond better because they have fun. I make it so that they’re having fun and enjoying it. But also, they’re unlocking their passion. A lot of people don’t have the passion for what they do until they really experience the animals, the elements, and the flows that opens them up to their primal spirit.

A lot of people think yoga should be real serious and make it a chore. They do this chore for health. But if you look at it as opening up to fun and play with the elements and the animals, I think that brings forth happiness. When you’re happy when you do something and you have a passion for what you’re doing then you’ll do it much better than somebody who does it as a chore for their health.

I see so many people doing yoga and they’re not having a good time doing it. They’re really staid and kind of uptight. And they’re just going through the motions. There’s no love or passion there. But if you can get the students to feel passion and love for what they’re doing, and to look forward to coming back, then they will grow more and grow faster. I’ve had students tell me how they have had teachers who were really serious and who also gave continuous instruction like make sure you engage this muscle or that muscle, or do this, or think about that. They’re thinking too much. They’re intellectualizing the practice. And they’re training the students to constantly be thinking about what they are doing instead of FEELING what they are doing. I’ve see how when the students are having fun playing, it unlocks their passion, it helps them to learn better. At first they may not have the passion when they come in to class. But once they start to have fun it somehow opens them up like a flower in bloom.”