Daily Inspiration: Meet Michael Curtis

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Curtis. “Ambition should not outrun Wisdom.”

Hi Michael, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My mom was a teacher and she instilled in me a desire for learning, which included an appreciation for nature and the arts. From a young age (we were both young), we would visit the Akron metro parks and hike together enjoying the plants, the birds, the rocks and the Cuyahoga River. We would also go to museums, and some concerts and cultural events. As soon as I could read a few words we began making regular trips to the Akron Public Library, which I thought was a beautiful place and I still vividly remember the smell of the books. Mom didn’t take the city for granted—she came from rural West Virginia. With wide-eyed joie de vivre she took advantage of what the city offered, and was eager to share that with me—her enthusiastic side kick. Her first car purchase—a beige Volkswagen Beetle, made these expeditions more frequent and spontaneous.

Going to college was not typical in my family, but my mom would sneak in phrases like “When you go to college…” and so I knew from a young age that I would continue education beyond high school. Being a reader and being excited about learning helped me thrive in college. I went to the University of Akron and it was considerably more than I had hoped, and was more invigorating than what I had ever imagined. The study of music and yoga really began in earnest there. I endeavored to be a good student, and now, every day, I feel gratitude for my teachers. As the years go by, I become more aware of the importance of what they taught. I still have a strong drive for learning. I don’t have to stir up motivation. It is part of me, like my skin. I practice consistently, and yoga and music still afford incredible daily experiences of learning and enrichment.

I’ve had a lot of help and encouragement from my mother and teachers and from institutions like the Rotary Club and also some government scholarships, such as the Fulbright. Also, today, my friends, colleagues, wife and students are super helpful. I have a strong desire to give back, but feel like I can never give back enough. Since yoga is one of the best things that people can do for themselves, I’ve been committed to making yoga available to any sincere student. By providing state-of-the-art locations with wonderful yoga instructors and a welcoming and inclusive vibe, we are providing something valuable to the community. We offer yoga as a holistic and spiritual practice which stimulates curiosity, self-reflection and introspection. Our classes and teachers encourage people to challenge themselves physically, intellectually and spiritually.

I’m not a businessperson. The idea to teach yoga was not my own. The idea to open a yoga center was not mine either. Most of my best business decisions have been suggested by students, friends, or colleagues. We have two yoga centers now: The Yoga Place which opened in 1995 (28 years ago), and Yoga Central which opened in 2014.

I like to work. We don’t let much get in the way of our work. Here we are not talking about work for money, but work for the cause, work with a passion, work for the greater good, work as an offering.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’ve had a lot of help, especially when obstacles have arisen. The difficulties have been manageable through teamwork. There is not much I would do differently. The experience has been wonderful, and I love the work! When I started teaching in the 1990s, I could not imagine more than 8 people coming to a yoga class. That was beyond my powers of conception because yoga was only practiced by a small number of people, and at the time, we didn’t see that changing. Having 10 people come to a yoga class would have been more surprising than a visit by a delegation of Martians!

It has largely been a smooth ride. Very often I have had trouble prioritizing the right business things, but I have never had trouble prioritizing the yoga… My own mistakes have hindered us on many an occasion, but now that I have become a connoisseur of mistakes the only thing left to do is make bigger and better mistakes!

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
Our yoga center is also a center for the arts. We even have a curator for displays, we have a stage, spotlights and a grand piano. We celebrate the arts and have concerts, dancing, exhibits, theatre, and art openings. Many of our students are wonderful artists! Showing the great artwork of Dave Pratt and Joe Culley was particularly exciting. Doing our own musical, “YOGA—the Musical,” written by Margot Milcetich, was a GREAT success. Our senior teacher, Kedric Wolfe, was an actor in LA for 30 years. As for myself, my college degrees are in music.

We have groups and bands that come in and perform, plus we have our own “house band” that is sometimes known as “The Yoga Central Barefoot Band.” The band performs mostly jazz and rock, with dancers and painters, and other artists sometimes participating for a mixed-media event.

The spiritual nature of yoga makes it special, but great spirituality is also evident in the deepest expressions of art. There is only a smidge of difference between great art and great yoga, and we hunger for both. In a world that is often loud, crass, divisive and harsh we aim for the peaceful and the sublime. One of our slogans is “Connecting People through Peaceful Activities.”

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Part of our mission is to maintain the ethical guidelines and the spiritual tradition of yoga, plus yoga as an intellectual pursuit. Some of what yoga has to offer can get lost in the fast pace of this modern American era. We try to bring spirituality to the forefront, but we also love health and fitness, and we do not shy away from yoga that is rigorous, sweaty and fitness oriented. Of course, spirituality and fitness are not mutually exclusive. We encourage students to look for a healthy challenge, but not just for the body. Yoga is a holistic practice involving our whole selves: mind, body, spirit, emotions, breath, etc…

We like to make room for all kinds of yoga. We enjoy it all, but when yoga became more popular, we felt a need to be protective of the spiritual significance of yoga. I’m not going to try to define yoga here. Certainly, yoga means different things to different people, it is not dogmatic, but there are some necessary ingredients: self-study and reflection; kindness and respect; peace, harmony and balance. If the practice doesn’t make us more mindful, kind, and peaceful, then maybe it is not sadhana, not yoga.

When we opened in 1995, we wanted to offer a space for a small number of practitioners (5, 6, 7, or 8 people). They practiced yoga because of yoga’s core values: greater awareness, higher consciousness, service, spreading peace, self-development, psychotherapy and ethics. As more people get into yoga some of the newer students may have a different, more watered-down, approach. The increase in yoga’s popularity gives us the role of standard bearers, a role we eagerly accept. By that I mean we have to make an extra effort to teach and hold up yoga’s core values. That was not as necessary when we began. In the early days, we were all there because of yoga’s core values—it wasn’t a fad.

Also, the popularity of yoga today can lead people to take it for granted. We certainly didn’t take it for granted when we started! Taking something for granted devalues it. I really believe strongly that most people underestimate yoga.

Pricing:

• 5-class pass, $65
• 10-class pass, $120
• 15-class pass, $165
• one-month autopay, $77
• For the year, $875

Contact Info:

• Website: www.theyogaplaceohio.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theyogaplace.yogacentralohio/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theyogaplace.yogacentralohio
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheYogaPlaceOH
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbn5-1yitfg