September 27, 2012
Yogapreneur: Yirser Ra Hotep Discusses His Unique Yoga Style
How has yoga changed your life?
More so than anything else Yoga has allowed me to live what my motto is, “Live without fear.†Fear is the foundation of stress and comes from a desire to avoid the unknown. The inability to handle uncertainty has caused the demise of many people.  We live in the age of uncertainty!  Yoga helps me to keep a clear head and stay focused on the end game no matter what the situation. It has allowed me to truly believe in myself and develop my mental and spiritual faculties.
I receive all of the physical benefits from practicing Yoga but the mental and spiritual side is key for me, especially as I get older chronologically. I feel very resilient, hopeful and optimistic because of my Yoga practice. I feel that I am the master of my destiny and I’m in harmony with how the universe operates. My meditation has allowed me to realize the basic underlying nature of things. What I am saying is much deeper than simply feeling more flexible. I have acquired the basic skills of self-realization and self-actualization. That is why I call my system YogaSkills Method.
Being that you are one of the few African American entrepreneurs in the yoga industry, do you feel that you have inspired other people of color to practice Yoga?
One of the greatest joys I have received from my experience is the fact that so many people of color have been inspired to practice Yoga – Kemetic Yoga in particular. I take pride in the fact that my image as a black man is seen in so many places and it breaks the stereotype that Yoga is for whites and for women only.
Many people of color are attracted to Kemetic Yoga because it is something that speaks to them culturally and spiritually and gives them an alternative to the staid “Up Dog/Down Dog/Warrior Pose†mentality of the mainstream Yoga world. Many people of color I come in contact with whether they are African American, Latino or Asian, state that they have had negative experiences in predominantly white Yoga environments and are seeking what we can provide.
What are your plans for the future?
YogaSkills has some very definite plans for expansion. We will offer a high-end luxury retreat with one of our new partners, Millbrook Resort in Montego Bay Jamaica. I also plan to start a wellness institute at East of Eden Resort and Spa in Jamaica that will feature monthly workshops led by myself, Mr. Wayne B. Chandler, author of a phenomenal book called Ancient Future and a host of experts in various aspects of wellness. We will continue to offer our annual trip to Egypt hosted by myself, Mr. Chandler and Dr. Sunyatta Amen. Over the next two years we’ve been invited to travel to countries like South Africa, Ethiopia, Haiti, Brazil, Dominica, Martinique, Guadalupe, England, New Zealand, Thailand and Cambodia to train new teachers in Kemetic Yoga. We also have plans for 2 new books and one new instructional DVD that will be released in 2012.
One of our biggest plans is to host Soul Yoga Fest in 2013, which will feature Yoga instructors and other experts in movement and wellness. This will be hosted in the Bahamas and Jamaica and will feature major musical groups, sponsors and celebrity guests.
Connect with Yirser Ra Hotep on Facebook.
Next up in our Yogapreneur series: Indianapolis’s Nikki Myers