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Larry Schultz

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Larry Schultz (November 14, 1950 – February 27, 2011) was an American Yoga teacher and icon.[1] Schultz is primarily recognized as the creator of Rocket Yoga.[2]

Early life

Schultz was living in living in Texas in the late 70's and early 80s working as an insurance salesman before he started yoga. From 1977 until 1980 he was the District Sales Manager for Union Bankers Life Insurance Co. In 1980 at the age of 30 he quit Union Bankers Insurance Co. to open South Texas Insurance Services with his friend Jerry Chavers where they ran the company until 1982.[3][full citation needed]

K. Pattabhi Jois years

Larry Schultz with Pattabhi Jois

Schultz met K. Pattabhi Jois in 1982 during a yoga workshop hosted by Stan Hafner.[3][full citation needed] Schultz continued to study under K. Pattabhi Jois for the next 7 years in India and the USA.[citation needed]

The Bad Man of Ashtanga Yoga

In 1989 Schultz returned to San Francisco and started to teach Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga from his home in Potrero Hill.[3][full citation needed] Schultz believed that all students should get access to all poses, which was in conflict with Jois' Mysore style, in which only teachers were authorized to give a student a new pose to practice after the teacher felt the student had attained mastery of the previous one. Schultz instead taught a modified version of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga in which each of his classes incorporated poses from all 3 of the traditional Ashtanga Series with all students welcome to try all poses. As a result, Jois called Schultz "The Bad Man of Ashtanga Yoga," due to Schultz's interest in practicing and teaching 2nd and 3rd Series poses not yet authorized by Jois.[4][5][6]

The Grateful Dead years

In the mid 90s Schultz traveled on tour with the Grateful Dead as the band's personal yoga teacher until Jerry Garcia died.[3][full citation needed][7] While on tour with the Grateful Dead one of the band members asked Schultz what was the name of his yoga. Schultz said it didnt have a name, at which point in time Bob Weir said, "it should be called Rocket Yoga, because it gets you there faster."[8][full citation needed] It was Weir who encouraged Schultz to write his first book on yoga, Ashtanga Yoga As Taught by Shri K. Pattabhi Jois.[9] Phil Lesh from the Grateful Dead on Schultz's impact on the music:

"I think both yoga and the new soundspace had a real effect on the music this tour."

— Phil Lesh, The Grateful Dead Reader By David Dodd, Diana Spaulding, Oxford University Press, USA (January 17, 2002

The Mayor of Folsom Street

Larry Schultz Headshot

In 1991 Schultz founded It's Yoga at 848 Folsom Street in San Francisco. At It's Yoga Larry created a promotional package that was called "90 days for 90 dollars." At the time yoga was mostly done by small groups in homes, and Schultz's yoga studio as a health club concept was an industry first.[3][full citation needed] It's Yoga on Folsom street attracted many, including notable celebrities such as San Francisco 49ers players[specify] and Christie Turlington.[10][page needed] Schultz's It's Yoga came to be credited as one of the pioneers of yoga in the region.[11][failed verification] In 2002 It's Yoga moved downstairs to a larger space in the same building at 848 Folsom street. Schultz's notoriety in the South of Market, San Francisco area led him gain a second nickname, "The Mayor of Folsom Street."[12]

The Rocketman

Schultz gained notoriety during his life for creating the Rocket Yoga series of yoga sequences that are today considered to be the foundation Power yoga.[13]Rocket Yoga sequences include the Rocket I, Rocket II, Rocket III, and Modified Primary Series. Schultz claimed his strength came from teaching 9000 yoga classes & performing 63,000 sun salutes.[14][full citation needed] Schultz said of his teaching philosophy:

"There is nothing more satisfying to me as a teacher than to watch the glow with which people arise from Savasana. Often people walk into It’s Yoga with worry, stress and tiredness written all over their faces but when they leave, they show the effects of Ashtanga Yoga: they feel better and look better, lighter, freer, more relaxed and energized. This is why to me, teaching Ashtanga Yoga is a kind of self-realization; every time I lead class I, as a teacher, grow and express the insights of my own yoga. I see people take in the practice from various angles and develop, change and transcend their limitations, realize their possibilities."

— Larry Schultz, YogaDragonden Blog:In Memoriam: Larry Schultz 1950-2011, Feb 19, 2010

Later years

Schultz in Italy

In 2009 It's Yoga San Francisco closed as Schultz moved to Sonoma, California to open a retreat center he called Nauliland. In these final years Schultz and his wife Marie focused on their global Rocket Yoga teacher training program, which graduated more than 5000 students in 142 teacher trainings.[15][full citation needed][14][full citation needed] Larry initiated many who later became well known teachers themselves, including Duncan Wong, Russell Yamaguchi, John Berlinsky, Tarik Thami, Clayton Horton, David Lucry, Rusty Wells, MC Yogi and Amanda Giacomini.[3][full citation needed][16]

Death

Schultz died of natural causes on February 27, 2011 in Toledo, Ohio.[2]

Legacy

Schultz is recognized as one of the creators of Power Yoga.[17][18] Schultz left behind a global network of yoga studios operating under his brand, It's Yoga, and teaching his Rocket Yoga.

Quotes

  • "Paper makes paper"
  • "Get on your mat"
  • "If you don't ask, you don't know"
  • "Good things come your way when you do the yoga. They just show up."
  • "You're doing great"
  • "MULA BANDHA!"
  • "Write it down"

Books and Videos

  • Ashtanga Out of the Box book and DVD series by Larry Schultz 1998
  • Rocket Vinyasa Yoga video in collaboration with David Kyle 1993
  • Schultz, Larry (2000). Ashtanga Yoga as taught by Shri K. Pattabhi Jois. San Francisco, CA: Nauli Press. ASIN B000E6XBKQ. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  • Rocket II DVD led by Larry Schultz 2006

Notes

  1. ^ "Iconic Bay Area Yoga Teacher Dies / Yoga Buzz / Yoga Blog / Yoga Journal". 2011-03-02. Retrieved 2011-04-13.
  2. ^ a b "Remember Larry". Retrieved 2011-04-29.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Tuesdays with Timji March 29, 2011
  4. ^ "The Mayor of Folsom St.: Larry Schultz," All Voices Magazine June 2009
  5. ^ Neems, Patrick (September 2007). Larry Schultz:Bad Man of Ashtanga Yoga, The Yoga Abum
  6. ^ Youtube Video: In loving memory of Larry Schultz-Rocket Man
  7. ^ Yoga Journal Magazine, Feb 1995, Power Yoga, Page 64
  8. ^ WelcomeDC: It’s Yoga Rocks DC!!! Oct 2010
  9. ^ Schultz, Larry (2000). Ashtanga Yoga as taught by Shri K. Pattabhi Jois. San Francisco, CA: Nauli Press. p. 4. ASIN B000E6XBKQ. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  10. ^ Turlington, Christy; Thurman, Robert A. F. (31 March 2005). Living Yoga: Creating a Life Practice. Penguin. ISBN 9780141011080. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  11. ^ [1] Yoga Journal, Yoga Journal, 2006.
  12. ^ de la Luna, Fantasma (2009-06-23). "The Mayor of Folsom St.: Larry Schultz:". Retrieved 2011-04-13.
  13. ^ "AsanaTM," Yoga Journal, Dec 2003, page 156
  14. ^ a b "Rocket Yoga. Get There Faster.," Absolutely Bangkok Feb 22, 2010
  15. ^ GoArticles: Larry Schultz 1950-2011 by Rihana
  16. ^ Yoga Journal, June 2011, Remembrance Rocket Man, page 30.
  17. ^ "AsanaTM," Yoga Journal, Dec 2003, page 156
  18. ^ "Yoga body: the origins of modern posture practice" by Oleh Mark Singleton,Page 176, ISBN 978-0195395341, Oxford University Press, USA (February 10, 2010)

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