Dan is a full-time yoga teacher based in the UK who aims to help people find balance in their lives through his focus on the physical and mental benefits of health and fitness. We sat down with him to find out more, and to ask some nosey questions.
“I remember my parents taking me to my first karate class when I was 3 years old, which was where my health and fitness journey probably began. Ever since I've always been involved in lots of different physical activities. Internal and external health is important to me, and my love for it has continued to grow creating a space for me to find clarity and focus. Yoga combined the love I had for developing physically and mentally, stripping away all of the “stuff” that seemed to get in the way. My focus on health, fitness and yoga has allowed me to build a strong, mobile and physically capable body, and allowed me to understand myself on a deeper level. As much as I love movement and physical activity, I also love to chill out. And as much as I love to fuel my body with nutritiously dense and whole foods, sometimes I like a little junk food! It’s all about striking a balance that works for you.”
Favourite Innermost products, and why?
The Strong Protein. Strength training plays a huge part in my training week-to-week, and this blend helps keep my internal vitality in check - beneficial for when I’m in the gym as I train, and also as I recover between workouts. The Detox Booster. My teaching schedule is full of late evenings and early mornings, and I always seem to be on the go. This is a great product as it helps support my general well-being, vitality and immunity. Keeping me fit and healthy throughout my week.
What's your hustle?
I’m on a journey to help others discover their true selves. I’m currently a full-time yoga teacher, and training to become a transformational coach. I don’t think the journey will stop here. I have visions to combine these qualifications, and to transition into bigger things... watch this space.
What does #liveinnermost mean to you?
To me, it's about coming to truly understand yourself - your needs, your wants, your desires, your dreams. Then choosing to be unapologetic, and authentic in living the life you wish to lead. Living a life that aligns fully with your core identity, with your true values - without concern for what others may think or feel about it
What do you do to maintain a healthy lifestyle?
I teach roughly 16-22 hours a week of yoga and movement. This in itself keeps me moving a bunch! I also do my own personal strength and mobility training on top of that - a mix of yoga, calisthenics, mobility training and olympic lifting roughly three to five times a week. I also do asana (physical yoga postures), meditate, and do pranayama (breathing practices) daily. Nutrition and diet also plays a large part in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I eat a varied diet of nutritious whole foods, get six to eight hours sleep a night minimum, and drink plenty of water.
Usual breakfast?
Starter: Grapefruit, tangerine or figs, and a smoothie with plenty of fibre. Main: Two or three eggs (poached, fried or scrambled) with a whole avocado mashed with raw red onion, a couple cloves of garlic, and some diced cherry tomatoes finished with a side of some lightly cooked beetroot. Drink: Water. Plenty of it.
What's your happy place?
Cornwall - as close to Land's End as you can get. I have so many fond and nostalgic memories of being there. From way back when building sand castles right up to last summer, sat at the pub with my family in the sun enjoying a cool drink overlooking the sea. It's a place I return to regularly, and it feels like home. In fact, its been too long since my last trip...
Who or what motivates you?
There are so many people that motivate me, the list would be very long. I think it’s so important that we're also able to motivate ourselves, for ourselves - and this is something I’m practicing daily. Whenever I struggle with motivation, I remind myself why it is that I’m doing what I’m doing. I remind myself of the purpose. And I try to find greatness in the moment. This may not happen 100% of the time, and thats fine - all that matters, is getting back on track when I stumble.
Book currently on your bedside table?
I currently have two books on my bedside table. "The obstacle is the way" by Ryan Holiday and "Inner Engineering: A yogis guide to joy" by Jaggi Vasudev. Both amazing reads - I couldn’t recommend them highly enough!
Current fitness goal?
Currently I’m working towards a few things - full planche, one arm pull-ups, and a one arm handstand. These are ongoing projects, and have been for a while. They are requiring me to master patience but I’m really loving the challenge. And I’m absorbing everything that I’m learning about myself and the skills themselves along the way.
Where do you see yourself in three years? Be bold!
Developing my business "dcmlifestyle" on a larger scale - combining yoga, coaching, therapy, physical therapy and holistic development. I then aim to use my experience in these skills to create various workshops, trainings and retreats across the globe. My hope is to build a community of like-minded individuals that I can collaborate with to bring this vision to life.
Need some more of Dan? Check him out on Instagram (@dcmlifestyle) and his website (www.dcmlifestyle.com).
