Larry Payne, PhD, is one of the founders of the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT), a professional organization of Yoga therapists holding their third annual conference this March, the Symposium on Yoga Therapy and Research (SYTAR). A Yoga therapist himself, he founded the Samata Yoga Center in Los Angeles and spearheads the Yoga therapy program at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. His accomplishments and accolades are far too long to list here, but his most recent was receiving the first Yoga Month teacher award, presented by Michele Bohbot of Bisou Bisou at the September, 2008, Global Mala in Los Angeles. Larry Payne recently discussed this honor and the art of teaching.
FMT: How did it feel to be recognized by your community?
Richard Miller, PhD, Rama Jyoti Vernon, & Larry Payne
LP: For people like us who are totally dedicated to what we’re doing, there’s no greater honor. There are many teachers it could be, and I’m hoping each year we get to expand upon this.
FMT: When Michele Bohbot presented the award, she spoke about the influence you had on her life, a larger influence than you ever knew. This seems to happen often with Yoga teachers who may say or do something and you may never know the impact.
LP: People like myself who are full-time Yoga teachers didn’t go into it to make a ton of money. We have a desire to serve. Many, like myself, had something to overcome and Yoga was the path out, then you become someone who teaches from experience. When you do something you love that’s also in service, that’s a big deal, then the award is even sweeter. When Michele came to me, she was in acute pain and I told her to go to someone else, an acute specialist, but then I helped her after that. I have a lot of people call me and say, “I’ve been recommended to you, I can’t walk.” Most people who have serious musculoskeletal problem certainly benefit from a team since they don’t get these things overnight. I just wanted to help and five years later she gets up on the stage and says, “You didn’t know this but…”
FMT: Did you have a personal New Year’s resolution this year?
LP: My resolution is to never forget about my personal practice. I asked Desikachar once, “Does it count if you’re teaching four to five classes a day?” He said, “Absolutely not.” You’re giving rather than brining in and recharging. Even fifteen minutes of personal practice makes a difference. I also think one of the most underestimated Yoga poses is savasana (final relaxation). I used to dismiss the information about a long savasana, but you need a good fifteen to twenty minutes. It takes almost twenty minutes for the heart to shift its rhythm.
FMT: What advice would you give teachers on how to better be of service?
LP: When I changed from being a full-time advertising executive to being a full-time Yoga teacher, I took a trip around the world and visited Yoga teachers. One of the people I visited was the author of the first book ever given to me, Yoga and Health, a man named Yesudian who had a spiritual marriage with Elisabeth Haich, the author of Initiation. They lived in Zurich, and I visited them and I asked, “What is the way I can help people most?” He said, “It’s very clear, be a good example. In everything you do: how you live your live, how you treat other people, in what you say to people.” It stuck with me. Be a good example. That’s what I try to do. That’s what all of us can do.
Yoga Month: yogamonth.com
IAYT: iayt.org
SYTAR: sytar.org
Larry Payne: samata.com
By Felicia M. Tomasko, RN
