Salt Lake City | Healthy

So You Found Peace Through Yoga—Here's Why the Practice Doesn't Stop There

A trip to Salt Lake City reminds YJ ambassador Brandon Spratt of how one teacher’s goodwill transformed his life.

YJ ambassador Brandon Spratt was homeless for a year, until a yoga teacher introduced him to the practice and get back on his feet. Now, visiting Yoga for People founder Santosh Maknikar in Salt Lake City, he remembers why it’s necessary for teachers and students to practice seva (yoga service).

Live Be Yoga ambassadors Lauren Cohen and Brandon Spratt are on a road trip across the country to sit down with master teachers, host free local classes, and so much more—all to illuminate the conversations pulsing through the yoga community today.

Before I dive into my experience with Yoga for People and Santosh Yoga Institute Santosh Maknikar in Salt Lake City, I have to share a short story about my spiritual teacher and guide, Priya Jain. It will all come full circle at the end, so, please, stay with me.

For about a year in 2014, I was homeless. (You can read more about that here.) I was living on a beach when a strange and synchronistic series of events transpired. I met a woman on the beach, who recommended that I visit Seventh Chakra Yoga, a Kundalini Yoga studio in Huntington Beach, California. I’d never even heard of Kundalini Yoga before. But a voice within—a whisper in my heart that was clear and firm—told me I had to go there. At the time I was completely confused about what I was going to do to get out of my situation, so receiving any intuitive guidance was a blessing. So, I listened and made my way to Seventh Chakra Yoga.

An Aura of Devotion

Walking up to the studio, I remember that my heart was racing, and I …