Inspirational Indiyogi, Dave D'Andrea

Indigo Yoga’s “Indiyogi in the Spotlight”

Dave D'Andrea

We’d like to introduce our Inspirational Indiyogi, Dave D’Andrea. If you’ve taken a class next to Dave, then you’ve probably already had a conversation with this super friendly, talkative, outgoing guy! Dave came in to Indigo Yoga just over a year ago at the age of 53 and has truly transformed into a different person since we’ve known him! We joke that since we’ve met Dave he’s become half the person he was but twice as awesome because he was once 365 pound and is now only 20 pound away from HALF THAT SIZE! He is looking leaner, healthier, and happier than ever before!

Dave spent most of his adult life in Engineering and High Tech Marketing. “He was always involved in really interesting things such as fiber optic or computers. My other career choice would have been a Youth Pastor so this has led to a rather interesting personality type. So I am a engineer who ended up a Marketing Director but I also taught almost 600 Senior High Sunday School classes as well. “

“I thank God every day for a spiritual awakening that began in June of 1981. It was at that point that I began the practices of prayer, fasting, and scripture reading. My journey has not always been consistent but clearly no matter what comes my way in life I have been full of joy and deep inner peace. It has been said of me that the only thing consistent about me is that I will change. At this point I am experimenting with the connection between the physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental aspects of myself. Yoga and nutrition have become major components on my journey during this phase. In just a year I have taken over 200 classes at Indigo Yoga. The wonderful sense of community at Indigo and the practice of Yoga has aided me on a very difficult part of my life’s journey. While learning Yoga I was the primary care giver for my dad who recently moved to the next life.”

There’s a lot to know and to love about Dave. Dave likes EVERYTHING! He’s a real outdoorsman and if there’s anything thrilling about it, he likes it… Motorcycles, jet skis, cross county skiing, theater, symphony, Yoga, hiking, swimming, working out, church, singing (at the top of my lungs), laughing, joking, kayaking, boating, holding hands, deep conversation, and learning new things. “When I take a class or learn something new I always sit as close to the front as possible. I always dive in head first except when I cliff dive. Life is a journey and I embrace it.”

Dave is one of those people who says it like it is and usually adds a little joke in, but what he says always has a very special and deep meaning. “I get up every day, get on my knees and thank God that I am still alive and that my knees don’t hurt.” Dave has had some extremely serious health problems in his past and suffered from morbid obesity. “I almost died twice from blood clots that went to my lungs and I am also thankful just to breath. As I seek to be 100% healed in mind and body Yoga has been such a big part of this journey. In this case the Yoga community of Indigo Yoga and the strong sense of love, acceptance, community has helped in my healing.”

Dave started practicing Yoga about 18 months ago in a small class or two a week at his gym until his gym thencancelled Yoga classes and the instructor recommended another studio. “I tried that studio for about a month or so. I enjoyed both of those but I really did not take to Yoga as a life practice. That happened when I found the Indigo Yoga family last November. Classes like wall Yoga really help me find my way as I crashed into things like Miriam, the wall, or the floor.” (Just a side note – I think this is the third time an Inspirational Indiyogi has brought up either crashing into or wanting to be like Miriam… she is clearly a “supportive” inspiration too!) “The sense of encouragement not only from the instructors but also from the others in class was truly inspirational. The sense of love and acceptance from everyone is almost overwhelming. Even though I grow up in the area I moved away over 20 years ago and I am just here to care for my parents. The support of Indigo Yoga made that possible.”

“Yoga to me really is a great practice but for me Yoga without Indigo Yoga is just mechanics of the mind, body, and spirit. Indigo Yoga helped me make the connection to a sense of well-being. A true community were I was accepted and inspired. This happened while living 350 miles from home and daily caring for my terminally ill father. Indigo Yoga became an Oasis for me.”

We asked Dave what his mantra is during his yoga practice and he says his focus is on his connection between mind and body. Dave always has an interesting way of thinking about things and is great at putting his perspective into words to make you think about things a little differently- “A while back I realized that my body has sensors for various things such has discomfort or temperature. I want my mind to take in the input but not to be influenced by them unless it is appropriate. I don’t have to say I am freezing when I feel the cold. When I am in a pose there is a clear difference between discomfort and pain. Discomfort I can breath through pain I cannot. As I progress I’m learning to use breathing and variations of poses both on and off the mat. My favorite is doing a modified Cat Cow while riding a Harley or deep belly breathing while in NJ traffic.”

We hope you have found Dave as interesting as we do… next time you see him, be sure to say hello, give him a high five, give him a hug, and strike up a conversation… there’s still a lot more to learn about this man!

Finally, we will leave you with Dave’s two favorite mantras which both come from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians and they are both in chapter 4.

1) Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

2) I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.