#90 – Keen on Yoga Podcast with Govinda Kai

Govinda Kai has studied and dedicated himself to martial arts,
meditative disciplines and yoga for over 20 years.


At the age of 30, Govinda discovered the practice of Ashtanga
vinyasa yoga and immediately fell in love with the practice. He
is one of the select individuals in the world who are certified
to teach the Ashtanga Yoga Method by its founder, Sri K. Pattabhi
Jois.


In 1995, Govinda made his first trip to Mysore, India to practice
with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. From 1995 to 2015, Govinda made over
20 trips to Mysore to practice Ashtanga, with each trip lasting
an average of 3-4 months.


He is of Japanese-American descent, born and raised in the San
Francisco Bay Area in California. From a very young age, Govinda
took a passionate interest in meditation, yoga and spiritual
philosophy.


Govinda’s father, Edward Yamaguchi, was a highly respected
practitioner and teacher of martial arts (he held a high ranking
in both Judo and Aikido) and like Govinda, nurtured a strong
attraction to spirituality and philosophy from a very young age.
Govinda began the practice of martial arts while in high school
and began yoga, meditation, and devotional chanting at age 18,
studying with respected teachers such as Swami Muktananda and
Sogyal Rimpoche.


Govinda’s father died of colon cancer at the age of 49 years old,
when Govinda was only 16. The passing of his father affected
Govinda deeply and inspired him to begin reading books on
spirituality and meditation at the age of 16.


After university, Govinda considered becoming a Buddhist monk,
but was advised by his teacher Sogyal Rimpoche to enter into a
more worldly career. Thus, Govinda became a practicing
professional in the area of real estate, all the while still
devoting much of his time to spiritual practice.


He is currently teaching in Bellingham, Washington state and you
can find him at @govindakai


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