We can’t wait to introduce our new Brand Warrior, the awesome, Marc Laws ii, 36 year old family-loving ‘Citizen of the World’, who has played professional football, travelled the Globe and now resides in London as a yoga teacher with a sports therapy background.
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Marc Laws ii.…tell us about Marc Laws ii (do you know Marc Laws i?) and why you choose to use Marc Laws ii?
Haha my dad is Marc Laws I. I was named after him. I'm honored!
Your family is important to you – tell us about your roots and your journey to London
I love my family deeply...My dad is African American from California and my mom Ukraine and Native American - Ojibwa from Ottawa
My father traveled with work and my parents were living in the U.K., then we moved to Ottawa, then Los Angeles and settled in Albuquerque, New Mexico. With all the moves for me, I ended up with tri-citizenship.
Playing football in England is a pretty amazing achievement…how did you get there and do you still have the opportunity to play football?
I had trials at Nottingham Forest, Notts County and Mansfield Town before playing for Mansfield Town reserves, East Town and Ilkeston Town in England. To have most things in life first we have to dream/visual it, then we have to believe it, then comes dedication to the cause... From there anything is possible.
You are a qualified sports therapist, can you tell us what this entails? Do you still practice as a sports therapist?
A day as a therapist was wonderful. I was in the business of helping people feel better. If there is an element of problem solving and the power of listening... to words, body language and the underlying. I no longer practice as a sports therapist per se. Currently yoga is my medium for holding a space for self discovery, healing and much more... the knowledge and experience I've gained as a Sports Therapist will always be apparent.
Who Introduced you to yoga and why did you decide to become a yoga teacher?
I would say I had a few introductions to yoga and I'll have plenty more. As in, my first class I thought, "ah, good for stretching." Years later, "good for balance, strength and breathing for my soccer/football practice". Then a few years ago I was introduced (or my mind was ready) to the philosophy, limbs and the art of living yoga. I went from seeing just the physical side to seeing the benefits for the soul, mind, and body. As for a teacher... a friend of mine took me to a yoga class during which I vowed to study the art of yoga for the next 10 years at least. Even though I had absolutely no plans to teach, this seed for teaching grew and eventually blossomed. It's one of those amazing things never dreamed of that brings so much fulfillment and joy.
The life of a yoga teacher seems to come hand in hand with travelling…clearly a passion of yours. Which corners of the Globe has yoga taken you to…and where is next?
The joy of traveling is meeting all the beautiful people, the global relationships we foster and how loving the majority of people are... From all over Europe, South, North America and Asia. It's amazing to see how much yoga is growing around the world and a people level that we all want the same thing. To be happy and free. LOVE
You played an important role in getting the Yoga Connects festival off the ground – now one of the most popular yoga festivals in the UK, can you tell us more about how it has since progressed.
The beauty of Yoga Connects is that is creates a magical space for like minded people to connect, support one another, to share the arts of spirituality and yoga and have FUN. It's been amazing to watch it grow and it may look to grow outside of the U.K. Kudos to the team behind the scenes for giving their time to create such a space
Tattoos often feature in the yoga world. You have some interesting tattoos in some interesting places…can you tell us about your favourite one?
This one not many people know about. I have a tattoo on the inside of my arm that says "Life is Good". It's about the things I learned from my visits to Madeira as I used to go there for 2-3 times a year. One of the stories was about a man that I met my first visit there. He used to be the darling of the village he lived in and the captain of his fishing boat. They are away at sea for 3-12 months. One day the captain came back from his fishing expedition and he was different. Some things he saw during his travels became a door he fell through into darkness/depression/lost hope. He turned to drinking, disrespecting his family, became the village dunce and his former self was a mere shadow. Everyone left him and gave up on him.... except his son. I saw the captain get worse over the years. Then, on my last visit... 5 years after my first meeting of the captain. The captain did a 180. A completely changed man, clean, not drinking, he had friends again and you could see his spirit shining again. It was the relentlessness and his son's unconditional love that brought him back... "Life is Good" is a reminder of a state of mind, the ultimate powers of UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, living free and so many more stories...
What is next on the agenda for Marc Laws ii?
More traveling, sharing yoga and learning yoga around the world. Learn about and see more sustainable communities, houses and permaculture. Maybe a documentary series...
Finally, please can you leave the Warrior Addict community with some Marc Laws ii Words of Wisdom?
A quote I love to revisit and ponder if I'm living my best self.
"I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration, I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, and a person is humanized or de-humanized. If we treat people as they are, we make them worse. If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they are capable of becoming." Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
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