Rod Stryker, 67: A Student to the End

Rod’s first experience with yoga wasn’t in a studio or during a workshop; it was alone in his apartment, with a yoga book, in 1979. For him, the experience was so profound that he sensed its positive impact right then and there. Intuitively, he knew the practice would lead him through the rest of his life—and it has. It has led him home to himself over and over again. Rod has become a pioneering figure in modern yoga, one of the world’s most influential teachers and educators, who has taught thousands of students and influenced countless teachers. Through his writings, workshops, and digital platforms, he continues to show up as both a teacher and student alike to carry out his mission: help others live more fulfilling, joyous, and purposeful lives.

From tapping into the expansiveness of Tantra yoga to delivering one of the most comprehensive meditation and yoga nidra apps, Sanctuary, to teaching classes across various platforms, Rod’s involvement with yoga and meditation is as deep as it is expansive. Yet, he would still say he is a naysayer. Such an ability to curiously and humbly engage with the practice is ultimately what keeps him open to the endless potential of yoga, himself, his place in the world, and his relationships, specifically the complex relationship between teacher and student.

“As long as we interact, there is always the potential for misunderstanding—even when we do our best,” says Rod. We humans are flawed. We’re imperfect, we’re easily distracted, our minds rarely live in the present. We’re bound for imperfection, always. But it’s in this state of imperfection where the true learning and knowing in life takes place, and practices like meditation and yoga can help us be kinder to ourselves and continue to journey on. It’s this work that ultimately guides us through the parts of ourselves that we may not understand, allowing us to show up in the world in ways that deeply connect us with others and ourselves.

How old are you?
Sixty-seven.

Where are you from and where are you currently based?
I grew up and lived in West Los Angeles for most of my first 40 years. I then moved to the mountains, just outside of Aspen to raise my four children, where we lived for nearly 20 years. I now live in Boise, Idaho.

You got into yoga at a young age, when not many people were doing it. What motivated you?
You’re not kidding. I began practicing in 1979—long before it was a “thing.” My motivation was most likely a spark that had been in me all along, that also led me to major in psychology and philosophy in college. I was always seeking to know myself and to understand life and its mysteries. Just when I was seriously questioning whether my studies were going to help me find what I was looking for, someone suggested I try yoga. Within a few moments of starting to read about it, it was speaking to me in ways that all my years of earnest seeking had not. My first experience with it—alone in my apartment, doing it out of a book—was so profound that I sensed that it could positively impact me for the rest of my life.

What’s one word that you’d use to describe your yoga practice when you first began?
Homecoming.

What’s the word you’d use to describe it now?
Homecoming still works, more than 40 years later.

There are many different schools of yoga, do you have a favorite? If so, why?
I could give a short answer, but I would prefer to provide some context first. The word yoga has become synonymous with asana practice—the physical action/exercise of engaging physical postures. It is true that many different approaches (schools) to the physical practice have come to the fore—some vigorous, others “hot;” some restorative, others requiring a high-level of physical fitness; some fluid with loud music, and others still very slow and deliberate. Having said that, however, there is only one actual yoga tradition.

For several thousand years, yoga had almost nothing to do with fitness or the body. Instead, yoga referred to a state of mind—more specifically, yoga was focused on a singular intention: Still the movement of mind—or, if you prefer, to make the mind fully present and aware.

The story behind this story is that you can do poses and not necessarily still your mind (experience the state of yoga); meanwhile, it is also possible to experience the state of yoga without necessarily doing any poses. Whatever the technique that leads to stilling the mind is yoga. If it does not address the quality of your attention, it’s not really yoga—according to the tradition. Why is that valuable? Because, when you are in the present, you are more effective, creative, more stable as well as capable; you might even become wiser and kinder. As to your original question, the school of yoga I favor (and teach) is Tantra yoga.

Tantra is a practice most people misunderstand. How would you describe it?
You’re so right. There is confusion about the word Tantra. It is a vast subject; I’ll be as brief as I can. The most common misconception about Tantra is that it’s about sex—perhaps sex and yoga or spiritual sex. That’s because the word was misappropriated. Tantra flowered from the 9th to 13th centuries. The word is the conjunction of two Sanskrit terms: Tan (“to stretch”) and tra (“beyond limitations”). Tantra has many definitions that include: “method,” “technique,” “body of knowledge,” and also refers to the feeling of awe or to have one’s heart touched.

Tantra consists of a massive compendium of various techniques and approaches intended to help us stretch past our limitations (physical, emotional, psychological, etc.) so we can experience the gift of life as fully as possible. That is where Tantra yoga comes in. Its emphasis is capturing the energetic potential of combining physical movement (asana), breathing, and many other techniques.

Having said that, there are many schools and approaches to Tantra, but the through line to all of them is to help us experience life as sacred, both inside and outside of us.

Yoga has its naysayers. What would you say to the critics?
Count me among the naysayers. The truth is that many of the things that made it possible for yoga to become so popular over the last 25 years was, if nothing else, reductionist! A new exercise fad, in many ways, the ’90s version of aerobics. The practice was relatively new in the West, so most people had little knowledge about yoga’s breadth and potential scope; so, our expectations were low of what it might offer. Also, there’s a challenge that it takes a truly knowledgeable and experienced teacher to convey the potential of yoga.

Nonetheless, people flocked to classes, most of which focused on a fraction—the proverbial tip of the iceberg—of yoga’s larger body of knowledge. Studios began churning out yoga teacher trainings and so it went…

The result, two decades later, is that yoga’s popularity is in decline, many yoga studios have closed, and those who were teaching it, having realized it was less than an ideal career, have moved on. In a rush to make it pop we lost many of its abiding principles and philosophical perspectives.

Yoga had been a time-tested, knowledge-based practice meant to address the body as much as the mind, breath and energy systems of the body—the efficacy of which has, in many instances, been corroborated by scientific research. For example, slowing the flow of your breath has an immediate effect on your nervous system. Sustaining that for even a few minutes helps regulate your heart rate and blood pressure and other physiological changes as well as how you feel and think. Next, mindfully coordinating smooth breathing with even the simplest movement, among other things, will increase the activity of your prefrontal cortex, shifting you away from distraction and toward effortless attention. You become more aware, more responsive, less reactive. You sense yourself thinking more clearly, you sleep better, your digestion is improved. You may discover solutions and answers to problems and questions that had previously eluded you.

Yoga can do all of this. It provides so many wonderful and vital benefits irrespective of age, gender, or religious belief. When understood and practiced methodically, in a way that meets your needs, yoga simply brings out the best in each of us.

Is there a particular teacher—yoga or otherwise—in your life who is important to you?
I had the great privilege of studying with extraordinary teachers—masters who helped me to understand—and eventually teach the full scope and life-changing potential of the practice. At this point, however, there is no greater teacher than life itself. As I wrote in my first book [The Four Desires: Creating a Life of Purpose, Happiness, Prosperity and Freedom], “Life is always teaching us who we are” (and who we are not). More and more, the practice has led me to trust my internal teacher, the voice of conscience—the inner teacher—that knows me better than even I know myself.

As a yoga teacher yourself, what has been the most memorable teaching experience for you—a time where the student became the teacher, perhaps?
I don’t think I’ve ever shared this before. Many years ago I was teaching in Dallas. It was the third day of a workshop. We were just breaking for lunch when some students approached to ask personal questions. I was hungry and tired. I wanted to be certain to get back on time. As the fifth person approached, I remember telling her that I needed to go to lunch and then I hoped I could answer her question after I got back. I thought I had done it politely and that I was exercising a healthy boundary. A couple weeks later, I heard through the grapevine that she had written me off as a teacher, that I was insensitive and arrogant. She then went on to post a review of my meditation CD, only to describe her version of our interaction and why she was giving the CD only one star. I was sad that I hurt her and that I could be so misunderstood. It taught me a lot. I felt like I had been sincere and caring; I had no intention to hurt her. But nonetheless I did. It taught me about the complexity of relationships in general, and the teacher-student relationship specifically.

Projection, especially in what appears to be clearly defined roles, is a real thing and, mostly, unavoidable. As long as we interact, there is always the potential for misunderstanding—even when we do our best. Meanwhile, know that intent and impact are invariably different. So, be sensitive and aware and kind. “Be a student to the end,” I say.

We find that there are people who are scared of meditation. How do you advise people who may be scared to try?
I don’t meet a lot of people who are scared; I meet many who are resistant. I often tell people that one of the things that makes meditation challenging, at least initially, is that the first experience of trying to meditate is often discovering how distracted you are. Instead of finding peace and tranquility, we experience pretty much the opposite.

Even lifelong meditators experienced it when they started and, to some degree, every time they meditate. This is actually a profound realization: Our mind spends almost no time in the present. This is the first step to becoming less distracted—of making better friends with your mind. Once you make peace with the fact that meditation doesn’t necessarily always make you peaceful, you will begin to have some ROI [return on investment]. Yes, the time you invest in meditating provides rewards and they’re not insignificant! A mind that is more present is less at the mercy of the past, less prone to being anxious about the future. It is more capable and creative and imaginative. It improves memory and overall cognition. Our minds are naturally distracted, perhaps, now more than ever. That’s why it may be more important than ever that we devote some time to meditating.

Practicing meditation, even for a short time, even if it feels like it’s a struggle, makes it easier and easier to access a state beyond thinking. You become more facile at directing your mind, you discover that behind your thoughts is a state of ease, clarity, and self-acceptance. The very action of trying to meditate teaches you to be more kind to yourself and to see and express the best in yourself.

What’s a good beginner meditation practice?
There may not be a more accessible and meaningful practice than watching your breath. Whether you choose to sit in a chair with your spine tall or to lie down on your back, just watch your body breathe. Within a few moments, you’ll notice something quite profound: your breath mirrors your mind. As your mind becomes more focused, your breath becomes more even, smooth and effortless. Typically, within a few minutes, as the mind becomes increasingly quiet, your breath becomes subtle, both your body and mind start to relax. You are moving toward your innate rhythm of peace and ease. Continue for as long as you like, but even just a few minutes can change your day.

Do you practice yoga or meditation with your family?
I have four children, they’re all familiar with both meditation and yoga. We have, at one time or another, meditated together, and I have led them through practices. They all believe in its value. However, I made it a point to never force them to do it. By now they’ve all learned that when they do practice, they feel better. They may not reach for it every day, as I do, but they are aware that they can use it as a resource whenever they find that they need the benefits that it uniquely offers.

Besides yoga and meditation, what do you do for fun?
Who said yoga and meditation were fun? I love both, but I think of neither when I think “fun”! Practically anything I do outdoors, or in nature, is fun. Surfing, running in the hills, hiking, cross-country skiing, time with my kids are all fun. Gardening gives me immense joy. I love to cook, particularly for people I love, and then there’s ceramics, a lifelong love; there is travel and practically anything to do with water: ocean, river, waterfall or lake.

What’s something new you recently tried that you were surprised you liked?
Recently, I tried golf—I liked it a lot more than I thought I would.

What’s been your most impactful travel experience?
Not sure if there is one… However, there was that very first time I traveled alone. I recall arriving in Amsterdam, standing outside the train station. I was 17. Then, it occurred to me: I was free. I could choose how I would spend the next week. I went to museums, concerts, spent time in the city’s amazing parks, made friends with strangers, sat in cafés, and walked and walked. It was an experience I’ll never forget.

What are your ambitions for the next five years?
Number one is to launch my two youngest (16-year-old twins) into university and into the world. Publish my manuscript on yoga nidra (yogic sleep) as well as two other books, of which most of the writing is done. Settle in another part of the world—first figure out where. Lastly, continue to provide meaningful resources that people can benefit from and to keep building solid and nurturing relationships.

What are your three life nonnegotiables (the things you can’t live without)?
Meditation. Time in nature. Curiosity.

Editor’s Note: Some answers may have been condensed and edited for clarity.

Connect With Rod Stryker:
Website / YouTube / Instagram (@rodstrykerofficial)

Books: The Four Desires: Creating a Life of Purpose, Happiness, Prosperity and Freedom & The Four Desires Workbook

Cover photo by Alexi Ahrling