That time I met a real-life Action Hiro

I finally participated in my first yoga workshop. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for ages, but I’ve let stress, fear of the unknown, or social anxiety talk me out of going.

A year or two ago, I would have found the workshop and gotten all excited about it. Then my mind would have started going over the logistics of fitting a 2.5-hour class into my busy weekend and traveling in Seattle traffic to a new yoga studio, where parking would be hard to come by and I wouldn’t know a single person. Just thinking about it would have been overwhelming. And if I couldn’t find a friend to go with me, I would have backed out, making an excuse to myself that sounded reasonable: “Oh, I have too much going on that day. I’ll make it to the next one.”

Is that the sort of person I want to be? No way. Life is too short to let the discomfort of stepping outside my comfort zone stop me from doing what’s important to me.

And in this case, I would have missed out on valuable insights about my yoga practice—and meeting a real-life Action Hiro!

A chance to meet a Hiro

Action Hiro and momo at Seattle Yoga Lounge.

I recently started following Hiro Landazuri, aka Action Hiro, on Instagram. When I saw that this LA-based yogi was making the trip to Seattle to teach some master classes, I didn’t hesitate to sign up!

Hiro takes a different approach to yoga. Rather than practicing the same poses over and over and over again as typically taught, he believes there’s a more efficient way to master them.

This caught my attention. I’ve been working on arm balances and inversions for years. Sure, I can manage to hold a pose for a second or two, but not longer than that and I struggle to transition in and out of it. Despite my efforts, this area of my practice hasn’t progressed.

Action Hiro to the rescue

Hiro has an interesting background in medicine. In the workshop, he translated his deep understanding of anatomy to the yoga mat. We learned conditioning exercises that build the foundational strength and stability necessary to master more advanced poses.

Maybe that sounds on the serious side, but the workshop was far from it! Hiro is as funny, inspiring, and friendly in person as he is on Instagram. He brought an openness and playfulness to the class that made it fun and invited us all to explore the movement with curiosity and an open heart and mind.

I learned a lot about my own practice. I didn’t realize I collapse my chest in planks or that I have a general tendency to flare out my lower ribs. I need to work on keeping my core tight and engaged. He also gave me some tips to avoid hyperextending my shoulders in down dog.

Finding contentment with where I am today

My biggest breakthrough was in shavasana, the final resting pose of the class. Hiro asked us to envision our ideal version of ourselves. I struggled to picture what my ideal self would look like, where I’d be, and what I’d be doing. Then it hit me. I don’t want to be anyone and anywhere else. Cheesy, I know.

I am far from perfect, but over the past couple years, I’ve made a concerted effort to be the person I want to be and live the life I want to lead—that’s how I made it to the workshop in the first place! While I have a long way to go, I’m proud of the steps I’ve taken. I don’t know where I’ll end up, though I’m grateful to be in motion.

The workshop was a great experience on so many levels! I’m excited to take what I learned and incorporate it into my yoga practice. Yogis, you’re probably already following Hiro, but if not, check out his Instagram and YouTube channel.

Hiro, thank you for your help during the master class! Please come back to Seattle again soon.