Meet Dennis Hunter
1- In less than a minute, tell us who you are and why we keep hearing good things about you.
I'm a longtime meditation teacher with a strong interest in the esoteric and philosophical underpinnings of the Yoga tradition. In my lifetime I've explored many flavors of spiritual seeking, from Christianity to Wicca to Judaism to Catholicism to Kabbalah to Buddhism to Yoga.
I was a monk for two years at a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in a remote part of Canada, and I published two books on meditation and Buddhist philosophy. I've also been reading Tarot cards for 37 years, and my "Clark Kent" personality where none of these things are obvious is working as a creative director in the world of advertising.
2- What inspired you, if any, to join the Warrior Flow 200-Hour Yoga Training’s faculty?
I've been collaborating for years with Adrian and Jeremie (the three of us are partners in the business of Warrior Flow TV). I've co-led numerous 200-hour yoga teacher trainings with Adrian, as well as several self-contained trainings in trauma-informed yoga and mindfulness.
What draws me to be part of this training again is its intentional focus on inclusivity and making the traditional teachings of yoga more relevant to the pluralistic, democratic, multicultural world we live in now.
3- In simple words, what does yoga mean to you?
Yoga is a technology for synchronizing body, mind, and spirit so we can live in better alignment with our truest selves and and in greater harmony with each other.
4- What is the main difference between learning yoga now and when you took your first yoga training?
There was no such thing as learning yoga or meditation online when I began. Online learning was in its infancy, at best.
5- In your opinion, why is this a key moment in time to learn yoga?
The problems facing us at a global, communal, and even sometimes at a personal level seem to have never been greater (though it helps to study history to understand that this may not be objectively true -- even a couple of centuries ago, people died of disease, warfare, etc. at much younger ages than we do today). But there is tremendous hope for us still. Yoga and mindfulness and opening to the spiritual dimension of our beings may help us pull back from the precipice of mass extinction of life on earth.
6- Who would you be without yoga?
Lost and alone and confused.
7- Who were your role models? And what pushed you to learn and become who you are today?
Adyashanti. Mooji. Ani Pema Chödrön. Chögyam Trungpa.
8- What were the pivotal roadblocks and challenges you encountered along the way that helped you define your path?
Remembering to prioritize practice and self-care in the relentless, forward rush of life, work, family, social obligations, etc.
9- What can we all do right now to make this world a better place?
Forget about what you want and what you think will make you happy. Focus on how you can be of service and how you can best apply your talents to help the world. It doesn't have to be a Mother Teresa or Gandhi sort of thing. It could be as simple as looking at your existing family and work relationships. How might those relationships change if I started to think a little bit less of me and getting what I need from them, and start thinking a little more of them and how I can help them and make them happy?