From Golden Glove Boxer to Yogi

CREDENTIALS: Bachelor of Science Degree in Exercise Science from Oakland University. Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). Yoga Alliance Certified E-RYT 500 Yoga Teacher Trainer. Certified Master Sound Healer Practitioner from Meditate: School of Mindfulness. Certified Breathwork Instructor, most recently completing the Life Awareness Breathwork Instructor Course. Oxygen Advantage-Advanced Instructor. Certified Qigong Teacher- QTT-200

TOMMY MACK is a highly regarded and sought-after Yoga Alliance certified vinyasa yoga teacher and Yoga Teacher Trainer (E-RYT 500) in the metro Detroit area. With over 20 years experience in physical training and exploring the mind-body connection along with over 12 years experience teaching yoga, Tommy fulfilled his lifelong dream of opening his own yoga space, PRACTICE YOGA STUDIO, in March 2019.

BACKGROUND

After competing as a Golden Glove Boxer, Tommy spent over 10 years working with clients in the fitness industry before embarking on his yoga teaching career in 2010. He began his yoga teaching career under the direction of Brian Granader at Red Lotus Yoga in Rochester, Michigan. Tommy has taught yoga full time since 2010 in the Metro Detroit area, has taught special events and workshops all over the Country, retreats including Costa Rica, and opened Practice Yoga Studio in March 2019. Tommy has lead numerous Yoga Alliance certified Yoga Teacher Training (RYT 200) programs and also works to help provide mentoring for other yoga teachers as well. Tommy continues to study with master teachers from around the world learning from various disciplines and styles of yoga, pranayama, breath work, sound healing, meditation, Qigong, and more.

TEACHING STYLE

As a teacher, Tommy has a well-earned reputation as a patient, compassionate and inspirational yoga teacher with an uplifting style of teaching and approachable personality.  He is also widely recognized as having a gifted ability to create dynamic and transformative vinyasa flow sequences that set his classes apart and make them sought-after classes on any schedule. Tommy's classes emphasize a series of dualities, in the spirit of honoring the balances of life: strength + flexibility, intensity + compassion, energy + calm, movement + stillness, inhale + exhale. Classes are both therapeutic and challenging, awakening the healing power of breath to allow the body and mind to find true balance thru the fluidity of movement. Tommy brings an abundance of energy to each class and is able to effortlessly connect with each student, regardless of age, gender, or physical fitness level.  Students are nurtured in a way that helps them build confidence and grace on the mat while pursuing their own limitless boundaries. His training as an athlete gives him an innate understanding of the physicality of the mind-body connection allowing him to safely make the necessary adjustments to help students customize postures to best fit their limitations. Tommy's genuine love of yoga and sharing the benefits of a yoga practice is evident from the first class you take with him. 

In January 2020, Tommy became a certified Master Sound Healer Practitioner further deepening the mind-body connection. He is passionate about incorporating the healing benefits of sound therapy into the class offerings at his studio. He often hosts Sound Bath workshops and incorporates the soothing sounds of the gong and crystal singing bowls into his classes during the finishing resting time.

HIS VISION FOR HIS STUDIO

Supportive. Authentic. Kind. Compassionate. Genuine. At PRACTICE YOGA STUDIO, everything we do is a direct reflection of the vision Tommy has for what a yoga studio should offer its community of students. Tommy has created a warm and welcoming yoga community that reflects his vision of fostering the individual potential in everyone allowing yoga to be more accessible to all levels of students regardless of age and fitness level. He fundamentally believes that a well rounded yoga practice goes beyond just the typical Slow Flow and Hot Vinyasa classes that are readily found at many yoga studios in the area.  As a direct reflection of this belief, his studio offers a comprehensive and wide variety of classes at differing degrees of difficulty, from fully guided classes to classes with varying amounts of flow on your own time, to allow students to progress at their own pace, build stronger foundations, and find a more well balanced yoga practice for the mind and body. The studio offers Practice Flow, Practice +, Power Flow, Hot Flow, Flow + Let Go, and Restorative Yin classes on a daily and weekly basis. In addition, meditation and pranayama, restorative practices, as well as courses exploring the deeper roots of yoga are integrated into the mix of things at Practice. In Asana classes, Proper alignment is valued as a necessary base for students to grow in postures with hands-on adjustments offered to students granting permission to adjust and opportunities to participate in foundational alignment workshops are regularly scheduled. Props are encouraged and never frowned upon. Practice Yoga Studio allows students of all levels to have more of an opportunity to better enjoy the benefits of yoga and build a stronger, more well-balanced foundation for their individual practice goals.  To further support his cornerstone belief that good quality yoga should be accessible to everyone in the community, since opening its doors, his studio has offered a free community class once a week open to anyone wanting to enjoy the benefits of a yoga practice.

a little bit about PRACTICE FLOW

As a direct response to Tommy feeling that there was strong need for a fully guided vinyasa flow class, Practice Yoga Studio has always offered its signature Practice Flow class and is one of the few vinyasa studios in our area to offer a fully guided vinyasa flow class option. Tommy created his Practice Flow class from start to finish with the same fixed-set primary posture sequence taught in every class with the specific purpose of working 100% of the body to give beginner and advanced students alike an opportunity to build a stronger foundational base for their yoga practice. You can only find this class at Practice Studio Yoga.

AROUND TOWN

Tommy is often in demand and asked to host workshops at various studios, both locally and nationally, along with leading many large-scale community yoga events.  Tommy is always happy to share his love of yoga through workshops, special events, private sessions, group classes, and retreats. 

TAKE A CLASS WITH TOMMY

Take a class with Tommy: view class schedule

Contact: tommy@practiceyogastudios.com

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