Yoga
“Wei-Ming seems to approach life with the mind of a scientist, but the heart of a yogi.”
– Natalie Crandall, Professional dancer and fitness instructor
Yoga to support you
Yoga, though literally translated as “to yoke” or “to unite,” has many nuanced definitions. Stilling the mind. Living in the Now. A state of equilibrium.
Regardless of pre-existing meaning, yoga is truly a mirror. Depending on you and your intention, yoga can be spacious or narrow, a workout or transcendent.
I love the expression of human movement. Drawing from diverse disciplines including climbing, dance, martial arts, calisthenics, and endurance sport, my classes are rooted in a thorough understanding of how the body moves through space. Expect practice with me to be approachable with the option to push yourself.
We are more than bodies. As such, my group classes take a multidimensional approach. Asana are complemented with mental and spiritual guidance without being heavy-handed.
Upcoming Workshops/Events
Breathing Basics: Slowly, Calmly, Deeply, Regularly
Need some instant calm? A little more ease? Look no further than the breath.
Combining scientific understanding of biology and yogic pranayama, this foundational level workshop equips you with functional, efficient, and healthy breathing techniques.
You’ll learn how you can utilize simple breathing habits to:
Navigate stress and challenges
Gain awareness of and influence over emotions
Increase immunity
The workshop is accessible for anyone, regardless of if you have done breath work or not. We will spend parts of the class lying on the floor or seated supported by cushions. If you need other accommodations, please communicate with the studio team ahead of the workshop and we will do our best to support you!
Requirements:
Ability to breathe through the nose
When & Where
Click the studio name to register!
8 Limbs Phinney Ridge | Sunday September 14 | 5:30 - 7:00pm | Members: $30 Non-Members: $35
Bouldering Project Poplar | October 5 | 3:00 - 4:30pm | Members $30 Non-Members $60 (Registration TBA)
Columbia City Yoga | November 9 | 11:30am - 1:30pm | $40 (Registration TBA)
Laughter Yoga: A Practice of Joy For No Reason
Reclaim your birthright to grin 😁, smile 😇, LOL 🤣 and guffaw 😜.
Have you noticed? Have you felt it? Where did joy go?
It seems like our zeitgeist is characterized by being perpetually on the edge of being angry, indignant, or sorrowful.
Understandably so… With the world’s suffering just a screen away, the barriers to joy can feel overwhelming, and the caring heart despairs. It could even feel inappropriate to be joyful while others are hurting... Joy, however, is a source of inner resilience that allows us to respond to life with fortitude. Indeed, if we want to sustainably take positive action to help ourselves or others, we must deliberately cultivate joy not just as a salve to the aching heart, but as a courageous act of strength and stand for peace.
In a multi-modal session combining instruction, playful Laughter Yoga exercises, and guided meditation, we’ll ground into joy as an innate way of embodied living - not as a state to achieve through external circumstances.
As beloved Thich Nhat Hanh taught: “There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.”
Pre-Requiste:
Willingness to smile and be silly!
Investment
$20 drop-in class / included in membership or punch card use
When & Where
October 17 | 6:30 - 7:30pm
November 14 | 6:30 - 7:30pm
December 12 | 6:30 - 7:30pm
Foundations of Yoga Philosophy
Yoga is much more than physical postures. You’ve probably felt this when walking away from a class feeling more calm, centered, or grounded than when you walked in. Or maybe regular yoga classes help you stay more resilient and equanimous in your day-to-day life. If you’ve felt that impact, and are curious to learn more about yoga and how it can support you, read on.
Foundations of Yoga Philosophy is designed to enrich your understanding of yoga through an exploration of the philosophy that underpins this 5000+ year old science.
We’ll begin with examining yoga as a holistic practice that can even be a way of life. Subsequent classes will unpack key concepts that build progressively such as:
Abhyasa and Vairagya (Practice and non-attachment)
Viveka Khyati (Discriminating perception)
Kriya (Creative action or motion)
Sadhana (Practice or discipline performed regularly)
Class time is meant to be interactive - not a purely lecture style delivery of information. At times you’ll be invited to share your own insights or observations of how the material is coming alive for you. These opportunities to share can help “land the learning” and deepen everyone’s understanding.
We’ll meet the first 4 Wednesday evenings in October on Zoom from 7-8pm (October 1, 8, 15, 22).
Disclaimer:
It’s impossible to address the subject of yoga in a meaningful way without inclusion of what lies beyond our limited physical reality. While there is no requirement for students to be aligned with any faith or have a religious affiliation, we ask that students who register be open to language like: supreme consciousness, intelligence beyond our understanding, God, higher power, manifest/unmanifest world etc.
When & Where
Online - Zoom
7-8pm
First 4 Wednesdays in October (1, 8, 15, 22)
Classes will not be recorded. If you miss a class, you are encouraged to book a 1x1 make-up with Wei-Ming on a donation basis to cover the material you missed.
Registration is sliding scale. Please choose the rate that works best for you: $54 / $81 / $108
My Lineage:
Whatever understanding of yoga I have, I owe to the phenomenal teachers who have guided me over the last 16 years.
I’m grateful to have been under the inspired tutelage of Anton Mackey and Lisa Cohen as lead instructors for my 200-hour yoga teacher training program in Phoenix, Arizona.
Lorilee Gillmore’s expertise in ayurveda, yoga’s sister science of holistic wellness, has continuously widened my perspective on the meaning of health, balance, and well-being.
Here in Seattle (Duwamish Land), I feel incredibly lucky to practice regularly with Douglas Ridings. His eclectic combination of Indian dance, martial arts, and yoga exemplifies what’s possible when a teacher applies their unique creative expression to asana practice. I’ve also been fortunate to learn from Murali Venkatrao: a treasure-trove of yoga philosophy, spiritual exemplar, and raconteur of the first order. I have benefitted tremendously through his council and by observing his lived example of the yogic path.
In 2023, I became a disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, author of Autobiography of a Yogi, through Ananda Church of Self-Realization. Yogananda’s teachings have profoundly influenced the way I conceptualize life and yoga.
In January 2025, I became a certified Laughter Yoga Instructor through Laughter Yoga International (Ha ha ha! 😂).
In February 2025, I graduated with the fourth cohort of the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program co-designed and led by mindfulness luminaries Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. During that two-year program, I was blessed with the playfully wise guidance of LA Sarmiento as our small group mentor. LA is the embodiment of compassion, understanding, and fierce courage to live joyfully despite life's difficulties.
My understanding of energy and its potential for healing the body/mind comes through Level 1 & 2 Usui Reiki Training. My instructors were Bob and Shelby Jarman at the Center for Inner Healing and Balance.
Movement + stillness. Focus + expansion. See you on the mat.
Want to learn more about yoga?
I built a page for curious yogis to deepen their practice. Check it out here.
Let’s Begin
Live and In-Person
It’s an honor to share space and move together with you.
Join me in person at:
Seattle Bouldering Project (SBP)
Weekly Schedule
Monday
Flow Yoga | SBP Fremont | 9:30am
Flow Yoga | SBP Poplar | 6:15pm
Tuesday
Hatha & Vinyasa | Columbia City Yoga | 6:30am
Wednesday
Flow Yoga | SBP Fremont | 4:15pm
Thursday
Hatha & Vinyasa | Columbia City Yoga | 6:30am
All Levels Flow | 8 Limbs Wedgwood | 4:00pm
Friday
Restore | SBP Fremont | 9:30am
Events
Weaving in yoga can add a special dimension of community and shared experience to your event.
In my previous work-life, I routinely planned and executed events ranging in scale from small groups to a multi-day retreat for 100+. My approach blends organizational precision with an air of joyfulness.
From my experience guiding rock climbing, I have a keen know-how about establishing a safe and trusted environment quickly. Newbies and seasoned yogis alike will feel at home in a practice tailored to your event’s needs.
Private Instruction
Body. Mind. Spirit.
Focus on one or embrace all three. We’ll craft a practice that’s just right for you.
What people say about practice with me
“I’ve known Wei-Ming for many years and can attest to his endless, yet realistic positivity. Most recently, I have been taking private and semi-private yoga instruction, which I can’t recommend highly enough. As a lifelong athlete, I have accumulated a few nagging problem points that can make certain yoga positions difficult. Wei-Ming knows this, and will always offer alternatives or small tweaks to positions that accommodate my injuries. As a fellow lifelong athlete, his knowledge of body mechanics is superb.”
“Yoga with Wei-Ming is a joy. There is always an element of play interwoven with the colorful threads of the yogic path. The uniqueness of Wei-Ming’s yoga sequencing keeps me interested and present; while the knowledge of the body helps me to practice safely. ”
“If you are looking for a yoga instructor, personal trainer, or climbing guru who is knowledgeable, kind, thoughtful, and goofy then Wei is your guy. I have know him for 6 years and he has always relentlessly searched for ways to expand his skill and knowledge with regard to physical activities. He is great at meeting you where you’re at. If you’re new to yoga or working out, he will make you feel comfortable, yet challenge you. If you are a seasoned yogi or athlete, he will push you and expand your thinking. I would recommend Wei to anyone for yoga, climbing, weight lifting, or overall goal setting. ”
“Wei-Ming exhibits calmness, kindness, and confidence in his teachings, making any level yoga practitioner feel comfortable immediately. Wei-Ming teaches from the heart, and excels in making the yogis in his classes push their limits while bringing the focus inward.”
“Wei-Ming is one of the best Yoga teachers I’ve had the pleasure of learning from. His mastery of poses, precise verbal cues, and his ability to adapt to the challenges of COVID, are just the beginning of what makes his class so enjoyable and beneficial. If you are looking to pursue a greater mastery of yoga, Wei-Ming is the teacher for you.”
“I don’t think I could say enough great things about Wei-Ming and his understanding, welcoming, and accessible approach to yoga and meditation practice! I’m lucky enough to work with him at a company where he offered group classes and was impressed by the clarity of his direction for movement. Because of some personal physiological complications, I knew he was the right choice for 1 on 1 instruction. Wei-Ming has helped me by customizing a workout that works for me, in an environment where I am comfortable to ask questions and get the most out of my practice.”
“Wei-Ming is an amazing, patient instructor! He took the time to make sure that I understood every movement and position and offered feedback to help improve my practice. Very pleased with the classes I took from him and will definitely take more in the future!”
