Nick Potenzieri, bending over backward for me in New York
A couple of weeks ago I had an inspiring photo shoot with yoga guru Nick Potenzieri. He indulged me and really bent over backward for me. I’m preparing a new project and I was exploring how far I can push it. Nick is the ideal person to have around in such a delicate moment.
Watching Nick Potenzieri practice yoga in a gorgeous studio on 14th Street was fascinating. He makes every move look so easy and effortless. My many years of yoga practice make me appreciate his work even more. Shooting him was inspiring and we got some really cool shots. Some are here, some I will disclose further on as they are part of a new project I’m working on.
Nick Potenzieri and I had a long chat after the shoot and if you read below you’ll get a taste of how charming he is.
I have been practicing yoga myself for many years, and I always find it very beneficial. I realized during the years that, the more stressed I am, the more I turn to yoga and meditation. Do you?
Stress, is the reason I became a yoga practitioner. It was in a period of my life when I wasn't sure who I was. All I knew was that when I did my yoga, I felt better. Not only because I had such a good work out, which was and still is a big benefit, but when I was done I felt more grounded within myself. It seemed I could do anything. I noticed how free I was from the worries and pressures I was putting on myself. Over the years of practice, I have come learn that this grounding is essential to living. You cannot fly unless you are rooted. This world we live in has many ways of distracting us and pulling us apart. Yoga and meditation have been my key tools for staying clear and keeping it together.
We have shot together a couple of times already, how does it feel to shoot with me?
We have shot for both the Beards of New York project and now for the Yoga shoot. The Beards of New York was the first time I met you and immediately knew I was going to have a lot of fun. That was very reassuring. The concept was sexy and playful and upon the first few "test" shots you took, realized why. You have a wonderful energy that allows people to relax and open up. In fact, it is a very similar environment I try to cultivate when I teach a yoga class. I was able to give my trust to you because, instinctively I was aware that you knew what to do with a camera. It also helped that we prepared for the shoot by applying body glitter everywhere. Nothing bad can ever happen when glitter is applied first thing.
Working on this next shoot, my trust had grown tremendously because after seeing Beards of New York, I understood your perspective as an artist and your ability to know what makes a great image. This takes skill, talent and a dash of intuition. This project had all the same sense of play about it but the focus and joy of it had more depth. It was a very satisfying afternoon.
Have you ever thought of producing a video course for people that are not in New York but would benefit of your yoga knowledge?
You know the video thing is a good question. There is so much great information that is available on the Internet these days. However, I feel strongly about the kind of work that happens when humans connect. Being in the same room is essential to that connection. It is very difficult to create that genuinely via video. That's not to say it isn't possible, but it takes great care and quality of the content. I would want the viewer to not only view, but to interact and participate with whats on the screen, so they truly learn something. There are two kinds of yoga instructors out there: those who lead class and those who teach class. I consider myself to be the latter. I would want a video I make to not only lead, but give the practitioner more tools than they had before they began.
Is teaching yoga in New York different than teaching it somewhere else? Are people more stressed or under pressure?
NYC is one of the best places to teach. New Yorkers are smart and savvy, they know whats what and the won't settle for less. I love these kinds of people. They are ready to try anything and willing to put in the work to get what they want. Stress, is not such a bad thing, your know. We achieve a lot with it. Its knowing how to balance out what we give with letting go to receive. Letting go to relax, to give in and trust that we have done enough and are enough.
Nick Potenzieri - Love Body Yoga - New York
Nick Potenzieri holds certifications from both Hatha and Vinayasa traditions and has been teaching in NYC for over 10 years. Nick is also trained in yoga breathing techniques, meditation and restorative yoga. He has taught classes in yoga studios, gyms as well as one-on-one sessions. Nick has led retreats on both east and west coasts, and has held workshops for athletes and runners. His students/clients range from CEO's to moms to rock stars. Nick's high energy and creative style has helped him guide his students to a deeper understanding of how to achieve their goals on and off the mat.
You can find out more about Nick Potenzieri and his yoga classes on www.lovebodyyoga.com
Read more about BEARDS OF NEW YORK