Michael James Wong - Sit Down, Be Quiet: A modern guide to yoga and mindful living

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Niki Priest

Michael James Wong is a Global Yogi and Wellness Warrior who is recognised around the world as a leading voice in the global wellness movement for yoga, meditation and modern mindfulness.

An inspirational speaker, international teacher, meditator and now author, Michaels passion is to inspire the masses about the benefits of a mindful way of living, on and off the yoga mat, every single day.

A Los Angeles native, now based in London, Michael travels the world sharing the benefits of the practice. Over the past 15 years he has been lucky enough to learn and study from some of the most inspiring teachers, spiritual leaders and global influencers around the world, all of whom have helped to shape his approach to modern mindfulness in the real world.

Founder and vision behind BOYS OF YOGA, Michael is a man on a mission to spread the word, break down barriers and stereotypes and bring the global wellness community together in a calmer and quieter conversation.

To my family who have been there every step of the way; Mom, Dad, Andrew and Nicole (and Erica, Max and baby Koa!).

To all the BOYS who have helped to bring this conversation to the world and to all my friends who have helped me, supported me, grounded me and inspired me.

To all my teachers, past and present, who have trusted me with their wisdom.

To Elena Brower for being you.

To Laura Gross and the Wanderlust family for giving me a chance.

To the HarperCollins team who worked tirelessly from day one to make this dream come true; Carolyn Thorne, Georgina Atsiaris, Ben Gardiner, Lucy Sykes-Thompson.

To my agent, Rachel Mills, and the Furniss Lawton team for helping me every step of the way.

To Whiskey Club and all the homies.

To our growing communities who inspire me daily; @boysofyoga, @justbreathelondon and @sundayschoolyoga.

And to Niki Priest, without whom this project would not have been possible.

Find out more about Michael at michaeljameswong.com

or follow him @michaeljameswong

Find out more about the BOYS at boysofyoga.com

or follow them @boysofyoga

Front Row: Johnny Vasilj, Adam Whiting

Back Row: Benny Gould, Anwar Gilbert

We live in a world that is always on online, on loud, on show, on high alert. In todays society, were overloaded with things to do, meetings to be had, calls to be made and coffees to be shared. We thrive on busy schedules, busy lives and just the idea itself of being busy. We talk more than listen. We speed up without ever thinking about slowing down. Weve become accustomed to thinking that this is how life is meant to be.

But a growing number of us are starting to see that maybe its time to turn the volume down and step into something less chaotic.

Over the past decade yoga has become increasingly popular in the Western world. These days it feels like there is a yoga studio popping up on every street corner and pretty soon there will be more of them than Starbucks branches in America alone (we can only hope). Look around and youll see that yoga is now in the mainstream, helping lead the wellness revolution, and its about time. The world is starting to wake up to the benefits of the practice and a more mindful way of living. But dont be fooled into thinking that yoga is some new fad. Yoga has been around for thousands of years, and itll be around for thousands more to come. Right now, as yoga enjoys its place in the zeitgeist, its a great time to pay attention and get started.

Its hard to miss the conversation because it is everywhere: yoga is mindful movement; it is functional mobility for our bodies; it is calming for our minds; it is everything we want and need it to be. This all might sound too good to be true, or come cloaked in language you find unfamiliar, but getting started is much easier than you might think.

You might not realise it, but youre probably already doing it.

Scott Schwenk

So You Say Im Already Doing Yoga?

As children, most of us spent our time playing, running around and getting dirty in the outdoors. We didnt take life too seriously. We acted the fool and liked to have a good time, no matter the consequences. Its also likely that when we got angry or frustrated our parents taught us to take a few deep breaths to calm down (usually after being sent to our rooms).

This is yoga. You just might have been calling it by a different name.

Think back to when you were younger. You played football, basketball, hockey, rugby or some other sport. Youd wake up on game day and head to the field ready to play. But when you got there, you didnt just run on the field and jump straight in. Its likely you started with a team talk, a moment when you aligned your focus and talked about intentions, such as trying your best and working together. You did a few stretches, nothing too vigorous; just a few minutes to warm up the entire body, become aware of the moment and move simply.

This is yoga. You just might have been calling it by a different name.

Davin Jones

THIS IS YOGA. YOU JUST MIGHT HAVE BEEN CALLING IT BY A DIFFERENT NAME

Or when you wake up at home, ready for the day ahead, you dont just pop up from the mattress and run out the door. Its likely you take a moment to stretch the arms, move the body gently, roll out the neck a few times and ease yourself into the day.

This is yoga. You just might have been calling it by a different name.

Try to remember a time recently when youve been angry or frustrated. It might be when someone cut you off on the road or you didnt get the job you wanted or your next-door neighbour decided to throw a party on a week night. You may have wanted to scream out a few choice words or throw your middle finger in the air in protest. But you stopped, took a breath, chose to be the bigger person and just let it go.

This is yoga. You just might have been calling it by a different name.

Physically, yoga is a dynamic stretching of the body. Off the mat, its not taking life too seriously; its slowing down, taking deep breaths, fighting frustration, keeping a level head, calming the mind, easing social tension, living in the moment, strengthening your focus, enhancing your relationships, learning to communicate, dealing with stress, overcoming challenges, living in the now, paying attention to what youre doing, caring deeply and taking the time to breathe.