Liquid Flow Yoga with Simon Park and Julia Horn

As impressive as Simon Park’s Vrischikasana is on the Pure Yoga advertising poster for his workshop, there is a noticeable fluidity, grace and ease in his inverted and backward-bending pose. Similarly, Julia Horn’s yoga and Tripsichore-inspired performance piece, which starts off their workshop, is a display of incredible physical talent, as well as (more importantly) an expression and offering from her heart.

Their story began in New York City, where they saw each other in Dharma Mittra’s class. They soon realized that they are two peas in a pod. “We’re two very different peas, but we’re definitely in the same pod,” Julia explains. Perhaps more complementary than different, the two have a similar essence in how they view yoga and life, but there is quite a yin/yang-like unifying duality about them and their presence together as teachers.

They share their balanced embodiment of and approach to yoga on their first world tour, teaching in seven countries in seven weeks, with their first stop in Hong Kong. While it is Julia’s first ever time in Asia, for Simon it is a return home to his roots. Born in Korea, he moved to the US at a young age; this is his first trip back to Asia.

Simon still felt his Asian influence growing up, “playing karate” with his brothers and eventually enrolling in proper karate classes. Later, wanting to assimilate more to American culture, he moved towards sports, playing rugby and basketball through college. A motorcycle accident was what led him to yoga. “I was at UCLA at the time, and a friend suggested yoga as a way to rehab my injuries. I looked at the curriculum and signed up for a class called Yoga for Dancers, taught by Shiva Rea. It was Shiva's first class as a yoga teacher at UCLA and my first yoga experience.” Simon studied with and assisted Shiva for several years, and considers Shiva and Dharma his main teachers and influences.

For Julia, life as a yogini was a natural progression. “My mom did yoga, so as a baby, I was already crawling around during her yoga classes. I also started dancing at a young age, so I have always been in my body. I was blessed with amazing circumstances growing up. We lived in a small town in the mountains of North Carolina where I was always running around, jumping off of things, swinging on ropes into the creek. Acrobatic actions became second nature to me. I danced in college and worked at a gym, where I met Dana Flynn of Laughing Lotus. That’s when I realized that dance and yoga are an amazing fusion.”

As far as their teaching style, Simon is hesitant to use labels. “I don’t want to have a label to my style, but for survival as a yoga teacher today, it’s kind of a necessity. I think of how Bruce Lee said to learn from everyone, and then to create your own style.” So Simon loosely dubs his style Liquid Flow Yoga, which falls within the general framework of Vinyasa. “I have taught in the States, Paris, Barcelona, Costa Rica, and now being here in Hong Kong, what strikes me the most is how similar the styles of yoga are across the globe. People just seem to understand the language and movements of Vinyasa; it’s inherently universal. It is a reflection of today’s fast-paced world. What’s especially powerful about Vinyasa is its accessibility. You can bring in a lot of different elements from different practices. It’s not about constricting yourself to a label to say who you are, where you’re from, and whom you belong to. Life is universal, meaning there is a guiding energy that is beyond human that informs us all. It’s not about limiting yourself to one guru. Yes, I have teachers and will love and embody them eternally in who I am. But evolution is key. Dharma always teaches that God is right here in the centre of your heart. He is devoted to his guru, but in his own practice, he creates."

Julia adds, “The sacred part of the practice is the right brain stuff. This is where creation happens, and where you connect to the Collective Consciousness. I believe in the art form of what yoga is, the sacred lines and geometry of the poses. But anything is and can be yoga, based on the intention and presence. Having a teacher or learning a particular style is kind of like being in your family. Your family is your heritage; you love and respect them and you abide by their rules, but then you grow up and become a very unique individual.”

Their teaching philosophy is evident in their workshop, “Surfing the Vinyasa Wave”. Their sessions are well-designed for the task at hand, whether that is to inspire and stimulate the creative spirit within or to loosen the mind in preparation for flight. Through “The Artistic Process within Creative Sequencing” and “Artful Assists” sessions, they offer a balance of the traditional and the more creative and contemporary. The “Jai Hanuman!” workshop on handstands and arm balances starts with wild animalistic arm movements to build heat, rather than Surya Namaskar.

Not that they don’t practice Surya Namaskar. Julia explains, “For the student looking for outside stimulation, it’s easy to get distracted and caught up by all the yoga tricks and fancy sequencing. Having an unexpected collage is good to keep you present, but it’s also important to have something by rote for the meditative quality, to release your mind further. In a practice, we might be playing and creating, but then we’ll go through some rounds of Surya Namaskar to go back to internal concentration.”

As for their future plans, Simon says, “We have an inner excitement of where it’s all going. We’re ready to come into our own and show that the next evolution is beginning, is happening. We want to contribute to the full dialogue, artistically and creatively, and share it for free.”

And so they continue on their journey, which for now includes Singapore, Bali, Greece, and Iceland. Simon hopes to someday add his birthplace, Korea, to his itinerary. “Shiva is always encouraging me to go to Korea to teach, and also to go find a medicine man in the mountains and dig for ginseng.”

Leah Kim

For more information, please go to: www.liquidflowyoga.com