#21: Greg Woodruff | Martial Arts, Yoga, & Yellowstone
Greg Woodruff shares his Passion for Martial Arts, Yoga, and the Outdoors with Communities around the Country.
Today’s episode is with Greg Woodruff. Greg is a martial arts competitor & instructor, a guide at Yellowstone national park, and a yoga teacher. He is a 5th degree black belt in Tang Soo do with over 20 years experience. He is a lifelong outdoorsmen, and spends roughly half the year in nature. If there’s ever an apocalyptic scenario, Gregs the man to team up with. The guy knows the woods. Greg has a gift and passion for teaching his skills to kids. The self discipline and confidence found in the practice shapes his character, which he now shares with the youth in his community. Greg discovered yoga about 4 years ago, around the time we first met. He now applies yogic breathe, stretching and philosophy to his martial arts teaching; providing unique and invaluable tools to his students.
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“I teach the kids to work backwards from the Black Belt. What is your Black Belt, and what can you do today to take a step toward it?”
Greg grew up in Alabama, an area of the country known for football, manners, and family values; though not always associated with mindfulness. What has always stuck me about Greg is his ability to absorb the very best of a southern upbringing, and combine it with a progressive and healthy lifestyle. He is kind, courteous, and carries a passion for serving others. We have both spent much of our lives in the south, and have a love for the land, traditions, and people. We also see the negative sides of some systemic habits in the south, which we dive into in this interview.
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You can tell from our candor that Greg and I are very close. Our friendship has only been strengthened through the years, despite most of it living in different areas. We decided to do a MindMill interview while he was briefly passing though Denver, on his way to Yellowstone for another season of work. We discuss the values of learning martial arts as a child, and how that (combined with yoga) may just be the cure to so many issues affecting the youth today. We also talk on reverse-engineering goals into daily practices, the clarity found only in the outdoors, and the power of positivity (no matter the situation or location). Greg is one of my favorite people, and Im excited to share his story on The MindMill.
Thanks so much for listening to The MindMill Podcast!
