CALGARY, Alberta (BVM) – Alex Law-Rupprecht found a new emotional outlet and way of life when he reluctantly attended his first yoga class five years ago.

Originally from Okotoks, Alberta, Law grew up playing hockey and snowboarding until his brain started to spin another narrative – that he wasn’t strong enough, fast enough or fit enough for the sporting world.

“I had three successful hockey playing brothers and I believed that I was not built with the same competitive edge,” said Law. “Something was missing, I was longing for more connection to self.”

A friend practically dragged Law to his first yoga class, and even though he was immediately challenged in a resting pose, he quickly realized the power of yoga, both mentally and physically.

“I was going through such dramatic shifts in my own life, literally starting yoga as I came out, switched careers, and really lifestyles entirely,” said Law. “At the time, I did not realize how intense these shifts were, yet my outlet was yoga.”

About a week into his yoga journey, Law surprised himself by deciding that he wanted to inspire people in the same way.

“I shifted my mindset from comparing myself to others, especially my athletic brothers, to dropping the ego and just experiencing the limits of self,” said Law. “I now live by this statement: ‘Maybe it’s not that you’re not good enough, but rather exactly enough. Keep learning and that’s all anyone can ever ask of you’ – to have ambition in the journey.”

Two months after his first class, Law began a daily yoga practice.

“Yoga initially for me was a physical practice, one in which I was not very strong at, there go my intense focus on it,” said Law. “I became competitive with my own results and my own progression in asana, rather than competing with others.”

This he continued until he became a teacher himself.

Only two and a half years after his first yoga class, Law was a fully trained yoga teacher managing HotShop Varsity, a Calgary hot yoga studio. Fast forward to Dec. 2019, to find Law, someone who thought he was not meant for fitness, also teaching spin classes, managing all of HotShop’s operations and their three Calgary locations.

Yoga can often come across as an intimidating practice, but Alex would like to reframe this mindset. “It’s meant for all bodies and all abilities. Yoga is a connection, an awareness to self. It’s a mental practice through physical focus,” said Law. “For some, each yoga practice is a profound experience, perhaps grappling with emotional life events, or simply an expression to stay grounded. For others, their practice may not appear to have such a profound experience on the surface.”

Just like many have preconceived notions about yoga, Law started believing that he would never fit into the sports and fitness world at a very young age. His deep connection to yoga discovered later in life, however, challenged this belief.

“For me, the practice of yoga and the connection to self has elevated my physicality to increase my edge in other areas, like my snowboarding,” said Law. “Moreover, teaching spin and gaining strength through yoga has expanded my endurance, balance, coordination and overall appreciation for sport.

“As I reflect back on my journey through sports and fitness, I now realize my proclivity to yoga. Knowing what I know now, my yoga practice was a means to calm my energy, to connect with self-expression and ultimately keep me grounded and at peace. Yoga reignited my sport confidence. I may never return to hockey, but I am now a hiker, an active runner, averaging 30-40 kilometres per week, and I now aspire to many other fitness activities.

“I would like credit my journey to my first-ever yoga instructor, Alison McIntyre. She wowed me at my first yoga class, and then advocated that I join the spin world. She spent countless hours teaching me rhythm and music, which was not easy at first, but she helped me every step of the way.”