Found: Sojourn with Suami Smith

By Ogo Sylla

Michael R. Smith is the director and chief instructor of the Morningside School of Yoga and Physical Culture. Suami, as he is referred to by his students, took the roundabout path toward mastery of his self, however.

Smith concentrated on dance and martial arts long before he contemplated teaching yoga. But even as he developed his respect for yoga and trained in it, Smith never considered it yoga. “Really karate was my thing, for years and years,” Smith said.

Smith looked to find the meaning of yoga for himself as he customized – and still does today – the form of Hatha yoga he teaches. Yoga is foremost for physical well-being and fitness, but Smith does not detach the spiritual aspect of it either. “Once you call it yoga, you’re invoking a certain philosophical tradition,” Smith said.

Smith’s only expectations from his students is that they try hard. He has no expectations of what his students should get out of his teachings. He believes it is a personal sojourn that he prefers his student keep to themselves, without voicing it but simply feeling it.