@yogimemes
We were delighted to interview Pedro Luna, the yogi behind one of our all-time favorite Instagram account @yogimemes. Read the interview to learn why it’s important to get out of your comfort zone and how to stop taking yourself seriously all the time!
What are some of the choices you’ve made that made you who you are?
I found Bikram yoga when I was struggling with panic and anxiety due to stress from work. Right away I felt this shift within me, and I knew I wanted to teach yoga and to serve others. I went to teacher training in the fall of 2012 and started teaching right away. I was still holding onto my corporate debt collection job, but I knew I needed to get out. I lived in Aurora, Illinois for 28 years within a 2-mile radius on the same road. My comfort zone was supperrr small. Finally, in the fall of 2015, I was able to build up enough courage to move and fly south to the beaches of south Florida. I met my wife at the yoga studio where we both practiced. Now we have a beautiful family, and I have met so many great people out of my little bubble.
What would constitute a “perfect” day for you?
Eat. Sleep. Yoga. Family. Repeat. Sleep is the main one… our little boy loves to wake us up way before the sun comes up!
What role does Instagram play in your life?
A massive one. Instagram has connected me with so many souls across the globe and given me the opportunity to be an entrepreneur and grow as a person. I have a new best friend and business partner who lives on the other side of the USA all because we connected over a post on Instagram a few years back. I am forever grateful to the platform allowing me the opportunity to spread humor and make people’s days by visiting Yogimemes.
What is the greatest accomplishment of your life?
Being a damn good father to 3 wonderful children.
Tell us about Yogi Memes. How did you come up with the idea? When did you post your very first meme and when did you realize that you want to keep going?
My friends and I had been sending memes to each other for a few years. We would custom make them and share funny ones that we saw on the Facebook and Instagram. So I was already in love with memes when one day I was laying on the floor seemingly dead in a Bikram yoga class in Delray Beach Florida, and I had this idea of “oh this would be a funny meme me laying on the floor in a pool of sweat seemingly dead af”. I went home that night and looked on Instagram, and there wasn’t anyone making memes about yoga, so I knew I was on to something. My friend and I made some memes, and I started posting them like wildfire in August of 2015! It was so much fun to interact and engage with people about the hilarious content I was putting out! I wanted to keep going.
Your wife Sumer, also known as @yogiqueens, creates wickedly funny memes as well. Is there a healthy art competition at home? 😉
Lol! My wife is pretty creative. She inspires some of the memes that I create. I remember when she started her account, and we played on Instagram for hours making memes. We used to have to pause conversations while we were adding hashtags.
Would you agree that, in general, yoga people are a little bit too serious? Why do you think a sense of humour is crucial to well-being?
I would say that there is a healthy balance of both. The reason I started @Yogimemes was to show people the lighter side and to not take it or themselves so serious all the time. A good hashtag that I like to incorporate in my posts is #lightenup. If you can get a good laugh every day it makes your life better. I know that plenty of yogis have been brought to tears of laughter when scrolling through my feed and that is what keeps my fire burning.
Your creativity seems endless! You’ve created close to 2000 memes. What is your no-fail go-to when you need inspiration or to get out of a creative rut?
As a creator, I go through ups and downs. I like to look back at past memes that were bangers and get a chuckle myself. Seeing people’s comments gives me the warm fuzzy feeling. I also like to look at some of my favorite meme accounts like @tank.sinatra, @adam.the.creator, @fuckjerry for inspiration.
What is your personal yoga practice like? Do you favor certain styles, teachers, approaches?
I love all things yoga. I have been doing a lot of home practice lately since my wife and I have 3 children which makes it challenging to make it to a studio. I enjoy Vinyasa, Yin, Restorative, Power, Bikram. Pretty much anything except ashtanga cause that is just a killer, I went once… and I’m good… I love teaching yoga and am about to launch a YouTube Channel and feature classes and such on there and on IGTV on @Yogimemes!
What’s your definition of mindfulness? What is the first step to becoming mindful in your day-to-day life?
Mindfulness is a huge part of my daily life. I practice seated meditation every day for 20 minutes and it really helps me get clear and allows me the opportunity to be present in all things. Being aware of your actions, thoughts, and words at any given moment is so essential for all of us to establish genuine connections and grow as a society. It’s so easy to get sucked into your phone and lose sight of those around you.
Is there something that you’ve dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven’t you done it?
I have always dreamed of teaching a yoga class to thousands of people, I love big group energy and think that would be an incredible experience. I am hoping that my Yogimemes platform along with my YouTube Channel I am starting and the network that I have down here in south Florida will allow me the opportunity to turn that dream into reality soon!
If you could invite anyone in the world to dinner, who would it be?
I have 3 people that I would looovveee to sit down with 1. Gary Vaynerchuck for entrepreneur inspiration, motivation, and connection. 2. Deepak Chopra for wisdom and guidance. 3. DJ Khaled for some comedy and entrepreneur connection.
In moments of self-doubt of adversity, how do you build yourself back up?
I like to put on some motivational talks from Gary Vaynerchuck and get pumped up. I remind myself that I have been on the hustle since the third day of freshman year in high school when I was 14 (I’m 33 now). As an entrepreneur, I know that I have to make it happen. I also know I need to be in alignment with my dharma and stay true to what I want to be doing. As long as I am doing things for the right reasons abundance will flow my way.
Your 3 favorite Instagram accounts we should follow?
What does the world need more of? Less of?
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