Yoga, Wine and David Romanelli Livin the Moment
To say that David Romanelli is unconventional is to dabble in understatement. His passion for all things yoga, wine, humor, chocolate and life itself are huge and his propensity to fuse them make him a veritable force in our pop culture. What he does so well is to bring high energy and vibe to the very elements that we use in our lives to lighten our burdens. Yoga, though awesome in and of itself, can be even more potent with the careful addition of wine and chocolate. The popular integration of these wonderful pleasures has made Romanelli a motivational and healing presence to be reckoned with.
What we get with Romanelli is your atypical evangalist/guru Master traveling the global village teaching simple passions (chocolate, wine, music) as accessible gateways to the present moment. His Yoga + Chocolate and Yoga + Wine experiences have been featured in The New York Times, Newsweek, and O Magazine. David’s philosophy is steeped in ancient Eastern traditions, but his humor is inspired by the Farrelly Brothers and Saturday Night Live.
“You don’t age until your regrets outnumber your dreams.” –John Barrymore This is the essence of David Romanelli’s approach to bringing wine and yoga together. If we trace his footsteps back a few years, we find the beginning of a partnership with Angela Gargano. It’s likely where wine and yoga as synergy began. These two people happened to meet and realize that the aging of wine is a noble process that can, in fact, serve as a model for the “healthy aging” of a human being.
His book Livin in the Moment explores fun, bizarre, irreverent stories from his ten years as a yoga teacher on the “spiritual path.” No, this ain’t a yoga book folks, but rather a guide to inspiration, faith, and love… mixed with wine, drugs, sex, and rock n’ roll. Think Deepak Chopra meets Cheech and Chong. Think livin’ the good life is livin’ the moment.
There’s no question but that this show is going out on the road in a big way as well.
How about a Yoga and Wine Retreat to Argentina? Well it takes place April 15-22 in Buenos Aires and Mendoza, Argentina… a luxurious, wine-centric journey to one of the most exotic, rhythmic, and passionate spots in all the world. These are beautiful things.
We also want to try and give you a sense for how he employs humor to bring about that sense of wellness and Livin in the Moment. Check his hilarious instructional video for how one should successfully go about obtaining a hug. This is life lesson stuff with tongue planted firmly in cheek.
With so much going on with Romanelli’s wine and yoga movement, we couldn’t think of a better time to catch up with him and ask some of the questions that have been on our mind since he first brought this movement to our attention.
What came first for you the love of yoga, wine or chocolate?
First came yoga…definitely yoga. The yoga taught me to slow down, to savor. These were hings i was never really good at before taking yoga. But after embracing a slower, more mindful approach to life, I understood the value of an exotic chocolate truffle or a nice glass of Cabernet. As I share in my workshops, the chocolate and wine are metaphors…that when we are more relaxed and give ourselves a chance to truly enjoy life, everything is sweeter, richer, better.
I was recently reading The Geography of Bliss. The author, Eric Weiner, writes about countries rated high on the World Happiness Index, one of which is Bhutan. Weiner describes how the Bhutanese will sit around and spend a day playing darts, something a Westerner might consider lazy. We have a “productivity consciousness,” the feeling of always needing to be doing something or else we feel guilty…that chips away at our happiness. If you think about it, life is moving so fast that it’s become a big blur. Do you remember what you did a week ago Wednesday? What about 2 weeks ago Thursday?
I have a mantra in my book: Everyday, if you could have one funny moment, one beautiful moment, and one delicious moment, it’s a way to slow down. I have a Beautiful, Funny, Delicious checklist at the back of my book. Without some tool or ritual to slow down, the days slip through our fingertips. That is why wine and chocolate are so powerful
You and Angela Gargano were both early practicioners of pairing yoga and wine tasting. You’re both models of integrity for the concept. Do you ever worry that it could get misused in the wrong hands?
I think many purist yogis would tell you the way we’re doing Yoga + Wine is wrong and disrespectful of the tradition. In which case I always invite them to come and experience our classes before judging. The intention of Yoga + Wine is not, “hey come do yoga and then let’s get drunk.” Rather, the mission is saying, “Not every person who does yoga is gonna quit drinking, becoming vegan, and practice for 2 hours each day. For yoga to keep growing, it has to meet people where they’re at. Come practice and let’s see how the yoga transforms a glass of wine into something magical just as it can transform your relationship or your appreciation for life, self, spirit.”
We’re you ever worried that traditional Yogis would frown upon the integration of wine and chocolate into your practice?
It’s kind of the strange thing with the yoga industry. it’s a 5000 year old tradition blending with the American spirit of entrepreneurialism. I think in our culture, people are naturally respectful of an entrepreneurial effort to expand a passion, industry, or idea. Of course, there have to be good intentions and Angela and my intentions have always been about improving peoples’ lives, furthering their sense of the present moment, providing an appreciation of wine.
I know there are lots of purists who say the word “entrepreneur” should be kept separate from yoga. But i can assure that every yoga guru you’ve heard of is a very successful entrepreneur. And “yoga” means union…so the well-intentioned union of yoga with life is a good thing. it’s good for yoga, good for all the new yoga teachers graduating from teacher training programs, good for yoga studio and clothing brand owners…
The whole idea of yoga and wine tasting seems like such a natural fit. At what point in the class are you ready to say “let’s try this wine and pair it with this chocolate”?
Always at the end of class. Never in the beginning. But sometimes I’ll bribe the students struggling during a tough moment in class: “If you make it through, a glass of Cabernet awaits.”
We love talking with you about yoga, wine and chocolate but you have another great love as well and that is writing. Your blog, Yeah Dave, is hugely entertaining. You author books, do speaking engagements…in short you are the funniest evalangalist for the mellow lifestyle we have ever seen.
Yes this is true. What i try to emphasize in my writing and speaking is that it’s not me preaching from a pulpit. Rather it’s a dialogue. Life is not easy. And I think it’s impossible to conquer life and climb to the mountaintop looking down upon our triumph. What is very possible is to stop each day along the journey, take a deep breath, enjoy a chocolate truffle or glass of wine, and recognize how the sour enhances the sweetness, the bad times are needed to truly appreciate the good times, sadness is a essential part of love. If we don’t have the capacity to feel the fullness of life, we miss out on the deeper experience. There’s nothing more important than a little humor to lighten the load and soften the blows. Of course, wine doesn’t hurt.
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