Elad Yifrach believes a clear mind cultivates creative ideas. He says the chanting and meditation that are part of Kundalini yoga help him develop the intuition and focus needed to run his brand of a high-end tabletop accessories.
After practicing Kundalini for two years, he decided to earn his teaching certification and deepen his practice so he could do it anytime, anywhere. “My belief in life is that if you want to know something, read about it. If you want to master something, teach it,” he says.
As the founder and creative director of L’Objet in New York, he is constantly traveling the world to meet artisans and bring his products to new markets. Just before he launched the company in 2004, a friend took him to a yoga class. “I felt like I needed a grounding practice to help me cope with the pressure and demands of running my own business,” he says.
He recalled the sense of calm he felt after the class’s final meditation and decided to try yoga again. After practicing various styles, he found a match with Kundalini, which puts equal emphasis on meditation, breath and physical practice. He now practices daily.
Mr. Yifrach, 37, is based in New York City but is often on the road for work 10 days at a time. “I’d be in Hong Kong and attend yoga at a gym and it was nice to experience, but different. It made me realize I wanted my own practice,” he says.
In 2009, he signed up for a 10-month yoga-teacher training program. Weekends became devoted to yoga training. During the week, he had reading and class requirements. “I wanted to understand what I was doing on a deeper level,” he says.
A year ago, Mr. Yifrach discovered aerial yoga. “Aerial yoga requires extreme focus and attention to every move so you don’t hurt yourself,” he says.
The inversions are performed while suspended upside down in hammock. “Being suspended opens the lower back and expands the spine so you really feel open and taller afterwards,” he says. “It also builds self trust that you aren’t going to fall.”
And while his yoga practice keeps his mind healthy, Mr. Yifrach says, he has two personal trainers who help keep his body healthy. He says one of the biggest benefits of yoga has been becoming in tune with his body.
“Sometimes I feel it’s more beneficial to sleep 30 extra minutes than do more yoga. I’ve learned this doesn’t make me lazy, just more sensitive to what my body needs,” he says.
ENLARGE The Workout
Mr. Yifrach starts his morning with a short breathing and stretching routine followed by a short meditation, which he performs at home or in his hotel room if he’s traveling. “This is a daily practice which sets the tone for the day and clears my brain,” he says.
Three mornings a week, he meets a personal trainer at David Kirsch Wellness Co.’s Madison Square Club. He has been working with two trainers for more than a year. Mark Karetnikov specializes in building strength through high-intensity cardio. James Oh has a more subtle approach and works on stretching and strength training using body weight. “It’s the perfect blend for me,” he says.
Hourlong workouts with Mr. Karetnikov are nonstop circuit workouts that mix, for instance, walking uphill or interval sprints on the treadmill, rowing and riding the stationary bike with lunges and throwing around heavy battle ropes. He likes to see Mr. Oh on Mondays for deep stretching and light strengthening sessions. “It’s just what I need after the weekend,” Mr. Yifrach says.
He does yoga at 6 p.m. either at home, at Kundalini Yoga East studio in New York, or on the road. “The best time to practice yoga is first thing in the morning or when the sun goes down because that’s when the sun, moon and Earth are most aligned so energetically it’s the best time to practice,” he says.
One night a week, he goes to Om Factory for aerial yoga, which he says has helped open his hips. “Many yoga poses don’t come naturally to men because we have a different hip structure,” he says. “We tend to overcompensate using our back and chest.”
ENLARGE The Diet
Mr. Yifrach starts his day with eggs, avocado and gluten-free toast or a rice cake. If he’s time-crunched, he’ll have a protein shake with fruit and flaxseed. Lunch Is usually a salad topped with a protein such as salmon and dinner is yams or sweet potatoes and lean meat like lamb or goat. He tries to avoid cheese, red meat and chicken. Though “if I want a small piece of cheese, I don’t abstain,” he says. “Sometimes it’s good to be bad.”
The Gear
ENLARGE Kundalini Yoga East charges $20 a class. Aerial yoga costs $18 a class. Personal training sessions are $110 each. “Nike is my go-to for clothing and sneakers,” he says.
The Playlist
Depending on his mood, he listens to classical music or music like Deva Premal, a musician known for her meditative, New Age music.
From: The Wall Street Journal