Meet Noah Mazé | Yoga Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Noah Mazé and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Noah, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I was raised to value creativity, entrepreneurialism, and non-conventional life and career paths. I was encouraged to follow my interests, to follow my heart, and had lots of examples around me of how to make those passions into a successful career. I’m the son of yogi ceramic artists, my uncles are woodworkers in Montana (I used to spend summers in their woodshed), my maternal grandparents were photographers and jewelers, so it was always likely that I would pursue a more creative career. I had a tough time in high school, and was convinced that I did not like school (I’ve since changed my mind on that) and had no interest in further education. My mom called the main office of the Colorado Outward Bound School and asked if there was a college or university that a lot of their instructors came from. They recommended Prescott College in AZ, and I fell in love with their progressive educational model and studied photography and outdoor education. After many seasons of leading wilderness trips, I invested further into my education and experience in yoga practice, philosophy and culture, and have been a full time yoga educator and running my own yoga business for the past 24 years.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve selected Artist/Creative, as that is more my side of our yoga business. My wife does more of the administrative business side, and I am more the creative side of content and teaching methods. My approach to yoga is as a deep engagement of what it is to be human and how to live a soulful life. Yogic arts give me endless directions to go in, from rigorous yoga philosophy, creative non-linear mythology and story telling, esoteric practice, psychology, functional anatomy and kinesiology, mindfulness and movement, and teaching methods. I’m never bored! There is always more to learn, further to go, and other perspectives to consider. What nourishes me most as a teacher is to always be a student, always be learning. The main emphasis of our brand is to offer high quality education to teachers and committed students; I want folks to be well educated yogis, to make informed choices, and not to mindlessly parrot what others have said. The business side of yoga has its ups and downs, and the yoga community in general has a lot of rebuilding to do after COVID, but yoga has long withstood the tests of time and we will continue to adapt and evolve to offer the world what it needs.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We’ve recently moved to Boulder, CO, from Los Angeles. Boulder is my hometown, but I haven’t lived here in decades, and there is so much to do and explore… Hiking would be at the top of the list; come ready for lots of hiking up into the mountains and swimming in the rivers. We’d go swimming in the creeks, maybe tubing, and go SUPing and canoeing on the lakes. There are hundreds of miles of bike paths to explore, and rocks to climb… I love exploring and discovering in nature. Of course we would also eat really yummy food in town, go to the farmers markets, art museums, and make some pottery in my mom’s studio. We’d check out nearby music venues and catch bluegrass shows etc in amazing outdoor venues, large and small.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’ve been blessed with support and encouragement and mentorship from so many great beings. First and foremost I want to shoutout to my parents, for guiding me through my tough times, teaching me life skills and work ethic, and for trusting me to make my own way and not trying to control my path. My teachers at Prescott College taught me that I love learning, that education is a journey and not a destination. I’ve had so many wonderful yoga teachers and mentors, most notably Douglas R. Brooks; thank you for your enduring friendship and deep committed yogic engagement to nature, culture and conscience. My wife, Tracy Silver, and my beautiful kids, Madeleine and Oliver, teach me every day how to be a better person, father, husband, man. And thank you to the traditions of yoga, with 3500+ years of yoga philosophy and 5000+ years of mythological story telling, for offering so much wisdom and practical tools of how to live this life and love this life.

Website: themazemethod.com mazeonyoga.com

Instagram: @noahmaze

Facebook: Noah Maze Yoga