Duncan Wong, a world-famous yoga celebrity, comes to Prague with his workshop "Love Warrior Flow" June 16 at New Town Hall.

Wong is the creator of the Yogic Arts system, a synthesis of traditional yoga, martial arts and Thai massage therapy with elements of Pilates and modern dance. He believes these practices complement each other and are interconnected, and therefore should be practiced as such.

Both yogis and martial artists meditate in the same position and use the same breathing techniques, Wong says. Referring to yoga as a "solo act," which prepares the body and soul for a further step of interaction with people in dance or martial arts, Wong believes yoga practitioners should go "beyond the mat."

"I would say that eventually going beyond the mat and into a space of both dynamic and sensual contact with other people is a point of maturity and fulfillment," he says.

When: June 16 at 7 Where: New Town Hall Tickets: 499 K Web: Praguespiritfestival.cz

Wong does not exactly look or behave like a traditional yoga guru. Uniting his experiences of street fighting and kickboxing while growing up in San Francisco with a serious study of formal dojang, a style of Korean martial arts, as well as yoga, he represents a bridge between the practices of the East and the West.

Born to parents of Chinese and Scottish descent, Wong combined his multicultural legacy by sustaining his studios and reputation in the diverse environments of New York City, Shanghai and Kyoto. After he had acquired celebrity status as a teacher in New York City, where he ran two successful studios and had celebrity clients including Madonna, Sting and Bjrk, Wong got fed-up with the life of luxury and moved to Shanghai in search of a simpler and more meaningful life.

Covered in tattoos, a legacy of his teenage years in San Francisco, Wong gained popularity in China and Japan as an unconventional yoga teacher. His practice involves direct connection, and the intimacy of his classes, which include massage, is not easily accepted in the Asian world of traditional values.

But Wong is not discouraged by such cultural differences. He compares the mentality in the States, Europe and Asia by saying they are "three completely different animals with very similar spirits."

"Attention, depth and openness, in that order," he adds.

Read more here:
An alternative yoga star visits Prague