Darren Main (born January 20, 1971) is a
yoga
Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consci ...
teacher and author currently living in San Francisco. He has written largely about Eastern spirituality for a more modern and Western audience. Main is best known for his second book, ''Yoga and the Path of the Urban Mystic''. He has written several other books: ''Inner Tranquility: A Guide to Seated Meditation", "Spiritual Journeys Along the Yellow Brick Road"; a controversial book, "Hearts and Minds: Talking to Christians About Homosexuality" and "The Yogi Entrepreneur: a Guide to Earning a Mindful Living Through Yoga'' Main's writing has been translated in various languages and several of his books have been released in numerous editions.
Main also maintains a podcast called "Inquire Within" in which he interviews various individuals on topics such as healing, spiritualism, and social activism
Early years
Main was born in Westerly, RI to John and Kathy Main (now Kathy Ascare). Main also has a brother, Jason Main and a sister, Jennifer Main. He is the single father to an adopted son
Main's adolescent years were “filled with pain, rage and confusion” which led to drug abuse and depression. After a suicide attempt, Main claimed to have had a spiritual awakening. This spiritual awakening led Main to
Alcoholics Anonymous and to
Narcotics Anonymous
Narcotics Anonymous (NA), founded in 1953, describes itself as a "nonprofit fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem." Narcotics Anonymous uses a 12-step model developed for people with varied subst ...
and to
Hatha Yoga and
Meditation
Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm ...
. Main also became a student of
A Course in Miracles
''A Course in Miracles'' (also referred to as ''ACIM'' or the ''Course'') is a 1976 book by Helen Schucman. The underlying premise is that the greatest "miracle" is the act of simply gaining a full "awareness of love's presence" in a person's ...
.
Education
Main studied Social Work at Mohegan community College,
Community College of Rhode Island
The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) is a public community college in Rhode Island. It is the only community college in the state and the largest community college in New England. The college's primary facility is located in Warwick, with ...
and at
Rhode Island College. He also studied massage therapy at the
Bancroft School of Massage Therapy in Worcester, MA and trained to become a yoga and meditation instructor a
The Kripalu Centerin Lenox, MA.
Teaching Yoga and Meditation
Main began teaching yoga in
Providence, RI
Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Ba ...
in 1992. He spent a year teaching in
Bozeman, MT
Bozeman is a city and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States. Located in southwest Montana, the 2020 census put Bozeman's population at 53,293, making it the fourth-largest city in Montana. It is the principal city of th ...
in 1993. Main moved to
San Francisco, CA
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
in 1994 where he currently teaches. In 1998, Main opened a San Francisco yoga studio, Castro Yoga with David Nelson. In 2000, Castro Yoga closed and Main began teaching for San Francisco's largest yoga studi
Yoga Tree In addition to his weekly yoga classes and various workshops, Main is also the Director of Yoga Tree's Teacher Training program. His books have become required text in a number of yoga teacher certification programs throughout the United States.
Shortly after his first book was released in 1999, Main began teaching throughout the United States and internationally.
Yoga on the Labyrinth
Main teaches one of the largest weekly yoga classes in the world at San Francisco's iconic Grace Cathedra
This donation-based yoga class features renowned recording artists and musicians playing live music and attracts as many as 700 students per week. The class has been featured in local as well as national press and has been criticized by some conservative Christian groups
In April 2006, Main founded a Naked Yoga for Men group in San Francisco and began teaching naked yoga (for men) at Mission Yoga
link to BAR article
Writing
Main is the author of several books including:
* ''Yoga and the Path of the Urban Mystic''
* ''Inner Tranquility: A Guide to Seated Meditation''
* ''Spiritual Journeys Along the Yellow Brick Road''
* ''Hearts and Minds: Talking to Christians About Homosexuality''
* "The Yogi Entrepreneur: A Guide to Earning a Mindful Living Through Yoga"
Main also writes articles and has contributed to
Gay.com
Gay.com was a chat, personals, and social networking website catering to the LGBT community. The site was a digital brand of Here Media Inc. In addition to community features, the site featured LGBT-related news and features. As of September ...
, White Crain Journal and the
Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente (; KP), commonly known simply as Kaiser, is an American integrated managed care consortium, based in Oakland, California, United States, founded in 1945 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and physician Sidney Garfield. Kaiser ...
HIV Update Newsletter.
External links
DarrenMain.ComYoga on the LabyrinthSF Gate SF Bay Guardian Grace Cathedral
{{DEFAULTSORT:Main, Darren
1971 births
Living people
Writers from San Francisco
American yoga teachers
People from Westerly, Rhode Island