Just as there are 8 limbs of yoga, you could say Ashtanga, surfing, and photography are the 3 limbs of Matt Corigliano. Whether in Oslo, Phuket, Dubrovnik, Santorini, Kyoto, or Madrid, Matt is a sought after Ashtanga teacher with an itinerant life pushed not by timesheets but tide charts. Youth on the North Shore of Kauai meant ocean immersion like few other places on earth; many of his childhood classmates became world class surfers. Both parents were devotees of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, and Matt grew up practicing yoga, but it wasn’t until Jois visited Kauai that Matt decided to “study at the source,” as he said. He was 19, and spent six months in Mysore, India, practicing at 4:30 am everyday, learning discipline and commitment. Over the next decade, he returned often to deepen his studies, and discovered never before surfed waves. Matt has always carried a camera, and his experiences have led to a broad body of imagery.
“My lifestyle is not for everyone. It takes a lot of surrendering and being humble. That has been one of my biggest lessons. Many nights I’m not sure where I’ll sleep. I’m like a homeless person with many homes and a jobless person with work around the world. I really found that nothing makes me happier than introducing others to a yoga mat or a surfboard. So my mission In life has become very simple…As long as I’m offered this path I will continue it.”
He’s been at it for 17 years, and with his following of students only growing, we expect several more decades of teaching and adventuring to come.
