We were lucky to catch up with Daniel Overberger recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Daniel thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

My Mother always told me “life is not fair” and what is amazing about that is how much I wanted and want it to be fair. I’m a libra justice and balance can be like a sickness haha.My Mother also told me the Library has the answer to almost every question you might have. Now it’s the internet. My mom even taught me how to identify plants using my phone. My father always showed up for his family and for his job. Our blue collar people in America are the back bone of what keeps us going. All the people doing the work and not getting or asking for the credit, just showing up every day and doing it.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a Yoga teacher that works 100 percent outside of the yoga industry. I teach many classes at Runyon Canyon in Hollywood. There have been yoga classes in Runyon for over 20 years. I have been teaching there since 2005. I never thought about being a yoga teacher. I thought a teacher would be someone who practiced for like 10 years and then becomes a teacher. Funny, these days people jump into teaching so fast. My 3rd year as a student a friend of a friend was opening a gym and she told my friend, “I see that guy with his yoga mat every day walking to class, he is dedicated, I want him to teach at my studio”. So I got the phone call and even thinking that it seemed too soon for me to become a teacher, I said yes. It’s funny teaching yoga is a little like problem solving. If I am at my best, I can help lead my students to their own solutions and conclusions. It’s more powerful if the student finds it. Just telling people an answer is just not as potent. I’ve helped people with emotions, fertility, digestion and curing or working around physical ailments.Never stop moving and work around and or with whatever might be slowing you down. At a minimum you can still do breath-work.

Have you ever had to pivot?

These last 3 years have been an absolute test of endurance, adaptation and resilience. Like many of us we got shut down. Even Runyon Park was closed for awhile. You have to pivot and do it fast. First thing I did was transfer many of my classes to Facebook Live. I had 1600 views on that first class. I was just determined to keep serving the people. Funny thing about facebook is the live stream stopped working well and they tried pushing everyone to “Rooms”. It was bad timing because the FB Live was working and I didn’t want to have to change yet again. But zero choice. Facebook Live would crash randomly after the second month. Dealing with that and teaching at the same time was supper anxiety provoking. I eventually had to go to Zoom and pay for that service. I also had to learn how to use Zoom like overnight. It’s so different teach via video than in person. That transition was hard and fast. This last year in Los Angeles has also been strange because the weather is so different. Normally the 1st three months of the year are really big because of New Years Resolutions. With all the rain this year and coming out of what we all just dealt with in the world. The New Years Resolutions spike did not happen this year. Like George Harrison taught us, “All things must pass” I keep doing the work and keep moving forward. Tomorrow is always another day with new hurtles and eventually we become good at dealing with Obstacles. They can lead us.

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

I really didn’t have any idea what trying to be a yoga teacher would be like. I am glad I didn’t know. Had I known I am not sure I would have went forward. Growing up I always thought being smart was the answer to everything. But, what I didn’t know kept me from passing on a golden opportunity. The first job I was offered really fell apart. The business didn’t take off. But, I had already been offered a position at Runyon. I had know idea that would take off the way it did. It just doesn’t fit into normal thinking. Had I looked at it and tried to analyze and see if things would work out I am sure I would have run for the hills. My ignorance of the business and the possibilities were an asset. The day in 2008 when KTLA showed up to my class. It could not have been more random and more unexpected. Sometime there is a Universal plan that is bigger than our mind can conceive.   

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.danieloverberger.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackmarketyoga/?hl=en
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlackMarketYoga
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BlackMarketYoga