Coco Rojas
When Mike was dating his wife Hillary, she convinced him to join her for a yoga class taught by her longtime instructor, Marco Rojas, who goes by Coco. Over time, regular yoga sessions have helped him heal a nagging high school basketball injury and they ensure he’s always limber enough for impromptu surf trips.
“Yoga is a process of evolution from the ordinary to the extraordinary,” says Coco. When he makes Mike hold Warrior II pose until his legs start shaking, he isn’t being mean. “I help my students bring out the best of themselves,” he says. “Sometimes that means holding them in a pose until they reach a level of bliss.” That state of bliss got Coco, who was born in Venezuela, hooked on yoga 20 years ago. “I still recall my first class,” he says. “I felt sublime. Like I was vibrating on a higher frequency.” Coco’s practice is rooted in fundamental postures. “They are the juice, the essence of yoga,” he says. That doesn’t mean they’re easy. Just ask Mike.
Coco’s classes deliver a serious physical workout, but the real effort comes in trying to quiet his students’ distracted minds, he says. He encourages his students to close their eyes and use their breath to melt away distractions be it the shiny spandex in the room or a looming work deadline. “Yoga cannot be practiced in the past or future, it brings us to the now,” he says.
Those moments of introspection bring clarity and ultimately help people make better decisions when they leave the mat. “We all have the answers within us,” he says. “I’m really just a guide, helping my students unlock their own inner teacher.”
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