SPOTLIGHT: MICHAEL HEWETT
Since being introduced by the great Swami Vivekananda, Yoga has been steadfastly increasing in popularity in the West. Nowadays, you can’t go more than a few feet in NYC without seeing some sort of Yoga studio; in the East, Yoga has been around for THOUSANDS of years. Yoga’s benefits have always been revered by its students and Masters, a few of the abundant pluses that this amazing Ancient practice blesses the practitioner with are: stress management, improvements in sleep, sharper cognition, better flexibility, building lean muscle mass, improving metabolism, straightening and strengthening ones posture, pain management, joint protection, cardiovascular health, and improving breathing.
Just as with any fitness, health/medicine, martial art or wellness practice—one benefits most from learning such a beneficial art from the hands of a seasoned and established Master. My dear friend, Mr. Michael Hewett is such a Master…
Michael Hewett with guitar. Image Credit – Michael Hewett
A yogi of over twenty five years and musician for forty years, Michael’s training in the full spectrum of yoga has deep roots in vinyasa, ashtanga, ISHTA, shamatha meditation (mind training) and eastern philosophy.
Michael is also a professional guitarist and producer with seven full length albums and dozens of singles spanning multiple genres.
Michael has successfully completed (4) thirty-day solitary meditation retreats, has led countless retreats around the world and guides people on their individual paths of healing, growth and evolution.
In 2009 at the request of his students, Michael founded Vessel Academy to share the full spectrum of teachings and practices of yoga, meditation and eastern philosophy. Within a few years the graduates of Vessel Academy asked Michael to create 200 & 300 hour teacher trainings so they may also guide others.
In 2016 he moved to Paris to bring the academy to European communities, lead retreats and tour on the yoga festival circuit throughout Southern Asia.
Currently he teaches a full roster of private clients, group classes and leads the groundbreaking ‘Learning to Learn’ program as an adjunct professor of mindfulness studies at Lehman College (NY). His new personal development company ‘Eye of the Storm’ will be launching this fall serving individuals and teams.
His passion as a teacher is to inspire and empower people to discover and engage their purpose through the combination of yogic arts and music. By engaging the spectrum of intelligences each of us embodies (physical, emotional, energetic and cognitive), healing, personal growth and breakthroughs are made.
I’ve asked my friend to share some of his epic wisdom with us!
What led you to practice this wonderful craft?
”My early childhood experiences of state changes in lucid dreaming and meditation that happened spontaneously. I asked my parents what was happening and they began guiding me with esoteric teachings and support of my love of music.”
What advice do you have for beginners?
“Explore with curiosity, sweat, healthy skepticism and sharp intellect. Seek out the best teachers you can and don’t believe anything until you’ve experienced it first hand. If someone says ‘Don’t ask questions.’ Start looking for the door.”
What is your ultimate goal?
”To heal, grow, and evolve enough to fully fall in love my selves in the relative and ultimate sense.”
What benefits does your practice offer?
“A reset button from the stress of worldly life, slowing down the aging process, I’m rarely sick, I know the difference between vacation and retreat.”
Share with us a favorite quote…
‘Beer, it makes you feel like you should feel, without beer.’
Michael Hewett seated. Image Credit – Michael Hewett
Thank you, Michael!
Wishing everyone reading these words health and happiness!
Your friend,
Andre Zemnovitsch
Andre Zemnovitsch
I have been a Certified Personal Trainer for almost 20 years. Training for some of the top boutique gyms in NYC and the Catskills, I have been honored to assist well over a thousand clients evolve not only their bodies but their minds to higher levels. I have dedicated my life to finding the most effective fitness techniques, herbs/plant medicines, exercise regimens, Martial Disciplines, scientific approaches and ancient wisdoms from the four corners of this wonderful World—to help myself and my fellow man live longer and better. I am the founder of High∞Chi Fitness—a soon-to-open revolutionary gym—where a medley of fitness Masters from around the globe will come together to work in harmony, collaboratively taking clients to their apex fitness levels. High∞Chi Fitness isn’t just a gym; it’s a way of life to assist the client to ride the trajectory of perpetual fitness evolution! Throughout my fitness journey: I have been blessed to learn from elite Martial Artists, esteemed Acupuncturists, Yoga Masters, Pilates pioneers, Zen Masters, and even real-deal Amazonian Shaman and Mystics. I have designed and instructed original and revolutionary fitness classes for some of the most illustrious centers and institutions on the East Coast—from the peaks of the Poconos to the Hamlets of the Hamptons. My successful classes place emphasis on Qigong breathing with Zen Visualization Exercises, alongside "Dynamic Meditations" juxtaposed with static techniques. I hybridize Ancient Eastern Techniques with the most up-to-date contemporary Westernized approaches: for total health and well-being and mind-body-connection. I have been fusing into my training regiments: the latest scientifically-backed advancements in fitness with a thousand years' worth of Martial Disciplines. I believe in a "best-of-all-worlds" approach to health and exercise, a best of East-meets-West, if you will. Via my training: I incorporate dexterity (hand-eye-coordination) alongside footwork, strength and conditioning, postural alignment strategies and physical therapy, breath∞work, mind-calming/elucidation strategies, visualization-manifestation methods, a variety of Martial Arts techniques, and a cornucopia of other important facets of mind-body enhancement. With all the aforementioned, I have found that this is the preferred way to follow THE WAY to optimized health and clarity of mind. My life is devoted to making your life better in every way! If you are interested in training, please send me a message via my email high.chi.fitness@gmail.com or call me at 347.777.2584.