Anthony McMorran

Anthony McMorran discovered yoga philosophy in the late 70s with a copy of The Upanishads that he found at a bookstore in his hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia. Around the same time, he took his first meditation class (candle gazing) at a local community center which also fueled his interest in yoga and self-inquiry. Always feeling an outsider with a difficulty for putting the thoughts and feelings of a tumultuous childhood into words, meditation and the ideas he found in Eastern and mystical philosophies gave him a sense of peace and “home.” He took his first asana class in 1987 when he started studying at the West Coast College of Massage Therapy and was inspired by how vibrant (and flexible!) the 75-year-old teacher was.

After becoming a massage therapist in 1989, Anthony studied Tai Chi for a year or two with Master Wang of Taiwan before returning to yoga asana to try and balance out his running addiction. Running events of note were a sub 3:00 marathon, a 17:44 5K, and a 3:01 Boston Marathon. Early yoga influences were classes with Rodney Yee and Ben Thomas of the Bay Area, California. He almost took yoga teacher training in 1995 but felt he “wasn’t flexible enough” and always found work and other responsibilities came before asana practice. But always a seeker, he continued his self-study in meditation and followed the teaching of meditation master Swami Chidvilasananda and attended several meditation and chanting intensives as well as a period of retreat in her ashram in Upstate New York. As a result of contact with her, he had many experiences of transformation and deep peace.

After moving to Phoenix, Arizona in 2011 he became more regular in his asana practice and has been motivated more recently by workshops or classes with Eoin Finn, Jason Crandell, and Ryan Kelly. Anthony and his wife Katie yogi/PT own and operate Tuning Tree in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and host annual yoga retreats in Nosara, Costa Rica.