Being invited to spend a whole week in Las Vegas teaching yoga to poker players at the World Series of Poker was, until then, the hardest challenge of my teaching career. I had already taught through 45-degree dust storms at Burning Man, completed ten days of silent Vipassana meditation, and led classes in other languages in faraway countries.

 

But could I keep my lightness and my teachings intact in a city built on sex, drugs and gambling? Could lived wisdom and a genuine wish to help others outweigh the emotional roller coaster of the World Series of Poker and cut through the sexualization of everything — including me, a rare woman at the Rio? Could yoga really reach a Vegas culture so often fueled by liquor, marijuana or cocaine? Was insight yoga actually welcome here?

 

For all its brightness and light, Las Vegas has a terribly seductive dark side. There was nothing to do but discover it for myself.

 

The Darker Side of Poker

On my first day I stood on a stage in one of the gaming rooms, looking down at thousands of players' heads, eyes fixed on their hands (and on their phones whenever they were sent on break). Players are herded into tournaments like cattle and put in rough conditions — stale air, fluorescent lights, unhealthy food and anything but ergonomic chairs. Betting, playing and buying a piece of one another is how they keep their skin in the game, always having action even when they aren't at the final table.

 

For twelve hours and more these people — men and women alike — sat at tables placing bets, winning and losing money. From up here it looked like torture. Spines were badly out of line, rescued only by massage therapists rushing table to table to offer deep-tissue relief to players suffering back and shoulder pain from so many hours of sitting. Hips were tight and shoulders tighter. It looked awful! This is far from the dream young players picture when they imagine reaching the World Series of Poker — slick marketing makes it seem like many cash out big, when in truth the real profit goes to the House, and even $1 million winners often keep only a portion after paying out everyone who 'bought into' them.

 

By days two and three I was given the rare chance to spend hours in deep conversation with the men here — without question some of the most intelligent people I have ever met, from CEOs of billion-dollar corporations to 21-year-old millionaires with off-the-charts IQs. When it's just us, talking philosophy, science, math and even yoga, the otherwise all-consuming raunchy debauchery feels impossible.

 

Still, I saw addiction to the money and addiction to the game itself. Not a moment passes without checking stats and women, jumping from one table to the next, playing online between live games, drinking after a bad bust and drinking more after a good one. Humanism isn't dead here, but the culture certainly doesn't create a nurturing place to simply be. As one player put it, "these are not lost souls, they are simply a bit misguided, hyper-focused on a few specific things that keep them running on fumes."

 

Can I stay here? Am I strong enough for this work? Are my light and shakti strong enough to enlighten you? Or will you simply take my time and energy and keep the millions for yourselves? Only time will tell.

 

Bringing Yoga to the World Series of Poker

"Vegas showed me there's a fine line between wild perseverance and addicted gambling. Hopefully I'm on the right side of it. Hopefully the yoga will take off and poker players will be less depressingly out of shape and grumpy." — Yoga student in Vegas

 

Yoga and meditation are increasingly promising answers to the physical tension, emotional anxiety, stress and burnout caused by 12-hour days, limited sleep and the use of drugs and alcohol to stay awake and engaged. By day four I was glad to shift from odd Canadian girl in yoga pants into a more nurturing role — 'yoga mom' to an eclectic group of poker players who had spent much of their time isolated in apartments playing online or stuck at tournament tables. After some gentle convincing that yoga was good for them, I had to reset my own expectations of what teaching yoga in Vegas would look like. This was no 889 classroom.

 

To make yoga work for this community, I had to be willing to teach at random hours, in random places, at the last minute, and even after players had enjoyed a beer following a bad bust. I had to release my judgment of poker culture and open my arms to people in order to help them improve their game (and ultimately their life). Soon I was seeing players regularly, guiding them through everything from alternate nostril breathing to yin yoga poses to savasana with adjustments — most for the very first time.

 

The Lighter Side of Poker

“I went into the summer at the World Series of Poker having tried yoga a few times before but had never taken to it. Luckily I was introduced to Ashley and I never looked back. After some of my toughest poker sessions ever she was there to guide me through poses in a way other teachers hadn't, which left me feeling refreshed, clear-headed and ready to go again, not to mention the physical benefits. I would seriously recommend it to any other poker players out there, or anyone with stress in their day-to-day lives — it works!” — Ben Heath, Final Table Contender, World Series of Poker

 

The light side of poker can be a path to freedom, creativity and financial gain when players stay connected to the greater good. Without that, it becomes no different from a mundane 9-to-5 with no larger ambition, ruled by unconscious behavior. On day five I was honored to be introduced to a poker-based charity called "Raising for Effective Giving," run by one of the female superstars of the poker world, Liv Boeree, who genuinely believes that "the money won in poker can do so much more than just benefiting ourselves. By donating a portion of these winnings to the most effective charities of the moment, it helps the people and issues that are in most desperate need."[1]

 

Despite my early reactions to the game's downsides, I came away after seven days with a much clearer view of my own judgment of this culture and began to see the goodness behind the game. By befriending the players, understanding their personal paths here and the struggles they faced along the way, I found deep empathy for this collective of brilliant misfits.

 

Often people who simply didn't fit the default world's expectations but whose brainpower was far beyond normal found in poker a deeply intellectual and social space to excel. And excel many of them did: the characters in my Vegas adventure went on not only to win big games but also to practice yoga with me, question the cultural norms of the game, and even hold back from playing when their brain and body sharply said no.

 

A glimpse into another world is absolutely fascinating — and it isn't all bad. I met players who ate vegan diets (think Daniel Negreanu[2], who notes on his WSOP profile that he has been vegan since 2003). Andrew "Lucky Chewy" is openly devoted to his yoga and meditation practice and raw vegan diet, and even wrote a book called "Yoga of Poker." 2014 Main Event winner Martin Jacobson was a major yoga advocate, and one of my housemates, Greg Merson, who won just over $8 million in 2012, said being in the best shape of his life played a huge role in surviving the battles in the trenches at the tables. In fact, many of the BIG winners are deeply involved in yoga and self-care.

 

Then there's Evan Jarvis, a regular yin yoga student of mine, who poured time and energy into recruiting me and two other healers to come down for the World Series of Poker and offer love and light to the players. Deep in poker culture for years, he saw a dire need for healing and faced resistance with great poise to make it happen. Liv Boeree called us the booth of "love" for players when they were down and out. Antonio Esfandiari salivated over our green juices loaded with traditional Chinese medicine herbs. We even ran into some winning players at the sensory deprivation tank in downtown Vegas. Daniel Negreanu says it best: "I don't think it's a coincidence that a lot of the young players at the highest levels, playing the super high rollers and other high-stakes poker, also spend a lot of time thinking about life at a higher consciousness."[3]

 

Poker isn't bad — the culture can be, and the lack of nurturing people who genuinely care for players makes it hard to move forward. After a week immersed in the highs and lows of the game and its players, I am wholeheartedly convinced that we can transform a culture so often ridden with greed, ego and sex into something mindful, heartfelt, sustainable and respected both inside and outside the community. But damn, is it ever going to be hard.

 

Wish me luck.

 

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[1] http://www.livboeree.com/charity/
[2] http://www.wsop.com/players/playerprofile.asp?playerID=267
[3] http://www.cardplayer.com/poker-blogs/2-daniel-negreanu/entries/562007-mindfulness-in-poker