Meet Joe Longo!

Yogahomies, meet Joe Longo! Joe is not new to the Yoga Home community, but he is new to our schedule. He teaches Slow Flow on Wednesday mornings at 9:30am. 

Not only is he responsible for lots of the photos you see on our social media and website, he is also the creator of the Tattooed Yoga Project. A personal community photo project, documenting tattooed yogis from across the land. Capturing the strength and courage it takes to step on to your yoga mat, and the strength and courage to get a tattoo.

Where does yoga and photography intersect for you?

The breath. For photography I need to slow down and think about my breath because I get very excited. I especially get excited when I’m photographing people that can do all the crazy things, and I’ll just start shooting like a mad man instead of just calming down and taking a breath and being like “Okay, you can do all of the things… let’s make one beautiful image.”  So just reconnecting with the breath and remembering being on my mat and bringing it off my mat.

Are you still working on your Tattooed Yoga Project?

I’m actually doing my last group shoot this weekend in the Wissahickon and meeting with a few tattoo artists to really get the whole picture. I wanted to meet with the people who are actually putting the art on these people.

Who is your favorite artist (musical or otherwise)?

So music, my favorites are currently Trevor Hall, Nahko and Medicine for the People, and anything fun and ambient, no words just feel good. I’ve been keeping my playlist very chill without words, but every once in a while I’ll do a class that’s all Trevor Hall. Then artists, there are just so many!

In the yoga photography world, Robert Sturman is great and very inspiring. Recently, I just started photographing dogs. I just started a whole brand called Paw Prints Pro just for pets and I’ve found pet photographers from Germany that are phenomenal! I’m always hanging out on the internet for inspiration. 

Through your work as both a photographer and a yoga teacher, what impacts would you like to make on the world?

What I want people in both yoga and photography to realize is how amazing this life is (if you turn off the news…) and just walk outside, like it’s beautiful! I would just love for people to really see the beauty that is around them.

Would you categorize yourself as a thinker, maker, planner, or leader?

I am a Pisces so I tend to be a big dreamer. I’m not a big planner, I’m not one for plans. I like coming up with these big bright ideas and then hope there is someone out there that can put a plan together to make it come to life.

Of all Yoga Home’s core values {Connection, Acceptance, Love, Community, Growth} which do you connect with most?

Community. That’s what I really enjoy about Yoga Home is that it feels like a big family, it feels like a home. I’ve never walked in where I felt unwelcome because everyone, especially people I’ve never met, are very open. It’s a nice, cozy home.

What are you most looking forward to as you make Yoga Home one of your new home’s to teach?

Getting people to enjoy silliness, I try and keep my classes silly. When I first started yoga, it was not silly for me, the teachers were very strict and I felt like I might get in trouble if I was out of alignment. I want to be able to have fun on my mat, it’s time for myself. If you fall down, laugh! I want people to be able to embrace their silliness and laugh in class – it’s a fun, safe place.

We’ll see you at one of Joe’s Slow Flow classes on Wednesday mornings at 9:30am!