I was 35 years old. My career did not take off until I was 40. That was in 1996 when

wrestling blew through the rafters in the cable industry. Monday Night Wars were a huge

part of that. Pro Wrestling Illustrated rated Stone Cold Steve Austin as number one and

DDP as number four both years which was really crazy coming from obscurity like that. And

then I blew my back out. And I blew my back out so badly that three different back specialists

said my career was over. I’d actually ruptured my L4 and L5 and it was really bad. Just signed

a multimillion dollar three year deal. I mean I finally got paid so, you know, this was

the time I worked so hard to get to and now it was all gone. Around that time I was married

and my wife at the time was like, why don’t you try doing yoga to heal your body. I was

like, yoga. I wouldn’t be caught dead doing yoga. That was the way I felt about it. And

long story short, it’s all I really could do.

I was still doing rehab because I had rehabbed back both shoulder surgeries, both knee surgeries

and the ruptured L4 and L5, I was trying to nurse that back but it was just so tender

and so immovable. I started to do the yoga and in the first three weeks I started to

feel a significant difference. It was mind blowing to me. I was very frustrated though

because the tapes I was watching, everybody was a stick figure. Everybody could twist

themselves up into a pretzel. No one was modifying any position. So I had to figure that out.

And then about three weeks in like I said I was feeling pretty good so before I crashed

out I decided I want to do some of these yoga positions and I wouldn’t call them poses

or postures because, you know, I’m a guy who wouldn’t be caught dead doing yoga.

But I started to mix them with the rehabilitation moves and then I was like wow, this sort of

flows pretty good. And then over a period of time, next couple of weeks I threw in old

school calisthenics, you know, pushups, squats, crunches done with a slow burn movement. And

what I figured out – like if you’re lifting weights you’re just jacking weight, you

get your heart rate jacked up. But if you lift weights slow and control the weight you’re

going to utilize more muscles. And every time you flex or engage a muscle like when you’re

doing a slow burn push-up, your heart’s got to beat faster to get the blood to the

muscle.

Again, I’m figuring this out because of boredom but again completely by accident.

And over a period of three months what would become DDP yoga becomes a kick ass cardiovascular

workout that could dramatically increase my flexibility and strengthen my core like never

before. But here was the key. Minimal joint impact. In less than three months I was back

in the ring. At 42 years old they said my wrestling career was over. At 43 I was the

heavyweight champ of the world. So I decided I’m going to keep doing this what I used

to call back then yoga for normal people. And then it just sort of took on a life of

its own building its way up to DDP yoga.

I was on Shark Tank. They were like the big question is how have you succeeded in a world

that is so competitive? How have you succeeded and made all this money in this business?

How did you do that? Me and my business partner, Steve Yu, we just looked at them and said

we inspire people. No, but really, how did you get the people to be brought in? I go

we inspire people. They’re like no but – and you ever saw that – this stuff got cut from

Shark Tank because they didn’t get it. I think the first person that had to be inspired

was me. Again you’re talking about the guy, you know. Underneath DDP yoga this says it

ain’t your mama’s yoga, you know. And I respect all types of yogis. I always say

yogis – most yogis very Namaste. DDP yoga – we’re more T&A, you know. Tone and attitude.

And we have fun with it.

The whole tone and attitude that makes DDP yoga its own animal has to do with dynamic

resistance. All I want you to do is go back to this. Remember this from wresting? Now

it’s in DDP yoga and I cannot believe it’s the centerpiece again. Completely by accident

or by design, however you choose to look at it. So what I’m going to do is I’m going

to take my thumb and index fingers – do this with me at home. I’m not talking to

myself. I can get away with that. I was a wrestler. Okay so put your thumb and index

fingers together. Now push really hard. Now when you push really hard look at the muscles

on my body. Look at my hand, forearm, bicep and pec. They all have to engage. Now straighten

your arms out in front. Take your left hand – it will be my right. I want you to pull

your pinky away from your thumb like really stretch it. Look what happens to my arm. You

can see my tricep. You can see my forearm. But when you take them like this and you push

your thumb and your index fingers away and you pull your pinkies away, look what happens

to my hand, my forearm, my tricep, my deltoid and my trap. They all have to engage. Now

do this with me. Have some fun. Keep pushing your thumb and your index fingers together.

Pull your pinkies away. [INHALE SOUND]. Now as you inhale create resistance as you’re

moving. Lean back in your chair, nice stretch. Now bring your arms out to a T. Clench your

fists tight. Bring your fists together, your biceps together, your pecs together and hulk

it up brother. That’s right. Squeeze it tight, tight, tight. Attention. Shoulders

back, chest out. [EXHALE SOUND]. At ease. You can see me starting to perspire. That’s

called dynamic resistance.

So whatever you’re trying to do, you need to remember that there will always be better

than, less than and different than. That means whoever’s the best - in professional wrestling

you might say Hulk Hogan. Everybody under him, less than except for the person or company

that’s different than. That’s what DDP yoga is. That’s what Diamond Dallas Page

the wrestler was. And that’s why I never even let anybody call DDP yoga, yoga. People

come up to me all the time. Autograph signings or personal appearances I’m doing, all excited.

DDP, oh my God, I’ve lost 50 pounds. I love your yoga. A big group of people around. I

go what’d you call it? They go oh, I lost 50 pounds. I lost 50 pounds doing your yoga.

I love it. I go what did you call it? I go what did you call it? They go DDP yoga. It

becomes a funny bit. And again you can get away with that but a wrestler. No other yogi’s

doing that.