In the late 1990s, yoga drew Michael Gannon away from the fast-moving world of advertising and music dealmaking in the United States. He went on to spend 10 years in India studying with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois (1915–2009), where he learned the first, second, and third series of the traditional Ashtanga Vinyasa system. In 2001, Jois authorized him to teach, and since then Gannon has shared his knowledge in more than 50 countries across five continents.
He has trained more than 500 teachers around the world in Ashtanga and Power Vinyasa Yoga, and his teaching style is known for making the transformative benefits of yoga approachable for anyone ready to learn.
Gannon also draws on a wide range of meditation and breathing practices to help students move beyond the limits they place on themselves.
Long ago, he embraced the playful nickname “The Yoga Dealer” and founded the Yoga Dealer Brand in 2005. Over the years, his teachings have reached a wider audience through DVDs, the first Ashtanga Yoga app for iPhone and Android, and an online video platform. His first book, Ashtanga Yoga Made Simple — A Practice For All Levels, was published in 2018.
At his home beach in Mexico, Gannon designed, built, and now directs one of the world’s most beautiful yoga schools, Yogaloft Playa del Carmen. When he is not traveling, he spends time there with his three most powerful gurus: his daughter and two sons.