Dragn Yoga & Wellbeing

Meet David Balfe

I am David Balfe, Yoga and Meditation teacher, and Breathwork teacher and found of Dragn Yoga & Wellbeing, in Warrington, Cheshire, UK. Practicing yoga since 2013 when I discovered hot yoga. At the time, lifting weights and training in Thai Boxing, hot yoga became a perfect complement to other physical pursuits. The benefits included improved mobility and flexibility, improved core stability and better posture. However, the most noticeable effect of this practice was a sense of increased mental calm and clarity.

During a period of sustained life challenges, I became chronically stressed, anxious and under immense pressure. I had recently become a new dad and started a new business. At the same time letting go of 20 years of life as a Dj and raver and all of the antics that came with it.

Embarking on a plant medicine retreat working with Ayahuasca in late 2014, I went on a journey of unraveling and unwinding from the point that I’d reached in my life. With new responsibilities came a new focus on the things that were important to my future and that of my family.

Yoga and meditation were repeatedly shown to me as things I needed more of in my life. It stood out as a path I could follow that resonated with me. Combining philosophy, art and science it became the antidote to the pressures of modern life.

As my practice has deepened, it has moved from being simply another challenging physical exercise, to a way of life. A way to better self-regulate the nervous system and to process and integrate emotions, a way to see and think clearly, a way to move and breathe with greater ease and less effort.

The Sanskrit root word of Yoga is ‘yuj’, which translates to ‘yolk’ or ‘unite’. By combining breath, body, mind and spirit we can unite all of these parts of us. Yoga is a pathway back to ourselves and our unique wholeness.

My teachers encouraged and inspired me to train to be a Yoga teacher. In 2019 I graduated from a 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training with Yogacampus. Then in March 2021, completing a further 100-hour meditation teacher training with Yogacampus. In May 2022, I completed a 7-month Conscious Connected Breathwork certification with Integrative Breath. My fascination with Yoga, meditation and breathwork and their power to lead heal and transform continues to deepen.

I have trained with many great teachers and coaches, including:

Through my experience, I am driven to share the power of Yoga and breathwork with others who seek to heal and positively transform their lives.

The Dragn Yoga Brand

Now more than ever, spiritual practices that teach us to look within are needed in the world. Yoga captures the holistic nature of the physical, mental and spiritual practice.

My motivation is to teach men and those who engage in physical sports and activities, although my teaching is applicable and open to all. My teaching approach is strong and physical but over time, I have developed a more gentle approach (as my teachers have often advised!).

The Dragn Yoga logo and branding and designed encapsulates the bold and fearless dragon archetype, coupled with the fearless determination of the disciplined spiritual warrior. It also represents the rebellious non-conformist nature of finding your own path through life and not simply following the crowd.

Have you ever heard of Enso? It is a concept from Japanese culture that centres around spirituality. Enso is a hand-drawn circle in one or two uninhibited brushstrokes to express a moment when the mind is free to let the body create.

The Enso symbolises absolute enlightenment, strength, elegance, the universe, and mu (the void). It is characterised by a minimalism born of Japanese aesthetics. The circle may be open or closed. The Dragn circle in the logo is incomplete, allowing for movement and development and the perfection of all things. Zen practitioners relate the idea to wabi-sabi, the beauty of imperfection.