The Opener

I have taken yoga classes with Domonick for approximately five years. In addition to weekly classes, I have gone to Hawaii and recently to Calistoga with him on group yoga retreats.
Domonick brings a great deal to the teaching and practice of yoga. He is such a well-​rounded person. He is very smart in so many ways. He knows and understands the practices of yoga and mindfulness and demonstrates his knowledge and understanding with clear thinking and explanation. He has a wonderful sense of humor and makes us laugh even in the throes of the most challenging yoga poses. He makes yoga fun. Domonick is kind and thoughtful, always emphasizing the positive. I continue to learn from him and am grateful to be able to practice with him.

I am what you would call (if you were being nice) an anxious person. I have had therapy on and off for years, which helped, and I have practiced yoga for years which helped. I have always wanted to develop a mediation practice which has been difficult, as it is for most of us, to settle down and focus when there is so much to do. But nothing has helped me with my anxiety and my emotions more than the Mindfulness practice and techniques that I have learned from Dominick. I came upon him through yoga and immediately knew that he was, as others have said, the real deal, meaning someone that lives and breathes mindfulness. He encourages the practitioners to be aware of the sensations, thoughts and feelings that they are experiencing in each moment with loving acceptance.
I took his Minding your Mind class and also worked with him privately around mindfulness for anxiety. This has helped me more than I can even relate. I had to speak at a conference and I was having so much anxiety that it was disabling, although I knew I could do the talk. I learned breathing techniques that actually calm the brain activity that causes anxiety (he is also a Neuroscientist and has a PhD so he can explain the effects of mindfulness scientifically). I learned to note what was happening in my body when I am feeling anxious. I learned to accept whatever is present, which was surprisingly difficult. I learned that the feelings that seem so daunting pass more easily when we don’t resist them. Through these tools I was able to function and excel during the conference.
This has been life transforming for me. I had another significantly anxiety provoking event this week and was once again able to call upon these mindfulness tools to get through a tough transition without snapping at anyone (which has long lasting effects on a relationship), or feeling that panicky feeling. I feel I am much better in handling issues that comes up with my husband and daughter as well. Whether it’s a yoga class, a Mindfulness class or a retreat, you won’t regret your time with Dominick. And you may find yourself following him around from yoga studio to yoga studio!

Domonick is a gem when it comes to yoga teachers. While I always tell people I come across who are interested in yoga to seek him out, I also find myself not wanting to spread the best kept secret!
His classes are always well structured and well informed. As a student I know exactly what he is asking us to do. The classes are focused and the poses are approached in a methodical way that allows easy access. He suggests levels in each pose, so a beginner is challenged as is a more advanced student.
He weaves mindfulness throughout. We are reminded of our perceptions and thoughts, our physical experiences, and encouraged to think beyond our habitual reflexes.
I am amazed at how often I go to class with my body feeling the need for xyz, and find that it’s exactly what Domonick has in store that day…
We are fortunate to have such a wonderful teacher here!

Domonick is a treasure. Practicing yoga, mindfulness and self-​awareness with him will truly enrich your life. For three years, my wife and I have practiced with Domonick (receiving private instruction, attending group classes and participating in his Yoga Hawaii retreat). Our yoga practice with Domonick changes and evolves, and Domonick always seems to know what our bodies and minds need. We feel fortunate to have him in our lives!

As a true yoga novice, I can attest to Domonick’s skill and patience as a gentle, nurturing teacher. I also attended his Mindfulness class and felt truly enriched by it. There is a reason why he’s getting 5 stars from everyone! I highly recommend Domonick for yoga, mindfulness training, anything he does. My only regret is that I don’t have more time to see him every day. Our lives (and the world) would be better off if we all could incorporate his wisdom into our daily practice. Namaste.

Being a yoga student of Dominick’s is truly a gift you give yourself. His classes are engaging, purposeful, and fluid. From beginning to end he leads you through a series of well-​constructed poses that engage both mind and body. No class is ever the same. He allows for each individual to work at their own level by providing variation of poses, and challenges your thought process to help eliminate judgment and cultivate peace, awareness, and acceptance in your practice. The principals he practices in his own life of generosity, compassion, and observation, are carried through in his teaching, all in a light hearted and motivational manner. You leave his class feeling balanced, peaceful, and pleasantly expanded. Highly recommended!

I signed up for Domonick’s mindfulness course, Minding Your Mind, with some trepidation: would I feel emotionally safe or exposed and uncomfortable. I needn’t have worried. Acceptance, compassion and attention to the present moment are at the core of who Domonick is and what he teaches. I have since taken his Heeding Your Heart course and many of his yoga classes. In this age of multi-​tasking, there is no greater gift to yourself and your loved ones than taking one of his classes.

Domonick is the real deal — he practices what he teaches, and his teachings and training are gentle and powerful. And the schnoodle is definitely an added bonus; she is enchanting. I’ve taken Minding Your Mind and Heeding Your Heart, and continued practice on my part has made my life a peaceful and joyous place. I can’t quite manage the Hawaii trip yet financially, but I’m saving for it, and looking forward to it puts a big grin on my face when I remember my goal. I strongly strongly recommend The Opener; it is transformative when you allow it into your life, and I am much more alive than I was before I took his classes.

I have practiced yoga and mindfulness for years sporadicly always as a passive intermittent hobby. Now having taken Domonick’s mindfulness class and participating in his yoga class for the last two years I have learned ways to integrate the work and teachings into my daily life creating more ease in my world each day. Thank you Domonick you are the best! Namaste

I don’t consider myself as someone who has attention deficit disorder but I recall having had some difficulty being attentive and mindful especially when anxious or bored. After I took Domonick’s workshop I started to notice improvement in many areas of my life; I was successful in doing my work more efficiently and I lost 10 lbs after four months of mindful eating and maintained my healthy diet and life style that gave me more vitality and energy.
Before his workshop, I remember I could not stop checking e-​mail or surf the internet. As the result of my inability to focus, my work suffered and felt like draining. I tried several practices to train my brain and kick out the habit. For example, I tried Yoga classes at my gym or I played certain mind video games designed to improve attention but I was still not performing at my optimum level. One of the founders of vibrantbrain, Inc. recommended that I sign up for Domonick’s workshop and I am so grateful for her suggestion.
After following his instructions in class, doing the home works and listening to his class CDs, I finally kicked out my habit of eating sweets, checking e-​mail and surfing the internet. I am now in control and can enjoy a sweet any time I want but I don’t let my craving to control me.
As I do my projects, I realize that I keep getting curious to check my e-​mail and go on facebook. Domonick taught me that each time I become aware of this urge, I can tell myself that I have a choice to either stay on finishing what I am committed to do or suffer the consequences of instant gratification. Remembering that I have a choice was empowering.
Below, I have listed why Domonick’s method has been effective for me:
1) Domonick is an inspirational role model who practices the techniques himself
2) Domonick has explained the science in the brain that keeps us in the vicious cycle of habit and autopilot.
3) Domonick is a kind, gentle, patient, and forgiving mentor even when his students resist making life style changes or complain.
4) Domonick provided his students CDs, Homework, and a manual for after class.
5) He keeps reminding of us that we have a choice and we don’t have to be at the mercy of our habits and that we can take control by showing how we can interrupt the vicious cycle of habit by changing the context.
6) His Yoga instructions are effective because they are simple.
7) He invites his students to his beautiful house on the mountain in the company of his adorable doggie for a day of silent retreat which is an incredible experience. While we followed his lead on yoga poses and stretches in the midst of that beauty, I felt that nature, God, universe, the whole world with all its inhabitants were connecting with me. I got a sense of enlightenment that I am grounded and empowered by being in peace with nature.
8) The mindful eating is an experience that will awaken your taste buds and make you more appreciative of the blessings on earth provided for your nourishment.
Finally, I have suggested his website and workshops to folks working with addicts. If you need a breakthrough in the area of giving up a habit, Domonick is for you.

I had a private yoga session with Domonic and couldn’t have been happier! He has private classes at his home in the Oakland Hills and it was very tranquil and peaceful. It was nice having him coach me on the finer points of my poses and he really geared the class towards what suited me.
I was looking for something more yin and Iyengar-​esque and he met my needs. I have a feeling if I wanted a more vigorous class he also would have been able to accommodate. Overall, a great experience!

I’ve experienced Domonick’s world-​class massages before, and his more traditional yoga classes, so I knew I was in for a treat when I took my first Yoga Hike. But I had no idea how «in my body» I’d feel as a result! The Hike I joined focused on grounding and the root chakra. The next night I went out dancing and felt more connected to the earth and to my body — more grounded by an exponential amount — than I’ve ever felt before. It was a transformative experience, highly recommended.