Yogis Uncovered | Meet May
Come behind-the-scenes with May, a graceful dancer and aerialist who embraces yoga as a pathway to balance both body and mind. In this episode of Yogis Uncovered, May shares her journey from ballet studios to the jungles of Malaysia, where a deep connection to nature and movement was born. Now thriving in Los Angeles as a performer, May blends her love of meditation and gua sha with the freedom of yoga. Follow her as she bares her authentic self, finding peace and power through every pose.
“I do really love the freedom that I feel just being as naked as the day I was born, especially in nature. It feels very normal and very natural. ”
Hi, my name is May. I'm from San Francisco and I currently live in Los Angeles.
What was it like growing up?
I grew up between San Francisco and Malaysia. My family would spend three or four months in Malaysia at a time. My father is from Malaysia, and so we had a lot of family there. I feel really lucky to have had the experience of being totally immersed in my culture for such long periods of time. And the nature there is really present as well. There’s something about the jungle and the way that it comes through in every environment, no matter how built up a city is, that makes me feel very connected to it.
Growing up in San Francisco was fantastic because at the time that I grew up there, it was a very forward-thinking and a very body positive space. There was a lot of legal public nudity and a lot of great yoga and movement [options]. It was a really fun place to grow up.
What do you do for work?
I am currently a full time performer, a dancer and circus artist out here in Los Angeles. I started as a ballet dancer, so I’ve done a number of theater and live productions. I’ve also worked on films. As an adult, I’ve ventured more into the kink and erotic performance space as well. Last year, I had the honor of being the lead in a sapphic production of Dracula as an aerialist.
How did you get into yoga?
I got into yoga as a ballet dancer, actually. It was one of the classes that we were offered at my academy as a form of cross training and conditioning, a way to calm your mind and balance your body out after a long day of dancing. It was a practice that really stuck with me because of the meditative [nature] of it. And as I got older, I really appreciated the spiritual aspect as well.
What do you do for fun outside of work?
I love being in nature. I love hiking and surfing. I love having tea parties.
Do you have any pets?
I have two cats. Their names are Boba and Techno.
What’s a quirky fact about yourself that people would never guess?
I love to collect fun facts. That’s my quirk. Mostly useless facts. Like a baby platypus is called a “puggle”. Mostly nature facts. Plants vibrate. They make clicks and they click at a frequency that cats and dogs can hear. When they’re calm, plants will click.
How did you become so comfortable being nude in front of others?
I grew up in a really body positive household. My mom grew up on a farm, and so her approach to hygiene and health and wellness was very straightforward. I have three siblings and we showered and bathed together up until puberty. So I was always very comfortable with my body and never had a problem being nude in front of other people. And growing up in San Francisco, nudity was very normalized as well. I remember sitting at a sidewalk cafe with my mom when I was maybe like 10 years old and a group of naked roller skaters rolled by. And I was like, “Oh, look, mom, they’re naked”. And she was like, “Sure are!”. So it was always very normal for me.
What’s your favorite self-care practice and why?
There are two that I do every day as my self-care practice. I love my morning meditation. I’m a big morning meditator, and I like to just wake up and take in the world around me and notice whatever sounds and sensations are coming my way. That’s one of my favorite things. And the other self-care practice that I really love is my gua sha practice, which is a Chinese medicine technique to help with lymphatic drainage and moving the chi.
What’s your favorite food?
I love seasonal fruit. Raspberries are probably one of my favorite foods, but I love to go to the farmer’s market. Whatever fruits are in season are always the ones that taste the best. Right now, I’m obsessed with melons.
What’s a final word of advice you might give to people who are just starting out on their yoga journey?
For someone who’s just starting out on their yoga journey, I would just say, you know your body best and listen to what its needs are. Listen to where you can push it. You’re capable of so much more than you think. And just go slow and breathe with it.
*this interview has been edited for brevity and clarity