What has surprised you most about being a father?

Having children was always part of my vision, but as it got closer I became worried that life as I knew it would be over. To me, the most surprising thing is it’s not as hard as it seems… After all, only half of it is up to the parents. Kids have an amazing capacity to learn, adapt, and figure things out.

Are there any important lessons your dad taught you growing up?

A commitment to health, definitely. My dad is a doctor of preventative medicine so nutrition was always a central topic of conversation in my family. Seeing his work treat all sorts of illnesses using meditation, diet and nutrition has been a huge influence on my siblings and me. We grew up vegetarian in a time when it was still unusual and had a daily routine of going for a run and jumping in the ocean as a family – no matter what the temperature – for some good old fashioned hydrotherapy.

My daughter is four and her name is Luciana

How funny! Now your office is filled with issues of Yoga Journal. How did that happen?

After a few leg injuries, I lost the level of athleticism I had enjoyed from my tennis training. My sister finally dragged me to a yoga class and it was so hard. I was shaking and could barely touch my knees, let alone my toes – but I was inspired by the challenge. I was totally humbled watching people bounce up to handstands with so much strength and grace. From there I fell in love with yoga, especially ashtanga yoga. It changed me physically, but also started to positively impact every other aspect of my life.

What do leading a company, practicing yoga, and raising children have in common? Just about everything, actually. We sat down with our CEO, Sky Meltzer to hear what a little presence and breath can accomplish on the mat, in business and beyond.

Did your parents do yoga?

They did, but I was allergic to it for the first twenty-five years of my life. I played competitive tennis instead and found every way to rebel against my new age upbringing. When friends came over it wasn’t unusual for my dad to be meditating, or my mom to be in a headstand. Meanwhile, I would be trying to hide incense and issues of Yoga Journal out of sight.