How yoga helped Hong Kong club manager and drug addict turn his life around


Picture this: you wake up in a hospital, weak from having your stomach pumped, and find you cannot move your arm because you have been handcuffed to the bed.

Today, Gannaban is a certified yoga instructor who calls himself a โ€œsober yoga uncleโ€ and has an Instagram account where he posts himself performing challenging yoga poses.

He also writes openly about his recovery journey and celebrates his progress.

โ€œI just want to be open and honest,โ€ he says. โ€œItโ€™s better to have no secrets than for someone to find out another way.โ€

James Gannaban strikes a yoga pose at a resort in Da Nang, Vietnam. Photo: Instagram/jamesgannaban
James Gannaban strikes a yoga pose at a resort in Da Nang, Vietnam. Photo: Instagram/jamesgannaban

Born the oldest of six children in the Philippines, Gannaban studied theatre at university as he wanted a career in the performing arts.

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