Diamond Dallas Page is looking to make a “Bang” in Guelph, Ontario, when he brings his DDP Yoga “Inspiration Meets Perspiration” workshop to the Royal City on Saturday, June 8th.
DDP and his wife Payge will join DDPY Master Instructor Dr. Marcel Doré in a day that they hope will not only motivate attendees during the workout, but also to potentially change their lives. It’s a lofty goal, but it’s something Page has seen countless times since creating the DDPY system.
“I’m educating people on how to hold back the hands of time,” he said about the program during an exclusive interview with SlamWrestling.net.
He points to Dr. Doré as an example of someone that was helped immeasurably by DDPY.
“(His story) is the greatest compliment I could ever get for my program,” Page said, “and really speaks to the legitimacy of what it is. Dr. Doré blew his back out, and they said they couldn’t fix it. He was gaining weight, he felt horrible. The bottom line is that he used my program to heal himself. Then he became a level one DDP Yoga instructor, then level two. Now he’s one of only five Master Instructors in the world, that can teach every form.”
A physician in Guelph, Doré has been teaching DDPY for nearly 10 years. Partially retired from hospital medicine, he now has a small clinic in Guelph where he emphasizes treatments through exercise. He teaches six DDPY classes every week.
Page notes that the classes – and the workshop – are meant for all levels, from beginners to experts, and participants can be at pretty much any level of fitness. That’s one of the hallmarks of DDPY, he noted, and a key factor as to its growing success.
“I’ve made DDPY excuse-proof,” he said.
“You can’t get out of bed? I have about six different workouts on the app that are started in bed. Then, once you get strong enough to get out and sit in a chair, there are about 20-plus workouts that are done while sitting in a chair. Then, you graduate to standing and using the chair to help you get up and down, and build strength and balance. Then, you go to Beginner. Then all the way to psycho extreme s—.”
“We’ve also done it on Roku and On-Demand for the older people who don’t even know how to use an app. But they know how to go on TV, they can go On-Demand and go ‘boom’ and get a subscription. What we found is that 90% of our On-Demand subscribers were about rebuild – our Chair Force, our Stand Strong workout. A lot of the people who start on that, as time goes on, they get better and stronger, and they do it.”
Similarly, the workshop is geared for all levels, and Page wants to reassure any potential attendee that they should not feel in any way intimidated about attending – even if this is their first time trying yoga.
“There will be people there who can do crazy s—, and there will be people who are lucky to be standing without falling over,” he confirmed.
As for what people can expect on the day of, DDP reiterated the theme of Inspiration Meets Perspiration.
The day starts at 8 a.m., but the workouts only start after I’m done talking with every single person and we take a selfie,” he said enthusiastically. “I give an inspirational talk, then I break down the Diamond Dozen (the key moves of DDPY), then we talk about breathing and dynamic resistance. And then we do the workout. And when we do the workout, it’s not my intention to kick your ass – rather, I’m there to inspire you, to push yourself to whatever level you want to go to. Because one of our taglines is ‘Make it your own.’ DDP Yoga meets you where you are; you make it your own.”
He’s also looking forward to seeing and hearing about the progress that people have had through DDPY, including those who were at the last session in Guelph. Though he’s also hoping that this will be the start of a journey for many others.
“The last time we did a session in Guelph with Dr. Doré, we drew like 160 people,” he remembered. “The goal for this seminar is 200 people – I would love to see that many people there. The record is 191 right now. Marcel used to have the record, so I’d like him to get it back.”
In talking about people’s “journeys”, Page sees that as the true success of DDPY. He noted that it was seeing the journey of someone he’d helped that really helped build momentum for the program in terms of mainstream awareness and in participants. He attributes a lot of that to the positive outcomes experienced by Chris Jericho.
“Chris had broke his back, blown his back out,” Page said. “He was done – he couldn’t sing, he couldn’t do anything. And I called him up when I heard about it. He said that he was just about to call me. That people had been telling him that he had to do Trish (Stratus)’ yoga or do DDP Yoga. I sent him the video of (Arthur Boorman, a disabled veteran who used DDPY to transform his life). Five minutes later, he called me back and said, ‘You tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.’”
“Five weeks later, he was 85% pain free. Three months later, he headlined WrestleMania with CM Punk. Chris told everyone about it, which gave us a little boost. And then Arthur’s video went viral, and it blew us up. And then of course, The Resurrection of Jake the Snake, and Shark Tank. So many things that just raised the awareness about the ways we were helping people.”
Since then, Page has continued to help other people, including a number of other professional wrestlers such as Marcus “Buff” Bagwell and Scotty Riggs.
“I helped Marcus Bagwell get sober – he’s 21 months sober now – and he’s in way better shape,” Page noted proudly. “And Scotty Riggs is the poster boy. The difference between how he looked when he got to my crib and six months later, it’s unbelievable.”
Helping others is something that’s ingrained in Page’s spirit, he said, explaining how and when he embraced that approach to life.
“When I was 22, I heard a Bible-thumper called Zig Ziglar. Zig has some of the greatest quotes you’ve ever heard. But the first one I heard him say – which is my favorite quote, and has become part of my DNA – is ‘You can get whatever you want as long as you help enough people get what they want.’ That has been like my credo.”
“A lot of people who come to do my program have lost hope. A lot of people – I would say at least 50% of them come because they lost hope. Well, now they find hope.”
That common goal has helped build a community of like-minded people that are all looking out to help each other attain their goals.
“We have a Facebook page for DDPYoga,” he pointed to as an example of that community. “That page was originally five people from across the country who did the program. They wanted to stay in touch so they could keep each other accountable. Now there’s over 78,000 people on there.”
Page attributes a lot of that growth in the awareness of, and participation in, the program to success breeding success. He notes that a significant metric in that regard is the growth through word-of-mouth and referrals.
“Every day, 25% of the people who get my program (are introduced to it by) friends and family,” he pointed out. “You don’t really see a lot of advertising – you see stories and transformation. Like, here’s who this person was, and here’s their journey.”
Page has plans to show even more of those journeys through a series of videos he has put together featuring wrestlers and other celebrities and athletes going through the DDP Gauntlet, a series of workouts designed to test their body and spirit.
“It’s not a podcast,” he clarified. “I don’t want to do a podcast – everyone and their mother has one. Rather, it’s kind of like workout, bio-hacking, educational video series.”
“I take the person in a cold plunge,” he said, explaining the routine. “I put them on hypoxia (low oxygen) training. From there, we go to the mat and warm up. And then we do our Power Cuff workout. I hadn’t lifted weights in 15 years, but I’m back because of the Power Cuffs – they’re unbelievable. Just pushing and pulling with those on, they strengthen your muscles and help you keep long, lean muscle mass. I put an inch and a half back on my arms, two inches on my chest and shoulders.”
“We’ve got a lot of these in the can, and we haven’t done anything with them yet. It’s more of workout and a (conversation) with a lot of different people. Celebrities and other warriors. I’ve had the guy who’s the President of the NFL Alumni Association. I’ve got guys from the Special Forces World’s Toughest Challenge. I’ve brought Brody King through the Gauntlet, Anthony Agogo, Darby Allin, Britt Baker.”
“I took Britt through that workout, and she said it was the best workout she ever had. She was really great – and what a great talent, you know? I hope she sticks with it,” he said.
The mention of Baker and other wrestlers led to a discussion of other wrestlers that Page enjoys, and he named Randy Orton and MJF.
“Randy is one of my favorite guys,” he beamed. “I think he’s one of the most underrated guys of all time. He’s a great athlete, great look, great promo. I got a great DM from him. He’d seen me at Ric Flair’s Last Match, and he messaged me saying, ‘I saw you hit the Diamond Cutter, and immediately Googled your age. That you can still get out there and do it the way you did it, and have your health – good for you.’ I wrote back, telling him he’s always been my guy.”
As for MJF, Page called him “one of the best heels ever. He’s got it… he can talk his ass off.”
Of course, another of his favorites is Cody Rhodes, who Page has known since Rhodes was a youngster. Page was happy and proud to see Rhodes win the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania, and credited Cody’s unyielding work ethic on making sure that the story played out that way.
“(Seeing him win at Mania), that was huge. It’s been a hell of a ride for him, and I’ve been on it with him since he was a Junior in high school, watching him go 48-and-0 and win the Georgia State tournament. During his sophomore year, he told me that he was going to focus on wresting and (he predicted) that he would win the State Championship in his Junior year. I said, ‘Wow, that’s a bold statement. You know what that’s going to take, right?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, a lot of work.’”
“Even as a kid, he got that,” Page marveled. “He was doing the things like Michael Jordan would have been doing when he was a kid. That Kobe Bryant kind of work ethic. The stuff that nobody sees. And I watched him go 48-and-0.”
He drew the parallel of Cody losing at WrestleMania 39 – and not giving up – to a similar experience Rhodes experienced back in high school the year after his perfect season.
“The next year,” Page recalled, “he lost a match, I think it was match number 12 for him that year. And I called him, pretending I didn’t know about it. He told me that he lost a match, and I said, ‘Thank God.’ He was, like, ‘What? Why would you say that?’ And I told him, ‘You don’t learn from winning, bro. You learn from losing. From making mistakes.’ It didn’t really click for him until about three or four matches later. And then, in the finals, he faced the kid who beat him earlier – who was still undefeated in the finals. And he ate him for lunch.”
“So, I wouldn’t say I was glad, but I wasn’t sad that he didn’t win the Championship at his first Mania,” Page continued. “Because I knew how hard he was going to work. He was so driven to finish the story that the people felt it. And when he didn’t go over the first time, they were pissed. Even the Cody haters, most of those disappeared over that period. They got with him, because he was so committed, so passionate.”
“And that’s what makes wrestling fans the greatest fans in the world,” he pointed out. “Because it’s not just your town, or your team. It’s your guy or your girl. When the fans can feel what (the wrestler) feels – when you’re at that level, I knew they were going to get with him.”
Page credits The Rock as being a key element in the success of the story as well.
“And when it came down to the slap – as The Rock would say, ‘The slap heard around the world’ – the fans really stepped up,” he observed. “One of the most popular babyfaces of all time is now becoming the heel. Because the fans waited two years for (Cody to win the championship).”
“And The Rock didn’t have to do that, he didn’t have to go full-blown heel. But he knows the business, he loves the business. He’s a fan before he’s anything. He didn’t just come in and work a match and leave. He came in and elevated the hottest angle in the business to a whole different level. Because of who he is – the biggest star in the world. And when he comes back, and he’s looking for Cody, that’s instant money again. It’s a no-lose situation.”
With the passion still evident when he talks about wrestling, it’s natural to wonder if Page has any interest in getting back into the ring. And he’s quick to answer.
“Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope,” he said, without hesitation.
He noted that his last match – which saw him team with Dustin Rhodes and QT Marshall against MJF, the Butcher, and the Blade at AEW’s Bash at the Beach event in 2020 – was the perfect way for him to go out. He pointed to one particular spot that he said helped him find closure on his active in-ring days.
“In the end, when I finally went off that top rope, it was like me sailing off into the sunset. It was a great moment that no one saw coming.”
“What’s really crazy is that I have a picture of me from the AWA. I was with my team, Badd Company – Pat Tanaka and Paul Diamond – and they were working against Mondo and Hector Guerrero. The three of us are on the floor. Mondo runs up the turnbuckles, 1-2-3, and dives on us. I had no idea it was coming – I had never seen anything like that before. And he came crashing on all of us. I have a picture of him flying through the air. That was my first day in the AWA, and in my last match, I got to fly through the air. I don’t know how you can make it better than that.”
But while he is ruling out a match at this point, it doesn’t mean he won’t deliver his signature move every now and again.
“Oh, I’ll hit a Diamond Cutter all night long… well, maybe all night long,” he laughed. “But two, three in a night? Yeah, I’ll do that as long as I can.”
Given his health and conditioning, that could very well be many more years to come. But even if it’s not, Page seems at ease with whatever might come. He notes that his wrestling legacy will never be forgotten – but he would also not feel bad if, when the end comes, he’s known even more for what he’s been able to accomplish in terms of helping people through the DDP Yoga program.
“Once you’re in the Hall of Fame,” he noted, “nobody can take that away from you. What I did in wrestling was so cool.”
“But what I’m doing today is different level s—,” he said.
“You have no idea of how many stories that we have about people (whose lives have been changed by DDPY). The day that I’m no longer here, all of those stories will be going out there everywhere. People will see how many people that have been helped. We’ve got videos and videos, and hundreds of stories. We just need the time to tell them. And tell them in a way that’s not just – here’s where they started and here’s where they are now. We want to tell the entire journey – that’s what people relate to.”
“That’s the type of journey we want to start with the people in Guelph,” he reinforced. “Because if we can help them, they can go on to help other people. It’s like I tell people: if you want to feel better about yourself, help somebody. If you help somebody, you feel so good about yourself. That’s why so many people who do my program become instructors: because they want to pass it on. That’s why Dr. Doré does it. And that’s why I do it.”
For more information on the DDPY “Inspiration Meets Perspiration” workshop in Guelph, and to register, visit the event page here.
RELATED LINKS
- Diamond Dallas Page’s official website
- DDPYogaWorkshops.com for more information on all of the upcoming DDP Yoga events
- DDP Yoga website
- Diamond Dallas Page’s official Facebook page
- Diamond Dallas Page’s Instagram page
- Diamond Dallas Page’s Twitter
- DDPY Facebook page
https://slamwrestling.net/index.php/1900/11/12/diamond-dallas-page-story-archive/
