Humans of Harker: Jordan Goheen bonds with his father through bikram

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Julia Huang

“I found part of who I am through my injury definitely because rarely do you have time to just sit and reflect. You’re always just pushing to get ahead and catch up…I found more so what I value. Before, I had been pushing and pushing and pushing, but I didn’t know where I wanted to go. After that, I was trying to find what am I striving for.”

by Julia Huang, TALON Organizations Editor

104 degrees Fahrenheit. 40 percent humidity. Jordan Goheen has practiced hot yoga, or bikram, every summer with his father ever since the seventh grade. Initially, they started this activity to support his father’s friend who opened the studio.

We went one summer, and we were not ready at all,” Jordan said. “It’s a very holistic practice. I like bikram because it’s the hottest of the kinds that they offer at that studio, and it does a lot for your internal organs that you wouldn’t think about when you’re stretching and pulling.”

The unusually heated room cleanses the body of toxins and facilitates stretching.

“It’s a very different form of exercise than I’m used to,” he said. “I’m an athlete; I play basketball; I workout with weights; I run. Even before I did yoga, I loved to stretch. It’s very calming and helps me sleep. Even if we didn’t initially like it that much, we got around—it’s like coffee; it’s an acquired taste.”

As a child, Jordan used to hike every weekend with his father, and even as their free time together dwindled, Jordan and his father continued their tradition with bikram.

“It’s been really busy even in the summers,” he said. “It’s something that we both enjoy, and it’s something that we’re both spending time doing. It’s so simple, but that doesn’t happen as much, especially as I’m getting older.”

Jordan and his father also have a custom of sharing the same beverage after a hot yoga session.

“It’s really something I enjoy doing not just because of the physical benefits, but it’s a father-son bonding experience,” he said. “We always get cold coconut water after because they sell the cold coconut water at the studio.”

James Goheen III, Jordan’s father, also shared a drink with his father after golfing together.

“Now it’s a new era. Instead of golfing, we’re sweating and meditating on this mat, drinking a healthy [drink] instead of coke,” Goheen said. “We’re close to begin with, and it was another opportunity to bond. I’m really proud of him as he’s got a good heart, he works hard, and I love him very much. The touching part is people always see me there, but having him come there, I can just say, ‘Hey, this is my son.’ It’s the pride of being his dad. There’s a mutual love and respect between Jordan and I, and it’s one of the many things that we’ve taken on.”