Douglas Victor Eagle was a vibrant Junior World Champion, rocketing his way through the amateur ranks to a bright career as a top pro racquetball player. There was absolutely no warning the day a reckless driver ran a red light, crushing his small sports car and sending it spinning wildly. The light that had shone so brightly the day before, then flickered and faded with the agony of a serious lower back injury. Doctors were less than optimistic and gave Eagle no hope for return to a blossoming career that had, just days before, held promise for fulfilling his dream of becoming a top-ranking professional athlete. His disappointment, fear and physical pain were overwhelming. 

Torn from the sport he loved and the lifestyle of a strong, capable, athletic young man, Eagle dove into fear, anger and self-pity. Through several months of unimaginable pain and despair, he slowly began to rebuild his life. He thoroughly explored the many western approaches to both mental and physical rehabilitation, including weight training, assisted physical therapies and personal development techniques. At the same time, he made the discovery of his lifetime: that the ancient eastern science of Yoga, consistent meditation, positive affirmations, constructive visualizations and proper breathing techniques were far and away more effective for elevating physical performance and establishing mental and emotional stability. Where traditional western medicine and physical rehabilitation had fallen short, Yoga and other specific ancient Eastern techniques pushed Eagle to previously unrealized levels of mental and physical performance. Through dedicated practice and proper application of these techniques, Eagle was able to rebuild himself on a strong and stable foundation — physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually — to attain a stronger and healthier state of being than he had ever imagined.

Less than two years after the accident, Eagle returned to a sport that he’d been told he would never play again, and subsequently won back-to-back Texas State Singles Titles by bringing these ancient training techniques with him. As his strength, dexterity, intensity and focus were honed through his new training and rehabilitation regime, he went on to place second at both the 1998 national singles and national doubles (with Drew Kachtik), fourth at that year’s World Championships in Mexico, and swept of the Tournament of the Americas in Honduras.

Earning two separate appointments to the U.S. national team was a dream come true for a man who was told he would never return to the sport. To make a comeback from such daunting challenges, and intermittently rank among the top-10 pros in the world was, in itself, an amazing feat. Eagle had done what leading physicians and surgeons had once said was impossible.

As a student, fellow teacher and associate of Eagle’s, I would have to say that his physical prowess and professional success, along with his heightened state of mental, emotional and spiritual awareness makes it clear he has tapped into resources seldom accessed by pro athletes, yoga instructors or spiritual seekers. Now that he has formally announced his retirement from pro racquetball, his life is dedicated to sharing the very same techniques that elevated him out of injury and instability to a plateau of physical, mental, and emotional euphoria. 

For the better part of 2003 he will take his studies on the road to India, the heartland of Yoga, where he will study with many of the world’s preeminent instructors who represent teaching lineages extending back for thousands of years. Eagle’s life is a testament to the fact that the benefits of these ancient sciences he has studied thoroughly, and now teaches impeccably, are unparalleled, and should be regarded as skeleton keys for anyone seeking personal health, vitality, and ultimate professional performance.

To learn more about Doug Eagle, his work with Ancient Performance TechniquesTM, The Transformational Rhythms ProgramTM, and his continuous path towards a healthier and happier existence, log on anytime to HighVibeLiving.org or EagleYoga.com.

About the Author: d is a co-founder of High Vibe LivingTM, a community of scholars and educators dedicated to maintaining the integrity of ancient Eastern sciences for personal wellness, while intimately fusing their core principles with aspects of western culture. He has been Eagle’s student, close friend and fellow teacher for the past seven years. His extensive experience with both Eastern and Western approaches to personal wellness and the science of yoga, along with his work with contemporary therapies of healing with sound, rhythm and vibration, offer insights into the truly dynamic path of preventative healthcare.

On his return from India, RACQUETBALL hopes to convince Doug to select and illustrate a training series of yoga poses for racquetball players. Look for them in future issues.