When LuLu and I first decided to interview a Yoga instructor for Agile Life Fitness, we envisioned it to be an article touting the strengthening and toning effects of Yoga. However, what we discovered after our practice with Beverly Herbozo, a certified yoga instructor, personal trainer, health coach, and very dear friend of mine, was so much more. Maybe it was the enlightenment that comes from a crisp, cloudless Saturday afternoon on Miami Beach. Maybe it was the approaching super moon. Whatever the reason, LuLu and I were about to embark on a beautiful journey in to the world of Kripalu Yoga, the connection between breath and intentions, and the quest for body awareness.
Following our practice we sat down with Beverly and discussed the concept of Yoga and how it applies both on and off the mat. It occurred to me how powerful the application of Yoga can be in our every day lives. Below are some of the powerful insights we gained from talking to Beverly about yoga as it applies to fitness, general well being, and life. Enjoy.
Dan: Beverly, several times in our practice you referred to Yoga as 'a journey'. You've also been known to encourage daily practice. Can you expand on that? It seems pretty daunting. For example, how long should your practice be if it’s daily and what you expect to come out of it?
Beverly: Sure! Firstly, it doesn’t have to be a timeframe so I would immediately release the thought that it should be an hour on the mat every day. It’s not just the physical aspect of being on the mat and doing the postures. Yoga can just be the breathing techniques. 5 minutes of that a day can be Yoga. It doesn’t have to be this huge mountain to accomplish. One day it can be an hour of practice… or it can be yoga as a way of being. If your intention is to be at peace, which is a huge part of yoga, then bringing that intention off the mat and in to your daily life can be practice. It can ground you and shift how your day evolves.
LuLu: Do you recommend incorporating yoga with weight training?
Beverly: I definitely believe in incorporating yoga in to weight training. The biggest benefit is breathing. Before I was exposed to yoga, my breathing was constricted. Now I’m really connecting with my breath during my weight training. I’m free to move the breath and really oxygenate the muscle. You can also incorporate yoga in to your weight training to prevent injury, to connect yourself with your body, and to feel the body awareness. For example, ‘How does my leg feel when I engage it?’ Or ‘Wow, one side of my body feels stronger than the other. That’s interesting I never knew that was there.’ It’s an inquiry… it’s something to explore.
Dan: So it seems like a great way to assess your body, listen to it and see where your strengths and weaknesses are instead of just punishing it daily.
Beverly: Exactly, that’s what I mean when I say it’s an inquiry. These are questions to explore during your practice. It’s taking yoga off the mat. For example, being harsh on yourself in practice… where does that happen in your life? When you’re in a pose and you don’t ‘get it right’, where do you feel like you need to ‘get it right’ in your life? So as you release that judgment and let go on the mat, you may see that trickle in to your life. Again, it’s bringing Yoga off the mat.
Dan: I can see why that’s very difficult for western culture to take on because it’s letting go of that notion that there’s a ‘right way’ and a ‘wrong way’ to do something. So you’re saying that Yoga is more of just an assessment of what’s going on that day.
Beverly: Yes, and what’s going on that day in your body, because it’s just that day, that moment in your body. It’s like, ‘wow, my right hip feels tight and I can’t get in to that posture like I did last week… alright… that’s interesting.’ And that’s what I’ll work on that day.”
Dan: So you’ve taken on a lot. You’re a certified Kripalu Yoga instructor, a certified personal trainer, but you’ve also taken on health coaching. How does that all tie in together?
Beverly: Beautifully! There's are a lot of subconscious beliefs and programming about health, weight loss, and physical appearance that have been instilled in us by society, by our parents, and by our culture. Bringing in Yoga and awareness to the mind helps you identify the mental chatter and the programming. There's a quote, “Don’t believe everything you think” which is beautiful because every thought that comes in to your mind is not necessarily true. Bringing awareness to those negative thoughts helps reprogram them. It’s no longer, ‘losing weight is such a struggle.’ It can be, ‘I lose weight easily.’
Dan: Absolutely. The psychology behind being a personal trainer; it’s more than just showing people the right way to train or the right way to eat, but it’s also instilling new ways of thinking. You find people all the time that have these negative thoughts that they’ve believed for so long, that it’s a fact to them.
Beverly: It’s about bringing empowerment in to the conversation. Bring empowerment in to your practice and connecting with the power we’ve all been given. We are all powerful beings. There are many examples of powerful beings in the world to look to and admire. We all have that ability… through Yoga, through exercise, through bringing in healthy foods that are life affirming… all of it together can cause a shift in your life. For some people, all it takes is a moment. As a Yoga instructor, as a personal trainer, as a health coach, it’s creating that space for someone to be empowered to connect with the healing ability that we all have within ourselves… to accomplish the things we want to accomplish.
If you're interested in training with Beverly (and I strongly recommend you do!), please visit her website, http://www.blissvida.com/. There you can read about all the services she offers and read more about Kripalu Yoga. Thanks for reading!
