International Day of Yoga with Balancing Breath
The International Day of Yoga is a celebration of the health benefits of yoga. For a decade, June 21st is a day to come together to share a yoga practice. Public spaces around the world are filled with mats of those who share a physical practice, with both movement and stillness. And yoga does more than improve physical health; yoga offers a path to overall well-being, including social, mental, and emotional perks.
Yoga is often known for the poses, or asanas—the physical practice. However, this is only one of the 8 steps (or “limbs”) of yoga as outlined in ancient writings by Patanjali. (A good source to find more information about this history of yoga and Patanjali is Yoga Journal.) The short story is that along with physical poses, yoga guides us through practices of breath work, concentration, meditation, and self-discipline, all of which impact our well-being beyond physical health alone. Our teachers at Balancing Breath share a love of the “whole health” value of yoga.
We are committed to creating a space for each student to show up as they are, meeting themselves on the mat (or chair), to share in a vibrant community experience and explore personal gains. At the same time, our teachers have diverse backgrounds, offer unique expertise, and collectively create a “menu” of classes for students to try. In any given class, you will benefit from the connections each teacher shares with their own teachers that shaped their practice over time, and their own personal evolution that is often informed by the students they teach. The practice comes full circle.
In celebration of this event, we asked our teachers and owners to share a bit about their “why”—and they offered insight into their own personal path to yoga practice and their journey into teaching and creating a space for your practice. We are united as much as we are unique, and we invite you to help our community grow!
Dianne shares the gift of yoga to keep the benefits from being a secret. For her, “Yoga practice offers time, space, and quiet to be intimate with my body. It helps me know who I really am and be that person off the mat. Yoga gives me a full conversation with my body, resulting in mental, emotional and physical resilience. Yoga helps me effectively face anxiety and depression and live a hopeful life.” Madison also sees how valuable yoga is for her self-care, remembering how her introduction to yoga, through a ballet teacher, supported her dance and well-being. “Yoga helps me stay embodied and choose to see my body with love rather than criticism.”
Likewise, Silke knows that the benefits she gains from her yoga practice are noticed by others. “Yoga came into my life because I was an exhausted mum .... When the doctor told me I should find something to relax me, I started to go to yoga classes. I could list all the physical benefits yoga brought me, but the most important benefit of yoga in my life is that it made me, and still makes me, a better person and a better mum. When my son was in 2nd grade and it was one of those crazy stressful days, he told me to do some yoga, because he liked me more after I practiced yoga.” The gift of being present for others has also helps Madison use her yoga practice in her everyday life. “The idea of sitting still and just ‘being’ filled me with anxiety. Savasana is still very challenging for me, but it helps me not just in my personal life but also my driving passion: acting. The art of acting is all about giving and receiving energy with your scene partners and an audience. In order to truly ‘act,’ one must be present. In order to be present, I think we must rid ourselves of the excess in order to truly dwell in the gift of the now.”
Sierra, Becca, and Morgan found a path to practice through performance and athletics. Sierra notes, “My yoga practice started out as a way to incorporate low-impact training into semi-professional rugby training, but I still had the idea that if I wasn't sweating and working hard, it wasn't worth my time. Through my years of practice on the mat, I've come to love the meditative and mindful space I can create. Now, yoga is one of the only places I can find the balance between that elite athlete mindset and stillness. Each time I step on my mat, I tell myself, ‘This space is yours and this practice is just for you.’ To me, this is like giving myself permission to connect with myself and my thoughts, and allowing my body to move intuitively without the pressure to perform. Yoga has also allowed me to be curious and have the courage to fail.”
Similarly, Becca found yoga through a running group and the opportunity to explore a variety of classes. “I found—and still find—the mental practice in yoga to be the greatest asset in my life. Yoga brings me focus, the ability to stay calm (or even still) while doing hard things, patience, self-awareness and self-compassion. Exploring the balance between ‘not enough’ and ‘too much’ in asanas (yoga positions) helps me know myself better, make good decisions, and challenge myself to grow. Yoga brings me self-confidence and has been a staple of my well-being through many injuries, ups-and-downs, life decisions, and beautiful friendships.”
Game-changing. That’s Morgan’s statement about yoga. “It sculpted me into a stronger athlete, a more centered individual, and someone who approaches life with a healthier mindset. Whether I'm holding a challenging yoga pose, using intentional breath work to recenter, or taking a few minutes to meditate, these practices have seamlessly woven into my daily routine, enriching my life in ways I never expected.”
Our individual practices come together in the studio at Balancing Breath. Morgan and Becca opened the space to allow others to experience these benefits and for the teachers they work with to share this passion. Becca notes, “my most memorable teachers truly believe in their practice and their joy and confidence inform the way I receive yoga.” So, they are hiring teachers who are passionate. Morgan adds, “I want each person who walks through the doors of Balancing Breath to discover something new about themselves or their bodies, leaving with a smile and a renewed sense of vitality.” Well, here’s a bit about the approach our teachers bring to their classes.
Silke is clear, “I want my students to fall in love with the practice as I did. If you love something you don’t have to convince yourself to do it! That truly integrates yoga into your life. Not to forget, body and mind aren’t separate they are one, and all of our life’s experiences are also stored in our bodies not just our minds. Moving can help us to let go of past experiences, can help us to live life in the present moment, and be prepared to face whatever the future holds for us.” To this end, Silke continues to evolve her classes and expertise, now moving into deeply restorative practices that rejuvenate body, mind, and spirit—often with props, giving students full support.
For Madison, her passion for dance is clearly a part of the fun she brings to each class. “I love getting creative with sequences and sharing that with others while motivating them to love and challenge themselves. Teaching yoga is a creative outlet to me, similar to dance, where I think about ‘how can we get from this asana to a completely different one in the most creative way’ and then I get to share that with others and let their energy feed into the flow as well.” Her classes embody a flow, fun, and lots of smiles.
Dianne wants her students to have an easier time navigating life. “A regular yoga practice brings better health and a peaceful countenance. Most people simply don’t know that they can reduce stress, move to relaxation, and find rest through simple breathing strategies. They don’t know that the autonomic nervous system is under their control with breath, movement, and mindfulness.” She has a way of making the complexities of our lives melt through her deep listening, soft tone, and ability to connect with each student.
Morgan and Sierra noted the importance of community at Balancing Breath—both in each class and as our students take the benefits of practice off the mat. Sierra explains, “Creating a strong community of individuals where everyone is able to show up authentically is like creating a team for the game of life. Although yoga is not a team sport, the opportunity to be present in a shared space and individually practice together still provides that team mentality. There is something inspiring about how we show up for ourselves and others, accepting and honoring what we need on a given day.”
As co-owner, Morgan leads with her passion for the practice, reaching out to Tuscaloosa through creative social media and community networks. She’s committed to bringing the opportunity to practice yoga to all, and is sharing the excitement of our current students in pictures and videos. For Becca, opening Balancing Breath and teaching are service. “I strive to be an invitation for each student to find value in the time they share with me. Their experience on the mat may inform their life in ways I will never know. Even the pause for a collective breath during class may become the habit that changes students’ ability to respond rather than react to all that comes at us in this fast-paced world. There is strength in stillness. I also like to cue a smile every now and then to remind us that we can create and hold happiness, even in and during the hard.”
So, on this year’s International Day of Yoga, or any day you feel moved to join us, know that we are happy to share our practice, our passion, and our smiles with you. Be with us. Breathe with us at Balancing Breath.
Read more about our team. And, thank you to all who joined our community Glow Flow event on June 21!
Community is about coming together! We did some positions that offered a chance to partner for a fun experience!
