BV Yoga Student, Drew Wright, shares how yoga has changed his body and his life.

“I want to begin by thanking BV Yoga for asking me to share my yoga experience with you.

I was the Fire Inspector who signed off on the original studio four years ago when Kiersten first opened Bala Vinyasa. Though I wanted to start my yoga practice back then, I was too macho at the time. If I can’t catch on to a new exercise quickly, I tend to avoid it all together and yoga was intimidating.

I have been a Fire Fighter/Inspector for the last 20 years, and was a soldier in my late teens and early twenties. In these roles, I’ve been tasked with carrying heavy loads on my back for much of my life. I’ve been thrown out of airplanes, fallen off of roofs, and stumbled through the rain forest. In a nutshell, my body has been beaten up over the last 30 years.

After a few weight training injuries and noticing excess weight gathering around my waist, I decided it was finally time to take another look at yoga. By that point, I was more concerned about my lack of flexibility and misalignment of my spine than looking foolish getting in and out of the poses. It was time to embrace change, and I’m glad I did!

I now am standing on both legs equally for the first time in years. In only three weeks of classes I noticed a huge change in my hip alignment and spinal posture. The instructors and staff have been helpful and motivational in keeping me grounded in reality, checking my machismo at the door, and reminding me that this is a lifelong practice. They answer any and all of my questions and physically assist me into proper alignment when necessary.

My mind has changed as well. Before I began yoga, I thought it had merit in the flexibility one gained, but I wasn’t aware of the mental side of the practice. I find the present tense thinking and internal reflection very therapeutic. Living in the thoughts floating around in my head has proven distracting and destructive for my health. With yoga, the lack of negative thoughts I once had is amazing. After classes my mind is quiet and clear. I love a less cluttered mind. That alone is worth the cost of membership.

Most importantly, I’m always brought back to my breath. Now, when I feel stressed or get into a negative conversation, I retreat to my yoga breath. It has become invaluable when I’m faced with the daily stresses of my firefighting duties. I slow down, breathe into my throat, think and wait to respond.

Knowing that I can reverse the aging process and end undue stress in my life through yoga brings me great comfort. Yoga helps me in my lifestyle by adding a lifelong exercise practice to attain my goal of living past 100 years old. I suggest to others who haven’t tried yoga yet, particularly men — forget what you ever heard or perceive yoga to be and just try it! If you want a better golf swing, to be able to do simple tasks like tie your shoes more easily, or you simply want peace of mind at the end of your day, yoga is the path to follow on the journey to a healthier, balanced life.

Thank you for the opportunity to share with you what yoga has done for me, and thank you to BV Yoga for a new lifestyle!”

Thomas (Drew) Wright
Firefighter, Father, Friend

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“The BV teacher training took me beyond what I thought was possible for myself.”
-Dana Klein

“Teacher training is challenging, rewarding, demanding, gratifying and intense.  It asked more of me than I thought I could give, and rewarded me with more than I could imagine.  I built deep, significant relationships, learned so much about yoga that improved and enriched my yoga practice, and was amazed not just about what I came to understand, but about who I became in the process.”
-Laura Groves

“The Bala Vinyasa 200 Hour Teacher Training has forever changed my life.  Not only with the possibility and knowledge to teach, but with communication and perspective skills that will help to enhance every aspect of my world.  The relationships that were forged during this process quickly grew into some of the deepest connections I have experienced.  All I can say is that if you are even the slightest bit curious about the program… just dive in headfirst and the reward is your transformation.”
Lauren Gibson

“The BV teacher training was truly a transformational process of learning how to show up and be present and how to hold space for others as not only a teacher, but in all areas of my life.  The process has taught me invaluable tools of communication, empowerment, and staying true to myself.  It was a great experience, and I came out with all the necessary tools to be a powerful yoga teacher.”
-Wendy Grossman

“This training has empowered me to create the life I want by listening to my heart and taking action to make it happen.”
-Libby Dunnigan

“I came to Bala Vinyasa wanting to be a better mom, a better wife, and a better friend.  I also wanted to become a better student and teacher in all areas of my life. I had a desire for today to be better than yesterday. Since I have completed the teacher training at Bala Vinyasa I have the tools to do all of that and I believe that the possibilities for me are unlimited. Kiersten’s power, inspiration and dedication, Debi’s strength, compassion and knowledge of the asana, and Michelle’s pure fun, honesty and love- along with the entire staff -make Bala Vinyasa a unique and magical place. The training was professional and flawless. It never skipped a beat from the warm welcome the first month to the send off at our graduation- it was like going to the best concert of your life.  If you have the slightest bit of interest in learning how to be a better student, maybe you have a dream of becoming a Bad Ass yoga teacher or you just want to learn how to breath, sign up now. If not now when!!!  The Bala Vinyasa Teacher Training program is rock solid filled with inspiration to last a lifetime.”
-Jen Dales

“If you are ready to be challenged in ways you can’t even imagine, you might be ready for the BV 200 hour Teacher Training!   Be prepared to see yourself in a new light, to grow and change and to walk out the door at the end of the training with new friends, new skills and a whole new way of being!”
-Jennifer Stevens
“It’s hard to put into words how transformative and amazing the Bala Vinyasa Teacher Training process was for me. It made me a better sister, daughter, wife, and friend, and helped me re-connect with my heart and inner self. The experience gave me the confidence to be a great yoga teacher, both on and off the mat, and helped take my practice to a new level. Throughout it all, the BV staff encouraged, supported and continues to push me to my edge as a yoga teacher and student.”
-Sara Mueller
“Teacher Training for me, was the best opportunity I have ever had to really find and reveal my true self.  Just turning 40 in January, it was chance for me finally breakthrough the 39 years of layers and start living life authentically.  Teacher Training was more than just the Physical aspect of Yoga, about which at first I was hesitant, due to the fact my practice is only two years old.  It was more of the personal and spiritual transformation.  Teacher Training is about living your yoga on and off the mat.  I see myself differently and the rest of the world differently, with a lighter and peaceful heart.  I only wish the whole world could go through this process, it works!!”
-Liz Ross

“The journey of the 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training Program took me from being a person with little power, lack of inspiration, and scared, to blossoming into a person that felt empowered, becoming a teacher that will inspire, and a teacher that will radiantly shine her light to her students and the universe. The program left me knowing that I can be the best teacher I can be therefore having all others in the world striving to be the best they can be.  It was well worth the journey. With gratitude, Namaste.“
-Christine Steadman

“The Teacher Training program is a powerful experience I would recommend it to anyone who is willing to “come out of the box”. Not only did I acquire a deeper knowledge of yoga on all levels, I graduated from TT with empowerment and lightness. Only from participating in this program can one understand the great sense of community and the closeness we all shared with one another. Teacher Training will change you and change your life.”
-Christine Miles

“This teacher training shifted me into action for myself and for my life.  It provided me the platform and space to face my fears and see myself from a different perspective.  It taught me to strive to teach yoga all the time – on and off my mat – to myself, family and others.”
-Leigh Dally

“This TT process will forever change the way I view myself and others.  I must constantly remind myself to be present, but I have shifted from a state of doing to a state of being.”
-Lynda Waterhouse

“Teacher Training is much more than a time commitment, it is a commitment to yourself and your growth.  A lot of work, but a true gift!”
-Melanie Solis

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NAPLES DAILY NEWS  June 16, 2011

Click here to read article on Naples Daily News website

What are the best things in Southwest Florida? There are so many great places to eat, to shop, or just have a good time, that it is hard to name them all.

So each year, the Naples Daily News asks you to give us a hand. And our readers do so by submitting literally hundreds of thousands of votes in 122 categories ranging from best butcher shop to best car wash. This year, more than 300,000 votes were cast by 3,004 users who logged online to let their voices be heard in the Ninth Annual Reader’s Choice Awards.

Thursday night, the Naples Daily News presented the 244 awards in front of an audience of roughly 500 people at the Philharmonic Center for the Arts, where about 200 local businesses were represented.

Two awards are given in each category. The Southwest Florida Choice Champion awards are bestowed on the businesses that received the most votes. The Southwest Florida Choice Star is awarded to the one that received the second most. It is usually a heated race.

When the awards were started in 2003, there was only one winner. Due to the popularity of the Choice Awards, and the closeness of the runner-up (sometimes so close in votes we referred to them as the “second winner”), the Star Award was added in 2004.

Winners are identifiable throughout the year by the award certificates on display in their businesses, through the door decals on their exterior entrances, and in their advertisements. Please congratulate the winners when you see their Florida Choice logo on display.

Click here to see the complete list of the winners. Here is the list of winners in the Ninth Annual Reader’s Choice Awards, which were handed out Thursday night at the Philharmonic Center for the Arts.

(Two awards are listed in each category. The Southwest Florida Choice Champion awards are bestowed on the businesses that received the most votes (the first business listed). The Southwest Florida Choice Star is awarded to the one that received the second most. (the second businessed listed). It is usually a heated race.

Health Club

The Wellness Center – NCH

Bala Vinyasa Yoga Studio

© 2011 Naples Daily News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Click here to read article on Naples Daily News website

© 2011 Naples Daily News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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by Kiersten Mooney

The practice of yoga is a powerfully transformational process.  By continuously returning to our mat, we learn to transcend our old ways of being that do not serve us and explore new pathways for growth.  In life, we are either in the process of growth, or we are stagnant.  Yoga helps us to become aware of our reactions in times of challenge or discomfort and to develop open, honest inquiry into where we are limiting ourselves and our lives.

We all have blind spots, which are places that we can’t see and don’t even know we can’t see them.  This is where we are closed, and where we are closed is where our greatest personal transformation occurs, but we must be willing to be in the game.  When we are in the game of new possibilities for expansion of self and community, we commit to living at a risk and sharing with generosity.

It is like doing a yoga pose that you never thought you could do for the first time.  It lights you up, but you must be willing to take a risk on your mat and be willing to face your fear of falling or feeling like a failure.  It’s the same with personal transformation.  Transformation requires us to share with honesty and to be open to listen to others’ feedback of us.  It is essential to know how we are leaving people feeling, because all the knowledge in the world doesn’t matter if our words are not landing in the hearts of others.

This process of transformation occurs powerfully in the moment and transcends any past.  All of our growth and transformation happens in the now moment.  In order to see what we don’t see and to be open to new possibilities, we need to let go of our limiting perspective of the future based on what happened in the past.  No matter how far we have gone down a wrong path we can always come back and, in the moment, recover.

Is what you are creating in your life in alignment with your highest intention for yourself and others?  If your highest intention is not always supported by the words and actions you generate, they lack integrity.  Integrity is intention in action, and without integrity there is no power.  Everything that happens in your world is your result.  It is essential that we challenge ourselves to see beyond our limiting points of view of others and to understand what limiting points of view others may have of us.  When we communicate through our limiting views we lack integrity, and therefore we lack power.

Living a life of integrity in action is contributing for the highest good to inspire and empower yourself and others and to show up every moment with the intention of leaving others with their greatness.

Live at a risk on behalf of making things happen in your life and in your world to create a future of extraordinary accomplishments!

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by Kiersten Mooney

There are many types of yoga, and as a beginner or even long time practitioner, the variety of styles can be confusing.  As you begin your yoga journey, be gentle with yourself.  Just show up and do what you can.  Practicing is a lifelong process that will evolve as will your power, strength and flexibility.  Give yourself enough space to grow and time to learn.  Pace yourself and trust your body. All yoga is good and most classes generally incorporate many of the same postures, yet how they are sequenced together is what can dramatically change the dynamics of the class.

Bala Vinyasa Yoga is a Baptiste Affiliate, one of only 37 in the world.  Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga is the style of yoga that the studio was founded on because the process works.  The practice makes physiological sense and empowers and inspires people to go beyond their self-imposed limitations.  It has changed the lives of millions around the world and here is why.

The Baptiste Vinyasa sequence encompasses all the major components of fitness: cardiovascular conditioning, muscular strength, endurance, flexibility, balance, agility, coordination, and enhances body composition.

Vinyasa means, “flow” or to move without resistance.  Interval and cross training are inherent in the design of power vinyasa.  In a power flow class, you utilize both the aerobic and anaerobic systems of the body.  Because the human body is very adaptable, you need to vary the type of exercise you do, as well as the intensity and duration.  The Baptiste Vinyasa sequence creates a sense of familiarity, yet within the skeleton there are variations to intensify or modify, and to challenge the body by altering the pace of the flow, how long the poses are held, and how frequently they are repeated.

Beyond the physiological benefits, power vinyasa yoga transforms you from the inside out, allowing you the space to explore your authentic self and bring more joy, fun, ease and freedom into your heart so that your true essence of lightness and love can shine through in all you do.

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By Kiersten Mooney

“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive.”  His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Although it is challenging to directly relate emotional stress to heart disease and cancer, it is common knowledge that high amounts of stress over time are not good for the body, mind or spirit.  Stress creates “dis-ease” in our bodies and life.  Being caught up in negative thoughts, intense emotions, and fears triggers reactions throughout our bodies that may lead to heart disease.  On a physiological level, practices such as breath work, meditation, and yoga are known to help prevent cardiovascular disease by lowering blood pressure and heart rate, and reducing total cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

The practice of yoga is physical exercise, but the benefits go far beyond the physical.  Yoga opens our hearts to invite more love and compassion.  It teaches us to cultivate ease and create freedom and flexibility not only in our body but also in our mind.  Forgiveness, letting go, and unconditional love are key ingredients to heart health and living a stress-free life.

No one leaves this earth unscathed, making it a challenge to continually practice unconditional or “absolute” love and compassion.  Many times our emotions take over, pushing us to react to what we are feeling in the moment rather than pausing in order to respond to what is really going on.  When our feelings are hurt we become fearful and this often causes us to shut down.  Fear closes us off from being available and open to love.   It blocks us from seeing that we have all we need inside of us to be happy, free, light and to love unconditionally.

Part of practicing unconditional love is forgiveness, true acceptance, and letting go of righteousness.  In the words of internationally known yoga teacher Baron Baptiste, living a life of ease rather than “dis-ease” is “giving up your right to be right.”  It is the power to move beyond being right that gives us the freedom to experience love and compassion.  Invite more love to live a stress-free, heart healthy life.
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Bala Vinyasa Yoga is making an impact for change in Africa!

Kiersten Mooney and Debi Grillo are mentoring new Africa Yoga Project teachers, Irene Mueni Charles and Moses Wekesa Baraza, throughout 2011 to support their growth as teachers and leaders in their local community!

We’ll keep you posted about the journey and growth experiences of Irene and Moses in BV Buzz and in our newsletters.  Read below to get to know Irene and Moses…

Africa Yoga Project (AYP) uses the transformative power of yoga to empower communities and change lives. By inspiring the global yoga community into active service, AYP delivers effective and innovative programs that foster peace, improve physical, emotion and mental well-being, facilitate self-sufficiency and create opportunities to learn and contribute across the communities of East Africa.   To learn more about the visionary activities of Africa Yoga Project, go to www.africayogaproject.org.

Click on the images below to enlarge them.

By Kiersten Mooney

It’s the time of year when many of us make News Year’s resolutions.  For the most part, resolutions are made to lead a healthier lifestyle, whether it is losing weight, exercising more, quitting smoking, etc.   While the intention is good, many times the results we desire fall short because of a lack of commitment.  As Michael Brecheen wisely states, “Until the pain of remaining the same is greater than the pain of change, we will remain the same.”  Many of us can identify with resistance to change.  We embark on our New Year’s resolution with enthusiasm, but before we know it, we are back in our old patterns.

Changing habits to live a healthier life takes a commitment to consistently show up to do the work, with self-compassion, acceptance, and patience.  The commitment is not one of perfection but of growth, and in that acknowledging that conscious decision-making is required to live a life of vitality.

Yoga cultivates consciousness and teaches us to become aware of habitual behaviors that are no longer serving our highest good in an honest, yet non-judgmental way.  Once aware, we can create the changes we need to make before it is too late.  Prevention is not waiting until we are in imminent danger of a health risk, such as a heart attack or diagnoses of diabetes, before we succumb to committing to change.

A regular yoga practice can help you lose weight, gain strength, increase flexibility, improve balance, and reduce stress as well as give you the tools to truly transform your life.  Through a conscious commitment to show up, we learn to relax with what is happening in our lives and allow ourselves the space to be open to experiences and new possibilities from a new way of being.  When faced with the need to commit to change to live the healthy vital life you want, ask yourself this question, “If not now, then when?”  Change can only happen in the now moment.

“I have lost 20% of my body weight since I started practicing yoga two years ago.  Yoga has made me much more aware of the impact of food choices on my body, and has calmed and disciplined my mind to better resist cravings.  I eat less for the immediate taste and more for the long term impact on my health and well-being.” – Doug Chait

“I had always been very active, doing cardio, biking, and rollerblading.  I even tried weight training, but did not like the bulking results.  When I put on a few extra pounds, I began searching for something different to motivate me, but really didn’t know what.  Then I tried yoga.  I hadn’t previously considered yoga because I didn’t think it would be active enough for me.  All they really do is sit and chant, right?  Wrong!  I fell instantly in love.  Yoga has not only transformed my body, but I’ve also learned to take yoga off my mat and into my life.  The breath work and conscious awareness help me get through difficult situations.  By learning to take emotion out of challenging poses and stay through them, I’m able to apply my practice to calm myself when facing a difficult situation outside of class and to respect my body with healthier food choices.  I began yoga two and a half years ago and have lost 20 pounds, kept it off, and continue to get stronger.”  – Linda Hutzler

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