Yoga is much more than a physical fitness regime or series of poses to Bethany Smith. The practice changed her life.
“I lost 30 pounds in three months. I was hooked,” said Smith, who teaches yoga and will offer a Yoga and Mimosa session at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 17, behind The Southern Salad.
Smith turned to yoga to lose the excess weight she’d put on during her pregnancy. Seeing the dramatic weight loss piqued her interest, but the overall health benefits, especially the mental health ones, kept her in for the long haul. She’s been practicing yoga for more than a decade.
Prior to starting yoga, she suffered from bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety and took four different medications. She hasn’t had a manic episode in several years, and she’s off all the medications now. She believes God gave her yoga to help heal her body and mind.
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“Our bodies can heal themselves,” she said. “You can rewire your brain.”
While doing yoga, the deep breathing and stretching relaxes the mind and releases the anxiety. Yoga has multiple benefits, including increased strength and flexibility, Smith said.
Although she’s been teaching yoga for several years, Smith has never had her own studio. She’s used spaces at Augusta and Co. and other locations to teach in-person classes.
Because of COVID-19, she’s had to expand her virtual classroom and come up with other ways to teach class. She posts short videos to her Instagram account, and she has more than 50,000 followers. Instagram directs people to her website bethanysmithyoga.com, where they can sign up for her Flow To Go program.
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She also does private lessons and pop-up events. She hopes to get back in an interior space as soon as it’s safe, she said.
The April 17 class will feature an hour of yoga followed by mimosas.
She said that event will probably be more of a power yoga class, but any skill level is welcome. Beginners are encouraged to go at their own pace, even if that means they find themselves 10 poses behind the rest of the class, she said.
The class will be in the parking lot behind The Southern Salad. The cost is $25, and registration can be done through her website.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com.
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