Take My (Ujjayi) Breath Away

The energy was indescribable as it radiated throughout the room. As my focus tapered to my breathing and movements, I lost track of all that was around me, including time itself, and I wasn’t even aware that my body was molding and shaping itself into positions, poses and postures that I previously had never done before. I was truly fit to be tied… in yoga class.


Although most of us already have an idea of what yoga ‘is’, not many of us know how yoga originated to become what it is today. With an array of different styles to behold and the astonishing, research-backing health benefits, you might just want to reconsider your opinions on incorporating yoga into your lives if you haven’t already. I WILL tell you this much… If you think yoga is just a place to twist into unseemingly impossible positions… you have a long way to go in understanding this art.


Although millions of people currently practice yoga and its health benefits are undeniable, there still seems to be a good number of people who are still timid on giving it a try or who haven’t reaped the benefits due to faulty experiences. I will be the first to admit that I used to be one of these people. I’m not even going to deny it because I was once a disbeliever myself. Although I had heard of yoga and how wonderful it was to do, I didn’t think it could POSSIBLY compare to lifting weights and training hard the ‘conventional’ way just in the gym. Being an avid gym-goer myself, I just wasn’t convinced no matter how much people threw it in my face that I should give it a try. It wasn’t until I really decided to take on fulfilling my destiny as a professional fitness trainer that I began to open up my mind to new and other training ideas, styles, forms, and modalities. In being a self-proclaimed fitness junkie, I began to avidly study and explore these new art forms within the fitness industry and wanted to just dive head-first into these different methods that have each done wonders for other people. Fitness becomes religious to people in the way that everyone has their own beliefs and approach to how they get the job done and it was impossible to not want to delve into these techniques. As a trainer, it is of vital importance to have an open mind as the industry is so vast and ever-changing. If you choose to be secluded and isolate your own beliefs and ideas to just a narrow pathway, you will find it extremely difficult to keep up with the industry and therefore make a difference in your client’s lives as well as your own. With so much happening in the industry today, we need to have as many tools in our toolbox as possible. So.. needless to say, I wound up in yoga class one day and every since I have been hooked.


Although I have never been ‘religious’ about going to yoga due to schedule conflicts, I still would try to make it whenever I could even if it was only a couple times a month. In moving to Vegas and in being involved with Connect To Fitness, I decided that when time (and finances) allowed, I would scope out and become more involved in yoga for it’s benefits. One of the things that interests me most with yoga is how almost all populations of people, regardless of their background, age, experience, gender, (ect..), can incorporate yoga into their lives. Also of interest was the fact that there is always room for improvement and growth due to the fact that there are so many modifications and levels of yoga to choose from. Yoga is incredibly non-biased and challenges each aspect of your being whether it’s the physical, mental, spiritual and/or emotional state. Yoga also is a great and proven way to improve flexibility as it carefully acts on all the joints of the body, including those that rarely get used or stretched in everyday life or ‘traditional’ exercise. Likewise, these well-researched yoga positions also help with constant lubrication for these joints by working the tendons and ligaments surrounding them. One of the more interesting things about yoga is the fact that it is perhaps the only form of exercise or activity which acts to message all the internal glands and organs of the body, including those that rarely become stimulated during the course of our entire lifetimes. This stimulation acts to keep away disease and to provide a forewarning if we do happen to succumb to an onset of disorder or disease. By creating a sense of awareness within one’s self and one’s body through yoga, it becomes much easier to recognize when the onset of (or symptoms of) disease or illness may appear. Yoga is also known for it’s detoxifying efforts in ensuring optimum blood supply to different and various parts of the body. This provides nourishment up to the last point and helps in ridding the body of harmful, damaging, and ruinous toxins. These detoxifying efforts lead to benefits such as delayed ageing, improved energy and a better sense of well-being for one’s self and one’s life.


In the past, the essential goal of the yogis was to achieve ‘self realization’ or ‘enlightenment’. This concept, when viewed nowadays, can be a bit impenetrable to comprehend as it something that we seldom or never practice in our own lives. By fusing together the mind-body connection, yoga can be compared to mediation in that it helps to harmonize these two vital elements together. Think of a time where you, yourself, have been in a situation where your mind was controlling your body, whether for positive or negative purposes. By synchronizing the connection between the body, spirit and mind, yoga can help a person achieve eternal bliss. This, in turn, can help eliminate such problems such as depression and anxiety, can help foster positive attitudes and moods, as well as help improve concentration, awareness, focus, memory and somatic and kinesthetic awareness.


Just knowing these benefits exist was enough for me to let curiosity get the best of me, so I have been hooked ever since and can voucher firsthand that the experience is something not to be reckoned with. In my yoga journey, I have taken a variety of random yoga classes let by different instructors, but I had yet to really experience and embrace the mind-body connection that I kept hearing about. There were brief times during class that I would get a foretaste or glimpse of that sensation, but I just wasn’t achieving it as I had hoped… Until recently.


At Las Vegas’s own Professional Fitness Institute (where my entire life as I know it unfolded), the idea of implementing an entire yoga schedule with various instructors has been tossed around a few times and just recently has that idea become a reality. Having tried yoga numerous times before, I figured this would be no different, but knowing the credentials and experience of the instructors hired, I was really eager to try out some of the new classes we now have available to the public (not to mention PFI really goes above and beyond to hire the best of the best to represent their facility and to keep their reputation at the top). So, after reading the schedule, I decided that I was really intrigued by a class I had never heard of called Dragon Vinyasa. This class, created and led by Ottavio Gesmundo and his amazing wife Naomi Brenkman Gesmundo, (and in their own words…) “is a fully integrated and flowing exercise system that combines the ancient techniques of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga with mixed Martial Art Forms. This dynamic body/mind workout is designed to improve strength, balance, flexibility, coordination, breath control and focus as well as increase energy. Through the flowing synchronization of breath and movement you will release toxins and decrease stress from both the mind and body. Dragon Vinyasa is a fun way to build lean, strong and flexible muscles while at the same time learning basic self-defense.” The Dragon Vinyasa system is carefully built around seven components including: meditation, pranayama (breath control), bandhas (energy valves/locks), drishti (gaze focus), asanas (poses), forms, and stillness. It is these seven elements that provide the benefits described above.


Not knowing what to expect, I walked into class with an open mind as I knew it would be something so different than anything I had ever done before. From the get-go, the energy possessed by both Ottavio and Naomi was just so incredible. They radiate with passion for what they do and it truly comes out during their practice as they teach. Feeding off the energy they exude, I was completely focused after just the initial breathing and stretching warm-ups. Sinking deeper into the flow, I found it easy to become so entranced and engaged in my breathing and in being aware of where my body was in space that I was able to really put myself fully into each pose and to become one with myself in the process. Ottavio and Naomi’s teaching style is also something to take note as well. Feeding off each other’s energy as well, both switch as lead and/or demonstrator fluently and as if it were choreographed and depending upon your position and where your view is, they move around the studio to accommodate your line of vision so you don’t have to move or twist to see them. They gracefully move in front, back or to the side of you (and sometimes both!) so you always have an example to follow regardless of which way you are facing. Along with being utterly astonishing, it also allows you to never break focus or form the entire class and you are able to maintain your natural flow very easily. What was very strange for me was the fact that I was SO engrossed throughout the duration of the class that the whole hour burned through like nothing. I felt I was in class only briefly and the only way I could convince myself otherwise was by how my body was feeling. Dragon Vinyasa, through the integration of fusing Ashtanga Yoga with Tai Chi & Kempo Martial Arts, has an intentional goal of helping you to become aware and focused, yet calm at the same time. It’s also not unusual during class for your heart rate to shoot up high through faster and more dynamic movements, breathing styles, and positions, then to be immediately followed with a slower, more isolated movement with slowed breath, allowing for your heart rate to drop back down to normal. By blending martial arts with yoga, they have found a way to achieve the ultimate calm-awareness. By the end of class, I felt such an empowerment with the body-mind connection that everything I told my body to do, it did. I noticed my body completely loosen up throughout the duration of the class and the way the quality of my breath drastically improved was also phenomenal. If you haven’t yet tapped into the Dragon Vinyasa system, it is something truly worth checking out and becoming loyal to as it truly is completely innovative and fun. Who knew yoga could be so in depth?


I also had time last week to attend Tara Cridland’s A.M. Energy class as well. Tara, who’s been practicing yoga for 11 years and massage therapy for 10 years, has also found an innovative way to combine her two specialties and passions together (yoga and massage) for an out-of-box experience. During class, it was once again easy to get into the rhythm and flow due to following Tara’s lead through breath and positions. Her integration comes into play during these times when you are focusing on bending into, and /or holding a position or pose. For instance, while sitting on the floor with my knees butterflied, my ankles touching and my head having the intention of lowering to meet my feet, Tara used massage to elongate my muscles and therefore allow me to easily slide into this pose AND be able to hold it. I was literally bent into static holds that I have never been able to manage myself and because my body was working with me due to the elongation of my muscles, I was not only able fall into these positions, but I was able to hold them as well. Tara was also amazing with correcting posture and form and was very hands-on and descriptive in where you should feel the stretch, where your body should be in space, how to open up so it’s comfortable and what to focus on when you and/or your body were getting tired. After class, I felt invigorated and completely stretched out, which was great because after my own training at the gym, it’s always important for me to take the time to do some deep stretching. Tara’s class totally hit the spot with that and the rejuvenation I felt after class was unbelievable. Just to open up places on my body that typically don’t get stretched or are difficult to stretch on their own was amazing. In some of the positions, my body was twisted so much into a position that it was difficult to take a deep breath, but Tara took the time to show me how to breathe correctly and what parts of my body need to be opened further to expand my airway. I had never had someone actually ‘teach’ me yoga and hadn’t realized until her class how much of the benefit I was missing before in not being corrected in my postures and positions.


In a day and age where Eastern yoga traditions have been almost commercialized to meet the current Western ‘trends’, it is a breath of fresh air to see yoga returning to it’s roots through the individuals who exhume such passion for the actual art-form itself and in sharing the benefits with others. Yoga isn’t just a fitness trend as you see it being advertized these days. It’s actually a lifestyle and a way of living that can provide longevity if practiced correctly. If you haven’t tried ‘real’ yoga, it is definitely a something you and everyone around you can benefit from. Being in the fitness industry (and as I ALWAYS stress), it’s so important to stay on top of what is happening in the fitness world. Part of my own mission in moving to Las Vegas was to seek and find the best of the fitness world out here in this amazing city, and I don’t rave about anything I do not fully believe in or am not passionate about. Yoga @ PFI has just blown me away and the program is too great for me to keep it to myself. I truly encourage those of you who are in the Vegas Valley and surrounding areas to attend a class and see the difference for yourself in how their program differs from the commercialized Western yoga we have all become accustomed to. The benefits of integrating yoga into your training are too great to ignore and it’s something to look into regardless of your current training state, age, gender and etc. If you have Facebook, type ‘Yoga @ PFI’ into your search box, get the schedule, and please do yourself a favor and attend a class (or 5). What do you have to lose? If you don’t have access to Facebook, please take it upon yourself to email me (epfitness7@gmail.com) for more information or for a schedule. We all deserve to do something for ourselves and having peace of mind should always near the top of your list.


Here, I will provide a detailed list of all the yoga instructors currently at Yoga @ PFI for you to check out for yourself:

Tara Cridland (AM Energy): Tara has been a practictioner of yoga for 11 years and a massage therapist for 10 years. Because of her love of yoga, she decided to become certified to teach in 2005 in a 200 hour Hatha Flow yoga program. During that time she discovered Ashtanga Yoga and fell in love with the therapeutic qualities this yoga possessed. She then became certified in a 200 hour Ashtanga program as well. Tara has been teaching since 2005 and has infused her knowledge of massage with yoga to take her students to a new level and teach them how to soar. She hopes to create a deeper experience with her students that will extend beyond the mat.


Shelley Lynn (Vinyasa Flow): Shelley Lynn is a performer, writer, daughter, sister, woman, yogi, cat owner, supporter of our Troops and the founder of The Vision Space, a creative coaching company. Currently based in Las Vegas Nevada, Shelley began her twenty-year career helping people shape their lives as a professional theatre practitioner and performance coach. She had a blast for over 16 years living between The UK, New York, and Boston -traveling while getting a groovy degree in Performing Arts and a grueling MA at the University of London.
Throughout the last two decades she became deeply interested in yoga, Vedic principles and the power of human transformation - Partly just to recover from the travel (: This lead her to a vocation in professional coaching with Clarity International and in 2007 she certified through the national Its Yoga Ashtanga Vinyasa teaching program.
For Shelley, Yoga is the most effective, joyful tool for integrating ones true purpose with the mechanics of everyday life. She finds yoga to be the best work out she can do - and her approach is to remain present and aware. Her main objective is to provide creative consultation – in simple practical terms - for the holistic health of the people she meets.


Lynn Loftus (Vinyasa Flow): Lynn began her search for the mind, body, spirit connection in high school with Hittleman's books on yoga and transcendental meditation. In her twenties she earned 2nd dan black belt and loved teaching martial arts. After years of teaching and competition in the arts, she rediscovered yoga. She explored various styles and holds certifications in hatha and ashtanga yoga. Her teaching is empowering.


Stacey Shipe (Power Hour): Stacey has been practicing yoga since 2000 but it wasn’t until she moved to Las Vegas in 2006 and found It’s Yoga that she realized becoming a yoga teacher was the next natural step. In 2007 Stacey became certified in Ashtanga yoga though It’s Yoga Las Vegas. A lover of Vinyasa flow, she tries to teach the same kind of class she likes to take. Stacey’s emphasis is on moving the body in order to still the mind. She helps her students focus on embracing the joy as well as the pain in class in order to bring the same awareness and authenticity into everyday life.


Tristan Jih (Power Hour): Tristan teaches Vinyasa Yoga, a style of yoga built around the benefits of flow and ease. He is a graduate from Maggie Verderame's 400-hour Apprenticeship program, where he learned how to take his yoga lessons "off the mat." He is also a Reiki Master.


Ottavio Gesmundo and Naomi Brenkman-Gesmundo (Dragon Vinyasa, Power Vinyasa): Ottavio and Naomi are certified and registered (RYT) yoga instructors with over twenty years experience guiding hundreds of individuals and groups through several modalities of movement. They are critically acclaimed stunt directors & choreographers and are firm believers that you move at your own pace. Never forcing yourself into a pose until ready, but challenging yourself when available. They are the creators of the Dragon Vinyasa system, which is an integration of yoga and martial arts. Naomi & Ottavio use the Dragon Vinyasa to warm up before each performance of their specialty act called The Crossbow Tango. In this highly skilled & extremely dangerous routine they demonstrate the ultimate in trust and focus as they shoot cigarettes out of mouth, and playing cards out hand. You don’t have to shoot an arrow near your loved ones head in order to benefit from doing Dragon Vinyasa , but if it helps their focus and concentration, imagine what it can do for you. Prior experience in yoga or martial arts is not required and these classes are open to all levels; everyone is welcome to attend.



Just as well, as PFI progresses with Yoga @ PFI, they have also just opened their brand new, state-of-the-art facility to the public for personal training as well. With highly qualified, world-class personal trainers and training based off (arguably) the most accredited certification agency in the world; The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), PFI is raising the bar for the fitness industry. As an advocate for the fitness industry and as an employee of PFI myself, I can voucher that they are going above and beyond to define to you and the world the true meaning of ‘fitness’ and ‘personal training’. The bar has been raised, Ladies and Gentlemen. Don’t wait around! Come see what all the buzz is about!


Now that the secrets out on a ‘trend’ that’s here to stay, do yourself a favor and explore the ancient form of training we call ‘Yoga’ @ PFI. Open your mind and take a deep breath… On the exhale, put your hands together in front of your heart… Bow your head… And… ‘Nameste’.


Until next time, Faithful Reader…


"The beauty is that people often come here for the stretch, and leave with a lot more." ~Liza Ciano, co-owner and co-director of Yoga Vermont, yogavermont.com


"Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape."" ~Author Unknown


"Yoga is the perfect opportunity to be curious about who you are." ~Jason Crandell, quoted in Yoga Journal, November 2005