Beth Sforza Yazell is the owner/operator of Bloom Yoga & Wellness. She is a dual-certified yoga instructor and has been teaching yoga continuously since 1979. She is a Registered Nurse, holds a Master’s Degree in Health Services Administration, and is certified inThai Yoga Massage and wellness coaching. Beth strives to make yoga accessible to people of all ages, sizes, and levels of ability or experience. She offers prenatal yoga, gentle yoga, mixed-level classes, and even yoga seated in a chair. It is common to see images of advanced hatha yoga (the poses) in magazines and on TV and become intimidated, because people think, “I could never do that.” Fortunately, it’s not necessary to. Probably only about 10% of the human populace could ever hope to attain what these images represent. Yoga is an experience of non-judgmental self-exploration, which can assist people in attaining their highest potential. As such, classes at Bloom move slowly, with emphasis on complete breathing and inward focus. Beth begins by guiding students to re-learn how it feels to relax. With our hectic lives, many of us have forgotten what relaxation feels like. The only time we’re truly relaxed is when we’re asleep, and then we’re unconscious, so we still don’t know how it feels. And, we pay a steep price—our health and well-being! Chronic stress is a factor in many of the illnesses plaguing us, diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and autoimmune diseases, as well as mood disorders like depression and anxiety. When we break the stress cycle through relaxation techniques, the level of hormones our bodies produce in response to stress decreases. We remove one factor from the equation that can result in disease. In 2010, Beth co-authored a study at Syracuse University, which was published in the August, 2012 edition of The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, examining the effect of yoga practice on people with asthma. Since coming into the public domain, this study has been cited in numerous scientific articles, and its methods and findings have been included in teacher training programs specializing in yoga therapeutics. Beth believes yoga is a powerful catalyst for a healthy lifestyle and utilizes an integrative approach to educate and empower people in taking responsibility for their own health and wellness. There is something transformational that happens to people when they practice yoga regularly. Many students become vitally interested in feeling as good as they do after a yoga class, and they adopt lifestyle habits that culminate in living healthier, more satisfying lives.
