Shoshana Belisle

I tried yoga on a whim during the late 1990s while living in New York City. Being in a yoga studio felt like home; I had grown up in a family of meditators who embraced Eastern spirituality. After that one transformative class, I was hooked. The healing sacred space, focused attention, breath awareness, and deliberate, intense movement harnessed and tamed my busy mind. With relief, I landed firmly in the present moment and noticed that my chronic feelings of stress and anxiety had dissolved. I remember leaving that yoga class in a daze and standing awestruck on the busy street corner. Time stood still, and I felt suspended in deep peace and timelessness, immune to the city’s frenetic energy. 

Over the past twenty-plus years, yoga has become the most reliable strategy for managing my overactive and ruminative mind. I use mindful movement, breathwork, and meditation to balance my nervous system and to help others do the same. As I get older, my practice has become quieter, more focused, nuanced, and more introspective. I experience and teach yoga as a moving meditation; a class is most rewarding when I feel that our nervous systems collectively become relaxed, aligned, and in sync. The sensation is palpable and deeply gratifying. I am excited to share this experience with the Mighty Yoga community.

A consistent practice notably impacts my ability to show up wholeheartedly while raising my three children and nurturing my relationship with my husband, friends, family, and community members. When I am off the mat, I am a lifelong student and love to study holistic health and wellness topics. I am currently completing my dissertation for a PhD in Mind-Body Medicine, focusing on wellness coaching and mental wellness. My goal is to use my doctorate to help advance the field of integrative wellness coaching in the mental health landscape.