Beth Bauer never intended to be a yoga teacher. It happened by accident while she was living in India. She was working as an ex-pat for a software company and started a travel blog to share her adventures with friends back home.
When she was unexpectedly laid off along with other staff, she was a bit depressed, and a friend suggested she learn yoga. Since India is considered the birthplace of yoga, Beth decided it was a good idea and perfect timing.
Beth sent a few e-mails to some ashrams (yoga schools) in the area asking them if they would trade some free yoga classes for promotion on her blog. She was thrilled when one agreed, but when she arrived at the ashram, she was shocked to find that she was enrolled in a 30-day intensive yoga teacher training course.
She was the oldest student in the program, and that month was exhausting and challenging, but it changed her life forever.
Once Beth returned to her home on the Long Beach Peninsula, she longed to use her new skills and teach some yoga classes. Beth asked her local homeowners association if she could teach yoga classes in their building, and they graciously agreed.
Soon Beth was going door to door with flyers inviting people to her classes. She had only one student in her first class, but attendance has grown to capacity over the years. As Beth watches the lives of her students change, and their health and well-being improve, she gets excited about the long-term difference her classes are making in the community.
Of course, like many small businesses, the pandemic changed everything. She was about to finally get her own location and open Jiva Yoga and Mindfulness Center in the Spring of 2020 but had to cancel the plan due to Covid. She just recently started teaching again, and her students are excited to return to class.
Seeing their smiles again brings joy to her heart.
This August, Beth is hosting her second yoga festival on the Long Beach Peninsula. Guests from around the region will gather at the Ocean Park Camp and Retreat Center from August 27th to the 29th.
If you want to deepen your yoga practice (or try it for the first time), enjoy informative workshops about health and wellness, and engage in some fun recreational activities like kayaking, horseback riding on the beach, and zip-lining, registration is open to the public.Beth says that their time spent around the campfire, walking along the beach, star gazing, and practicing yoga is a great way to refresh mind, body, and spirit and heal from the trauma from the past year.
Beth feels that far too often in this hurry-up world, we forget to be present and enjoy the moment. This live, in-person event will be a blessing to many as they make new friends and focus on their health. She is convinced that yoga is a holistic lifestyle that can transform people. As one of her favorite yoga teachers used to say in India, “Yoga is not a work-out; it’s a work-in.
”If you would like to learn more about the event, check out the Jive Yoga Festival website https://jivayogafest.com/?fbclid=IwAR0uwHasrqrshQzKaYkcL1BK0ZJshXGieOxZ5h4A9YDh6waUFV2ZIXwBvm4 or Facebook page. Even if yoga isn’t your thing, the workshops cover various subjects, from getting better sleep to living a happier life.
