A woman with glasses performs aerial yoga in a blue hammock outdoors, with a concrete wall and trees in the background.

Beatrix Montanile

I began practicing yoga over 35 years, and it has truly changed my life for the better. When I decided that I wanted to become a yoga teacher, I traveled to India to learn from the masters. I was amazed by the wealth of knowledge and experience that was available there, and I trained diligently so that I could bring this ancient practice back home with me.
My body became strong and supple yet sadly, even with all of my training I still managed to injure myself. Over time I began feeling less comfortable in my asanas yet, was reluctant to surrender to the restrictions my body seemed to want to place on me so I pushed myself through the discomfort and as a result, began to hurt even more. There was a sense of something missing in my practice that I could not put my finger on. I was soon to learn what it was.
In early 2008, on one of my frequent training trips to India, I learned the advantages of suspended inversions for the first time. A simple, wide cotton rope wrapped itself around my pelvis and I eased myself upside down sighing with delight as my spine experienced a type of relief that I had only imagined was possible before. I had found the missing element in my yoga practice…it was traction!
Suspending in India 2008

This new understanding alerted me to a whole new world of possibilities. However, the crudeness of the equipment and the unpleasant way it pinched my flesh as I supported my body weight discouraged me from ever considering it as a teaching tool so I practiced in private as a “closet suspender.”

Not long after, I came across the prototype that was the source of inspiration for the YogiGym®. I knew as soon as I saw it that my life was about to change. A method of yoga that was back pain-free while having a lot of fun?! That was my vision when I first laid eyes on it!

Beatrix on the YogiGym®

Interestingly, my first group classes began on the very same day that an anti-gravity yoga teacher training was taking place nearby. It seemed that the yoga world was preparing to levitate!

Almost exactly one year later in September 2011, The Flying Yogi studio opened in Toronto and I taught my first Suspension Yoga™ Teacher Training.

Since then, The Suspension Yoga Method™ has evolved considerably to become what it is now… a highly flexible, multi-faceted approach that may be used for so many purposes. In Suspension Yoga™, there’s something for everyone: young or old, seasoned yogi or novice to exercise.

The first Flying Yogis

I originally believed the YogiGym® to be a revolutionary device that might transform how people practice yoga, but I never could have imagined how many options it would provide! In addition to being a powerful yoga prop, Suspension Yoga™ has evolved to include resistance training, pilates, spinal and physical therapy and is now also being used to assist children with special needs in their physical and mental developments.

I am profoundly grateful to the students and teachers who passed through The Flying Yogi’s doors and who contributed their time and generously shared their experiences with me. They educated me as much as I did them in the ways that Suspension Yoga™ could be used to bring joy and well-beingness to others’ lives.

Suspension Yoga™ Teacher Training in India

The Flying Yogi Mérida is my dream come true – a culmination of many years of growth and a true labour of love.

I came to teach Suspension Yoga™ because I love how it makes my body feel and I am passionate about sharing that experience with others. It’s an incredible experience for me to see the look of amazement on my pupils’ faces when they let go of their insecurities and inhibitions and discover what they and their bodies are truly capable of.

For me, there is no greater purpose than helping people live better lives.

 

Listen to Beatrix tell her remarkable story on the “Change Your Story, Change Your Life”
podcast with Louis Di Bianco