Becky Golberg’s been featured on this blog previously, but that was before her transformative and intensive yoga training abroad. It’s time to talk about why Becky initially “didn’t like Pilates,” her time in India (and it was a lot of time—200 hours of training in just four weeks!), and how she’s dreaming of new ways to bring her expanded expertise to the studio.

So, I understand from the spotlight about you on the blog this summer that it was Jenni Roberts who got you into Pilates and hooked up with the studio when you thought you “didn’t like Pilates.” What have you tried to take from her teaching methods and incorporate into your own?

…Probably the biggest thing is her use of her voice. When I was in training, Adrienne told me I was really monotone, and had to work on learning to use my voice to motivate… I had no idea how to do it. I wasn’t sure it was actually possible. Monotone might just have to be “my style,” like Ben Stein! Maybe people would like it? No. People would not like it.

I talked to Jessica about my frustration, and she told me a story about Jenni Roberts! Of all people, apparently Jenni had a similar problem in training. …But look at her now! I think we can all agree that she has one of the most encouraging and rewarding voices at the studio. When she says, “You can do it!” you don’t always believe that you can, but you WANT to! You want so badly to come through for her, and you give it everything you have. And when she says, “Yeah!” all cool-like, you feel like Rocky at the top of the stairs, y’know? So I thought, “Wow, this was hard for Jenni? It seems so natural… So, maybe it IS possible…” And I tried harder.

And when I was practice teaching yoga in India… A few people said that when the work was getting hard, my voice is what made them feel like they could do it. One girl said she would’ve climbed a mountain if I’d asked, and I thought of Jenni, because that’s how I feel about her. It was amazing to get that compliment, because that was such a challenge for me, and I didn’t actually realize that I had come so far.

The other way that Jenni probably influenced me a lot is use of imagery in cueing. Our styles are very different, but we both probably use some of the weirder images around here. I think I learned from her example, that if an image pops into your head, no matter how loony it might seem, someone else might also relate to it. Because she has said some really weird shit to me that totally worked. And I have found that sometimes something comes tumbling out of my mouth that I’m like, “Whoa, that’s crazy even for you, Becks,” and actually, those often turn out to be really effective cues.

First I’m going to show off some of your photos, then tell me more about your yoga teacher training in India!

The training in India was 200 hours in a month, so we had 50 hours a week of classes, plus homework. It wasn’t a beach vacation, that’s for sure! …[W]e were so busy planning our classes and studying that beach-going was a rare luxury, even though the sea was about 100 yards from my front door.

The first two weeks, we had three hours of actual yoga practice a day: two hours of Ashtanga in the morning and an hour and a half of Yin or Restorative or Therapeutic in the evening to wrap up our day, with Meditation/Pranayama, Yoga Philosophy, and Alignment and Anatomy classes in between.

The second two weeks, our mellow afternoon yoga and one of our breaks were replaced with two back-to-back 60-minute Vinyasa classes as we began practice teaching each other. I was so excited for this part, but I only did a few days of the …super-intense schedule before I was taken out first by a strained neck (I don’t advise ever doing shoulder stand five times in one day!) and then by heatstroke, which pretty much knocked me out of practice for the rest of the trip… This was a really difficult thing for me, because I tend to push through things when I probably shouldn’t. It’s ego, I think, that drives me to be such a hypocrite and not listen to my body, even though I tell clients all the time that that’s so important. So, this was a really valuable lesson for me, to be actually forced by my body to not just take it easy, but to actually STOP. For nine days. For the last nine days, even, which is worse than the middle, because I wanted so badly to cross the finish line alongside all my new friends. Oh, was it hard for me to be patient with myself, but there was no choice. I couldn’t possibly have practiced.

I thought I might faint a couple times during my final teaching exam, even. But I did it. I planned a class that I was never able to test out on my own body before teaching, and I was too weak to freak out or be nervous. And it was just fine. Everybody loved it!  So, I gained a lot of confidence from that experience. And so much patience. I’m typically a pretty patient person, with everyone but myself. This unfortunate circumstance taught me something that was way overdue. I’ve learned a lot in the past few years about loving and forgiving, but I don’t always turn this generosity of spirit around and onto my own self, and it was time for me to learn. That might be the biggest thing I got out of my trip, and that alone was worth it.

It’s my understanding that you can now teach TRX, yoga, Pilates, Six Degrees Barre, and Asana Stretch Classes. What are you teaching now that you’re back, and what do you see as a common thread that, at least for you, connects all of those seemingly disparate practices?

As for what classes I’ll be adding, yoga for sure. I have Thursday mornings at 9:30, and I’m really excited to start sharing!! I’m now qualified to lead Asana Stretch Class, but I’m so happy just assisting. …Also, you may remember that Sofia and I co-taught a Pilates-yoga fusion workshop just before I left, and it was quite a hit. There was some interest in making it a weekly class, but it took a lot of coordinating, and I’m not sure that a two-teacher class is really plausible for a weekly gig. But now that I could do both, I’d be interested in maybe giving it a shot a little ways down the road, once I’ve got my yoga legs a bit more established. I haven’t talked to Emily about this idea, [though], so not only is it in the future, it’s also 100% hypothetical.

I think the obvious connection between all these disciplines is just sheer love of movement! Making our bodies feel good and learning how to use them in ways that will hopefully allow them to continue to feel good as we age. Everybody knows that exercise is a super important part of mental and physical health, but you won’t do something you hate, so find something you love!

I love working at the studio because there’s something for everyone, and lots of stuff for those of us [who] like to branch out and try new things! I think that Pilates and yoga especially share the whole mind-body connection that the mainstream is just starting to catch on to, but I really believe that these two disciplines have the capability to help us lead fuller, happier lives, with more appreciation and gratitude for what we have…. Of course, that’s not limited to what we teach here, or even just to exercise. Every single thing we do can be a spiritual exercise if we want it to be. I just think yoga and Pilates are a great way to make it happen.