What if the key to overcoming chronic pain, emotional trauma, and stress isn’t just physical—it’s spiritual? Beth Shaw, a well-known yoga practitioner, offers a powerful message in a world where we frequently see the mind and body as distinct entities: true healing starts when we reestablish a deeper, more comprehensive connection with ourselves.
Beth Shaw, the well-known creator of YogaFit, and host Sam Tejada, CEO and founder of Liquivida®, recently spoke on a new episode of the A Healthy Point of View podcast about the significant influence of the mind-body link on general wellness. Shaw, an author, thought leader, and yoga training specialist, offered insightful information on topics such as mindfulness, guided meditation, trauma healing, the value of breathwork, spirituality, and the advantages of integrating yoga into daily life. The discussion also covered plant-based medicine, the role of energy in healing, and Shaw’s efforts to bring yoga to healthcare providers worldwide.
Mastering Mind-Body Wellness: Yoga, Trauma & Meditation | Beth Shaw | Ep. 36
The Importance of the Mind-Body Connection
Most people are unaware of their bodies until something goes wrong. At YogaFit, the emphasis is on paying attention to the body’s signals before they become significant problems. Yoga and mindfulness practices help people become more aware of their physical and mental health, which enables early intervention and a proactive approach to health.
“The body follows the mind,” Shaw stated. “We can use our minds to make ourselves well, to make ourselves ill, and to influence every state in between.”
YogaFit provides a structured approach to learning how to listen to the body’s whispers before they become screams. A lot of people wait to act until they are hurt, sick, or under a lot of stress. Instead of reacting to health problems, people can maintain a balanced state of well-being through breathwork, exercise, and mindfulness.
Beth Shaw’s Journey into Yoga
Shaw’s journey with yoga began at an early age due to personal health challenges. As a child, she suffered from severe migraines and, through self-taught guided imagery and meditation, managed to heal herself. Growing up in a household where she did not receive much support for her health struggles, she intuitively developed a healing practice that would later become the foundation of YogaFit.
She formally began practicing yoga in Los Angeles in the early 1990s and noticed a lack of proper yoga training for gym environments. Many fitness centers were not equipped to handle students of varying skill levels, injuries, or physical limitations. Seeing this gap, she developed the YogaFit method, which focuses on accessibility and adaptability. In 1997, she officially launched YogaFit, which has since become the world’s largest training platform for aspiring yoga instructors.
Guided Meditation and Healing Through the Mind
In contrast to conventional meditation, which involves individuals settling their minds on their own, guided meditation involves either an instructor guiding the participant through relaxation and visualization techniques or listening to a recorded session. With the help of this technique, one can avoid the mental chatter that often disrupts meditation.
According to Sam Tejada, he struggled to focus and unwind during meditation until he discovered guided meditation apps like BrainTap. He was able to resolve his ongoing discomfort with guided meditation, proving that the mind can affect physical health.
Shaw continued by saying that she has personally utilized meditation techniques to treat everything from urinary tract infections to sprained ankles. Meditation is a crucial part of holistic health, she says, because it enables people to support their. She believes that by harnessing the mind’s power, individuals can aid their own healing processes, making meditation a crucial aspect of holistic health.
Healing Trauma with Yoga
Trauma is retained in the body and frequently shows up as persistent pain, anxiety, or disease. Trauma survivors, especially first responders and veterans of the armed forces, can physically release stress through YogaFit Warriors, a specific program Shaw created, without necessarily having to relive traumatic experiences.
Trauma-informed yoga aids in vagus nerve activation, which promotes profound nervous system healing. People can see significant gains in their physical and emotional health by practicing yoga techniques created especially for trauma release. Shaw cited instances from real life where taking part in YogaFit Warriors helped people drastically cut down on their reliance on prescription drugs.
The Role of Breathwork in Wellness
Breathwork is a central component of the YogaFit method. Shaw discussed how different breathing techniques can regulate emotions, reduce stress, and improve physical health. Practices such as breath of fire increase energy, while alternate nostril breathing balances the brain’s hemispheres.
“If you make your exhalations twice as long as your inhalations, you induce the parasympathetic nervous system—rest and digest mode—which takes you out of fight or flight,” Shaw explained. People can control their physiological responses simply by altering their breathing patterns.
The Power of Spirituality and Plant Medicine
Building a solid spiritual basis is crucial for stress reduction, emotional resilience, and personal growth. Shaw makes a distinction between organized religion and spirituality, but she maintains that a profound connection to the world, higher awareness, or one’s inner self can offer direction and serenity in life.
She also talked about how plant-based medicine is being used more and more for trauma relief, emotional healing, and mental clarity. Microdosing psychedelics, such as LSD and psilocybin mushrooms, has drawn attention due to its potential to restore emotional balance, lower anxiety, and boost creativity. Many people have been able to transcend long-standing emotional blockages and obtain fresh views on their lives thanks to ayahuasca ceremonies, which are frequently utilized for profound spiritual and psychological healing.
Expanding YogaFit and Future Goals
Shaw is currently working on expanding YogaFit studios worldwide and integrating yoga into the healthcare industry. She just started a program called Yoga for Healthcare Providers in Japan, where medical facilities are using yoga to cure patients as part of medical treatment. She intends to introduce this program in the United States to address healthcare worker burnout.
Another goal is refining YogaFit’s business model to allow for licensing opportunities, similar to the CrossFit model. Shaw also plans to expand her nonprofit, The Center for Conscious Healing, which will focus on trauma-informed yoga and holistic health initiatives.
Shaw left with a powerful message: “Be willing to do whatever it takes to find relief and healing. Whether it’s yoga, therapy, plant medicine, or another modality, explore the options available to you.”
For those interested in learning more about YogaFit and Beth Shaw’s work, she can be found at YogaFit.com and BethShaw.com.