Accessible BEACH YOGA for all bodies! Drop into one of my donation based classes and find out why "this" is your yoga! Sign up with Venmo at Hope-Bray-2, Zelle to 724-216-8660 or direct DONATION PAY LINK (G-Pay) at https://pay.yogawithhopebray.com/. Meet your teacher, Hope Bray:
"My YOGA journey and how I've come to this beautiful place and practice in life." Over the past (almost) 13 years I hav
e learned so much about friendship, love, devotion, dedication, loyalty, fitness, hard work what's really important in life, connections with people, and so much more. The opportunity to teach fitness has opened so many doors, and helped me to find the person, and be the person I've always wanted to become. I can proudly say that through many experiences, good and bad, that I have learned so much, and have a strength and passion that I never thought was possible as an individual. As of this day, and largely because of your love, passion and friendship, and the joy I get from spending time with my students and family, I can honestly say, I am EXACTLY the person I always wished and hoped I could be. In June of 2008, I took the first step in teaching a fitness program that I became so passionate about, I just had to share it. This was after a long hiatus in fitness. It's funny... after beginning to teach again back then, I dug out my senior year book and under my senior portrait, there is a "blip" of space where we were to write our interests and career choices. Under my photo, it says "To be a fitness instructor". It started at age 17, when I took my very first fitness position as a teacher at Elaine Powers Fitness Centers, an all women's gym. It was in that position, adorned in fluffy pink legwarmers, shimmering tights, and a t-back one piece body suit, that my passion began. (Thank goodness that is not in fashion any more!) From teaching, to assistant management, I spent the first few years of my career life in fitness and loved every minute. The company eventually folded, and became a co-ed gym, with an entirely different format that I wasn’t comfortable with, and eventually, I “settled” into another position outside of fitness... mostly to pay the bills, not because I was passionate about it. For years I was a “job hopper”. I think I had forgotten where my passion really was, as I moved from job to job wishing one day I could just find that perfect fit. Then... many years later, in December of 2007, while perusing a wonderful health related website, I stumbled on a blog about Zumba Fitness. Curious about this “fitness party”, I read more and more about it, and finally ordered my very first set of Zumba DVDs. After receiving my DVDs in the mail, there wasn’t a day that went by that I wasn’t in my workout room dancing with Beto, Tanya and the Zumba Team. My husband was the one who gave me the wake up call one day by saying, “You know, honey, you really love this, and you should look into teaching again.”
After training and receiving my Group Fitness Certification, I had the distinct honor of training with Beto Perez, the Creator of Zumba Fitness. By August of 2008, I had rented my first dance space to hold classes. The very first class, in a room that would hold well over 500 people (a roller rink!), held 12 curiously excited new Zumba enthusiasts (12! In a room that would hold 500! Can you picture it? I was a nervous wreck!). I remember that first class like it was yesterday. I was so nervous, yet so excited to share this new passion that I had found. I just knew if I kept sharing, and dancing that people who fall in love with it, as I had. And they did! Within 6 months, after hitting the pavement with flyers and business cards, and many, many free demos across the county, and speaking to everyone I came in contact with, classes grew to about 45 people in January of 2009. In 2010, our family grew to 80 per class, and in 2011/2012, during the Zumba explosion, our classes topped out at 165 people, together... dancing to get healthy, to make friends, to enjoy life, to de-stress, to escape... it was amazing! A dream come true! Through the years, I had attended and gotten licensed in 10 Zumba programs, a Bokwa program, a Masala Bhangra program (and tossed around a Hot Hula program... LOL), I still felt something was missing. I wanted to give more to my students. In August of 2014 when I received my Fitness Nutrition Coach Certification through NESTA (National Exercise and Sports Trainers’ Association, a nationally accredited fitness organization), I began working with small groups of people and focusing on clean eating. It was in these groups that I came to realize that this too, was a passion for me. I wanted people to learn the right way to take care of their health, to realize a long and healthy life, without falling captive to society’s ideas of what healthy is. After many wonderful years of teaching class after class of my favorite new fitness regime, I began to suffer from back pain, rearing its ugly head again for the first time since the birth of my daughter. I began living on ibuprofen prior to teaching a class, and never skipped a night where I didn't take it prior to going to bed so I wouldn't wake up in pain. I saw a chiropractor and a family practitioner that mentioned the word "fibromyalgia" to me, as I was in constant pain and all of my pressure points felt as if they were bruised and enflamed. One day a friend recommended yoga to me. I smiled and just shook my head knowing that with my personality and lack of ability to ever sit still, there would be no way for me to collect myself long enough to sit in one position, let alone hold a pose longer, or even keep some sort of composure and calm. It just wasn't me... or was it? I tried a class or two that didn't really excite me, and began my own home practice after picking a yoga professionals brains for some recommendations on videos to learn from. I practiced faithfully, even if for just 20 minutes, every single day. I refused to give in to pain and absolutely refused to give in and take pain medication for the rest of my life. In about the third week of daily yoga practice, I woke up and swung my feet off the bed and to the floor. For the first time in YEARS I wasn't in pain when I rose to my feet to start my day! Could it be the yoga? There's no way it could have helped that much... right? Or could it? I continued on my journey with yoga to find each week my body was reacting in such positive ways to the newly found flexibility and control, not to mention the strength. It was then, I decided I would expand my teaching experience to the beautiful practice of yoga and spent eight months and 200+ hours completing my Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher Training (RYT) and began teaching the very next day. It was my time to teach people all the wonderful things that yoga can bring to your life. I've always had a soft spot for gateway fitness. You know, those programs like Zumba that are for the beginner exercise enthusiast that really has no interest in working out but wants to be healthy and have fun. You have no idea the joy I've experienced watching couch potatoes turned into tire flippers, mud runners and marathon enthusiasts! And it was all because of a gateway fitness program that flipped their switch and got them to realize that getting and staying healthy can be fun! I knew when I began teaching yoga that I wanted to concentrate on beginners that were either completely new to yoga, were moving into different adult phases of life (but wanted to do so gracefully, safely and with strength and pride), and those that just didn't understand the practice. This is where my focus lies. My passion for teaching has grown in ways I could not imagine over the past 13 years. I never imagined I’d be lucky enough to share my love for dance fitness AND yoga with so many wonderful and loving people. For that, I am blessed. And thankful. And although I no longer teach Zumba, my heart is full of all the wonderful memories and people that have touched my heart on the dance floor. And now I am honored and blessed to have a beautiful family in South Carolina, meeting on the beach, several days a week, learning, growing, and joyfully celebrating life as we all dive deeper into the ancient practice of yoga. Don't get me wrong, I still break out into dance at home, or while out and about. Dance is in my soul. I never knew it... my heart and soul are big enough for two passions. And yoga has taken up the other half of my heart. I am so blessed to teach to such a wonderful yoga family on these beautiful beaches we call home! This truly is a dream come true. So, that’s a little about me, “in case you were wondering”. If you’re reading this, then you’re part of this journey, and I’d like to say thank you. Thank you for all you are, all you do, and all you bring to my life. I’m grateful for every smile, every hug, every accomplishment, every lesson, every "Namaste" and each and every one of you. See you on the sand,
Much love and support,
Namaste,
Hope :)
ABOUT MY YOGA CLASSES: Join me for Alignment-Oriented Practices to safely guide you through your journey. "Alignment is intended to create a stable foundation for a safe practice, to allow the body to open in new ways, and to reduce the risk of injury." YOU FIT here. If you are looking for a class that teaches yoga "from the ground up", focusing on the anatomy, proper alignment and benefits of each pose, and an instructor to "talk you through" your journey, one step at a time, you've FOUND YOUR YOGA HOME! You will never feel left out, left behind or left alone in these classes. I will guide you gently through your practice and teach you to reach your next destination safely and joyfully.
