I live the journey of inner exploration and aligning body, mind, and spirit in harmony. I like to teach gentle yoga and meditation traditionally, as a journey back to our essence, to our natural state of relaxed calm and clarity, even stillness in movement. Some call this healing. I call it necessary!

We journey with the body, breath, and mind to access our witnessing awareness. The meta-experience of stepping into the present moment. To be fully here, now. So we can face the challenges and joys of our life with the strength that is within and as a community of practitioners and neighbors to support one another in this miraculous life.

Backyard Yoga - What to Expect

These are a sequence of 3 classes per month during May, June, August, September, and October 2024. We are outside (weather permitting). These classes focus on relaxing into movement with a focus on joint flexibility, mobility, and strength. So we are strong and flexible at every angle! We journey into a more calm and clear state of mind. Culminating in a meditation practice to further bring ourselves into a grounded, centered, and aligned inner harmony. To sign up for these sessions, contact me at youblong@drbena.com.

• Come as you are. No previous experience is necessary.

• We will be outside so dress appropriately for the temperature. Wear comfortable clothing.

• Bring a yoga mat or blanket. If you know you can’t sit comfortably on the ground, please let me know so I can provide a chair or prepare extra blankets/pillows to support you.

• We will be moving gently, on purpose with full attention. Everything is modifiable.

• The movements will focus on our joint mobility and strength and lead us to relax and focus with ease as we move or hold different positions. Everything will be accessible physically and equally as challenging as you need.

• Relax, Refresh, and Have Fun!

Additional Services:

Backyard Yoga at your house

Personal Practice Reboot or Creation with Private Yoga and Meditation Mentoring Sessions

Lifestyle and Leadership Coaching

About Bena

I’m interested in getting more enlightened. What does that mean? Simply, it is to be able to authentically respond at the right moment, for the right reasons, in the right way. Like getting angry. If we get angry and repress it or over-express it, we are not free or enlighted! If we can let anger tell us that something needs to be restored because a boundary has been broken and use the anger at the right time for the right reasons, in the right way; that’s astoundingly skillful and well, fun!

I experience life as a highly sensitive person, with a body that’s been through the wringer, and a mind that was full of gangsters. I didn’t know what it meant to be my own best friend.

I’ve more than 30 years of experimenting, studying, and experiencing what a healthy lifestyle is and what it takes to train the mind and open our spiritual heart. Using traditional yogic and meditation training with Monk-like devotion and commitment, I’ve done a lot of being there and experienced that. Even though I do my best to retain a beginner’s mindset!

As a child I would walk around on my knees with my legs in full lotus pose yet, my official training began in the 1990s. I was initiated in the lineage of the Himalayan Sages. I’ve more than 500 hours of Hatha Yoga Teacher Training, in the early days I was a full-time Hatha yoga instructor throughout the greater Princeton area. I also apprenticed and received Meditation Teacher Training with more than 10k hours of experience. Mindfulness, Tai Chi, and Chi Gung were additional trainings and practices I’ve been involved in over the years. I studied with Master Yang originally from Boston, and Chen-style Tai Chi here in the Princeton area.

I focus on gentle, gentle, gentle yoga out of my experience with chronic pain and eventually auto-immune diagnoses.

Mindfulness and Meditation training have many doorways into and within the human mind. Your way will be unique and I encourage the systematic development of practices that give you access to inner resources and depth of practice.

While I’m a lifetime practitioner and teacher of yoga, meditation, and practical spirituality. My insatiable curiosity and years of lifestyle and leadership coaching and consulting-led me to a Ph.D. in organizational development. My dissertation research was on long-term mindfulness practitioners who were also organizational leaders and their lived experiences. Lots of geeky fun. Ask me lots of questions before or after class to inspire your personal growth and curiosity!

You can reach me at youblong@drbena.com