Brice is Back! But not really ...

By SHAYLENE TODD Contributing Writer The Placencia Breeze shaylenetodd@gmail.com

When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. This was certainly the case for local Barefoot Beach Bar owner, Brice Dial. After first trying yoga in 2005 to help relieve and manage stress, Brice received her instructor certification through Om Shanti Belize in 2016. Since then, she felt she had been waiting for the opportunity to take her practice to the next level.

When she heard about a scholarship sponsored by the Indian Government to attend an intensive trainers course in India, she knew she had to apply. In agreement with Belize-City based Rhythm of Change (ROC), a non-profit yoga and wellness center, that she would offer two hours of yoga per week to her community upon returning and a stated desire to help transform lives through yoga in Belize, she was accepted.

Accompanied by fellow Belizean honoree, Vianey Blades, a 23-year-old physical therapist, Brice embarked on 36 hours of travel, 23 hours of flying through London to Bangalore and an hourlong drive one hour south to Bengaluru. Once at S-VYASA University, (Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana), Brice and Vianey joined their group of 30 other participants from 18 different countries, Mozambique to Columbia, Ecuador, Serbia and Hungary to name a few. The goal of S-VYASA is to combine yoga and spirituality with modern scientific research to bring health, harmony and peace to the world, a best of both worlds mentality where Eastmeets West. Their approach to yoga is more than just bodily fitness; it’s a holistic and academic approach as well. A learning centre and hospital, they have participants instead patients, as they utilize yoga for medicinal purposes and send teachers back into the world.

As such, the days were intense. Waking up most days at 4:30 a.m., mantras, meditations and devotions all took place before breakfast at 8 a.m.. This was followed by Karma yoga and chanting, an hour-long lecture and then Pranayama, which is the formal practice of controlling the breath, our vital life force, then finally, cyclic meditation, which combines movement and meditation for stimulation and relaxation of the body and the mind. After lunch there was another lecture and a teaching techniques class, followed by Bahjan songs), Satsang and Trataka (gazing meditation) and Krida (playful) yoga. Then dinner, study time and lights out. Put that on repeat for 30 days and combine it with a Sattvic diet, which includes food and eating habits that are pure, essential, natural, vital, energy giving, clean and wise, and maybe you’ll experience the same life changing clarity with which Brice came home. That is, if you believe she’s back. Her sister Cassie, who, when asked how it was to have Brice home, responded with a smile, “Brice isn’t back yet.”

Not needing to rely on alcohol or drugs, Brice admits she’s been on a high since returning home, having maintained her daily practice and healthy diet. She’ll tell you she’s never felt better. Her staff, on the other hand, will tell you she’s “annoyingly happy”. She says she’d have trouble not approaching her classes more holistically now here in the West where we tend to associate yoga with physical fitness and the body rather than using meditation and breathingin conjunction with the physical movements to find inner balance and to promote self awareness and health.

She’s kept her end of the bargain with ROC and can be found at the Placencia Village Community Centre at 6 p.m. on Mondays where her yoga classes are free for all. Just bring a mat! Her hope is to find a way to promote yoga among the youth of Belize and to help them learn the right tools for finding their equilibrium at a pivotal age. She wants everyone in Placencia to know that she’s here to help. Even if you’ve never spoken before, she’s open to sharing her experiences and offer support. In other words, if you’re ready, there’s a new teacher in our midst. ▪

This feature is a follow up to a Q&A with Brice by Shaylene Todd in our August 2018 issue about Brice's inspiring journey into yoga.

Contributing writer to The Placencia Breeze, Shaylene Todd is the sales manager for Itz'ana Resort & Residences in Placencia. She can often be seen running the road or enjoying a beach day with friends. Reach her at shaylenetodd@gmail.com