Alethea Herman

A Little Bit About Ay…

My name is Alethea Herman, I currently work full time as a Yoga Instructor and Personal Trainer.

My Fitness Journey started slow with Yoga as my primary form of exercise for a long time. I grew up with Depression and Anxiety, and was never truly interested in playing sports; yoga seemed to be just enough physical activity for me. I spent many years practicing, my dedication wavering over time. During a particularly difficult period in my life, I decided to complete my Yoga Teacher Training. I was craving more structure and discipline as a means to reduce the fluctuation of emotions, so I turned to Ashtanga to build that into my routine. In Ashtanga yoga, one is expected to practice Mysore style at sunrise 6 days a week. Mysore means following a standard sequence that is to be memorized and “practiced in the same room as others without being led by the teacher. The role of the teacher is to guide as well as provide adjustments or assists in postures.” I remember vividly the anxiety this caused me on Day 1, trying to remember all the postures on my own, and the contrasting sense of accomplishment I finally felt at the end of my training when I could flow comfortably through the sequence.

My progress over this time was two fold-I was becoming physically and mentally stronger.

Depression limited my ability to concentrate but the repetition of Ashtanga was perfect for building mental focus and resilience. I was also very surprised at how well my physical body was adapting-I had always been the weak, skinny kid growing up. The more I began to move and use my body, the more curious I became in learning what my capabilities were.

As I developed a greater understanding of my body through yoga, I realized it needed more than simply asana. I started becoming hypermobile in my joints and learned that strength training would be a great complement to my regimen. Strength training would in fact, improve my range and allow me to go deeper into certain poses with the additional effort the muscles now contributed. I started developing a real passion for Fitness and endeavoured to become a Personal Trainer. My hope was, if physical exercise could alleviate so much of my anxiety and personal dissatisfaction, I could connect with others experiencing the same thing and work with them to find some relief. My accomplishments gave me a new found confidence that was integral to my mental health recovery and provided me with continued motivation; if I could train my mind to become stronger, more focused, more determined-my body had no choice but to follow suit.

Fitness is generally regarded as a physical modality, however, fitness for me has always been about building mental strength and acuity. I love sharing my passion with others and hearing their views on fitness and life in general-so when you see me in the gym don’t be shy to say Hi and maybe share a little about yourself!