Yoga queen Beth Shaw: Look good, feel whole
There was a time when there was a great divide in the fitness scene. Iron pumping stayed in the gym while yogis stayed in the ashram. Beth Shaw is the woman who built the bridge between them.
As the founder of YogaFit, the biggest yoga center in America, she didn’t just teach poses, she popularized into the mainstream a 5,000-year-old practice. Today, if you’ve ever taken a yoga class at a commercial gym—including here in the Philippines—you likely have Beth to thank.
Beyond the business empire, she is a leading voice on trauma and mental health, proving that the strongest muscle we can flex is actually the mind. I spent an inspiring morning with the global wellness pioneer to discuss the business of fitness, and why the future of health isn’t just about looking good, but feeling whole.
THE PHILIPPINE STAR: You are credited with bringing yoga into the health club. How do you see the relationship between traditional strength training and yoga evolving?
BETH SHAW: I’ve been working out in gyms since age 15. I absolutely love weight training. I also know the huge benefits of practicing yoga along with lifting and how much it can balance your body.
Strength training builds power and bone density, while yoga builds mobility, balance, breath awareness, and nervous system regulation. At YogaFit, we bridge the two safely by emphasizing proper alignment, intelligent sequencing, and breath-supported movement. The goal is not performance or competition, but longevity. We are helping people move better, feel better, and stay active throughout their lives.
Each day, we can become a little bit better, a little bit stronger, walk a little longer, lift a little heavier. You chart your own progress and go out at your own pace. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else. Just feel good about moving your body every single day.
Your recent work focused on trauma-sensitive yoga and mental health. Why is trauma-informed fitness now a necessity?
The entire world is traumatized now. The pandemic caused generations of individuals with huge mental health issues, anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Trauma is far more widespread than we once realized, and the body remembers stress long after the mind moves on. Trauma-informed fitness is not therapy—it’s about safety, choice, and respect. At YogaFit, we use inclusive language, remove judgment and expectation, and encourage students to listen to their bodies and move at their own pace. This creates an environment where movement supports healing rather than overwhelm. Today, this approach is essential, not optional.
In the Philippines, anxiety and burnout are rising. What is one simple mind-body tool people can use right now?
A 10-minute body scan where you check in with your entire body, combined with conscious breathing, especially slows breathing with longer exhales, is the most accessible and effective tool. Breath is the foundation of movement. It helps calm the nervous system, anchor attention in the present moment, and restore balance. You don’t need special equipment or experience. Just a few mindful breaths can reset the body and mind.
You often speak about “spiritual fitness.” How is that different from physical fitness?
Physical fitness is about how the body performs. Spiritual fitness is about how we respond to life—with awareness, resilience, and compassion. You can be physically strong and still feel disconnected. We emphasize presence, breath, and listening to the body, helping people reconnect with themselves. True wellness happens when body, mind, and spirit work together.
As a female pioneer in a male-dominated industry, what advice can you give to women leaders today?
That’s a very interesting question. Unfortunately, because I have only been a woman in this role. I don’t know what it would be like otherwise. I really have a lot to say on this topic, but I would like to save that for a different article.
Resilience is everything. Stay grounded in your values, trust your intuition, and don’t feel pressure to lead like anyone else. At YogaFit, we teach that honoring your own pace and boundaries is strength, not weakness. Surround yourself with people who support your vision, and remember: your health is your most valuable asset—always.
Beyond the yoga mat, what wellness trend excites you most right now
At our Be YogaFit Studio, we use Red Light therapy combined with Yoga and Mat Pilates. Mental health tools are being woven into more physical practices right now—for example, Nervous system regulation. By 2027, practices like breath-work, recovery-focused movement, sleep optimization, and stress awareness will be mainstream. YogaFit has always emphasized warm-up, intelligent sequencing, and cool-down because recovery is where transformation happens. Wellness is no longer about pushing harder—it’s about restoring balance.
For readers new to yoga, what are the three most important benefits?
I am quite convinced I would not be alive if it was not for Yoga. First, improved physical health—strength, flexibility, balance, and reduced pain. Second, stress relief—yoga calms the nervous system and improves mental clarity. Third, self-connection—learning to listen to your body without judgment.
YogaFit makes these benefits accessible by offering options, modifications, and a non-competitive environment where everyone feels welcome.
YogaFit offers specializations for youth, seniors, athletes, and PTSD warriors. What inspired this?
Yoga is a wonderful practice that can be done by anyone and modified accordingly.
At YogaFit, we believe that your body is unique and that the pose should fit your body instead of trying to make your body fit the pose.
We offer modification options and encourage everyone to go with their own pace to find their own personal level of success, and that is completely individual and cannot be compared with others.
Yoga should adapt to people—not the other way around. Different populations have different needs, and safety is essential. YogaFit trainings emphasize proper warm-up, alignment principles, breath awareness, and mindful cool-down, ensuring yoga is safe, empowering, and effective for every stage of life. Our mission has always been inclusion, education, and long-term well-being.
YogaFit is rooted in compassion, accessibility, and safety—values that deeply align with the spirit of the Philippines. I would be honored to bring YogaFit education, teacher training, and healing practices to Filipino communities, supporting health, resilience, and connection through mindful movement.
