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Education
CUNY Hunter College - Bachelors in Theatre + English, Creative Writing
Adelphi University - Master of Fine Arts, Creative Writing, Focus in Poetry + Playwriting
Lisa Bermudez discovered the yoga practice during her work toward her BA in English and theatre, her MFA in creative writing, her recovery from injuries as a dancer, and through her lifelong passion and appreciation for the body and movement. She completed her 200-Hour Vinyasa Yoga teacher training at Laughing Lotus Yoga Center in NYC and is currently working on her 300-Hour Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training at YOGAMAYA New York.
Lisa also completed her Prenatal Teacher Training in New York City through Samba Yoga and is fully qualified to work with expecting mothers throughout their pregnancies. In addition to adults, she also is certified to teach children and teens through the the internationally recognized and respected Karma Kids Yoga Teacher Training in New York City.
Lisa continues to attend workshops, classes and seminars to deepen her teaching. She believes that yoga is a doorway and a pathway, preventing us from getting bored or stagnant in the practice. Her classes are infused with alignment information, specific direction, attention to injuries and a sweet flow using the breath and movement.
Aside from yoga, Lisa enjoys hiking, the beach and a good horror flick.
Don’t go off your own path just to please someone else.
How did you discover your current job?
I originally went to college with the intention to major in dance, but I ended up realizing it was something I just loved to do for fun, so I pursued other majors. However, in the meantime, I took dance classes all over for fun ... which led to various injuries. I began taking Pilates and then soon found yoga classes and became hooked!
What is your typical day like? What types of things do you do in your job?
A typical day consists of waking up around 6 a.m., taking the train into the city to either teach an early morning yoga class or a private client at one location, and then heading to one to three other locations throughout the day to teach. I teach yoga classes to students of all levels. I see beginners and advanced yogis, as well as people recovering from injuries, etc. It's amazing to work with so many different people!
What is the most rewarding part of your job? The most challenging?
The most rewarding part of my job is helping people. There are so many times that a student will come up to me after class and express how they needed the class so much and how they feel so much better than they did when they got there.
The most challenging part is definitely trying to find a steady schedule. I'm constantly subbing classes, as well as taking on new classes and clients, so it's difficult to find some form of consistency.
What is the biggest personal sacrifice you have to make because of your job?
The biggest personal sacrifice I need to make because of my job is giving up the free time that the majority of my friends and family have. I don't have a typical 9 to 5 job; however, my closest friends and family do, so it makes it difficult to see the people I love. It's rough sometimes, but it makes the times that I do see these people even more special.
What is one lesson you've learned in your job that sticks with you?
You really never know what someone is struggling with or going through, so it's important to always respect the place a person might be at. This is something I had to learn from my job, but it's become something that sticks with me in my personal life as well.
What do you feel is the biggest challenge for women today, particularly females in your industry?
When I first started teaching and began looking for jobs, a co-worker of mine told me that the yoga teaching industry is one where it's much easier for men to get jobs than women. I'm still not 100 percent sure if I agree with that statement, but it's definitely something that I hear every now and then.
Who are your role models?
My first two role models are and always will be my first two dance teachers, Juliana Fazio and her mother, Carol Fazio. They've always been the two strong women who I've always looked up to for both personal and professional reasons. They're also amazing business owners and teachers. Two of my other role models are my yoga teachers, Stacey Brass and Bryn Chrisman. They've been two of my most influential teachers since I began practicing yoga. They're also the teachers I did my certification under, as well as two of the co-owners of my current yoga studio.
What are some of the rules you live by?
Be fearless. When something comes up that scares me, or if I'm unsure about something that's offered to me, I sit with it for a moment and try to get to the bottom of what it is that's holding me back. Nine out of 10 times, the fear is coming from a place of insecurity within myself or even laziness (as opposed to it coming from that place that triggers the instinct to detect true danger). Being fearless doesn't mean being careless. It means to truly get to the bottom of yourself and see yourself in full spectrum -- the good and the bad -- and then act from a place of self-realization.
What advice do you have for girls who want to be in your industry?
Stay true to yourself, what you love and what you want to teach. Don't go off your own path just to please someone else. If you're teaching from an honest place and teaching what you're living and practicing, you will always have that stable place to come back to.
Where do you see yourself five years from now?
In five years, I hope to be totally content and stable with myself and where I am both professionally and personally (or at least enjoying the ride to achieve that).