POH FRANK
HI Scotty – how was your day so far?
SCOTTY
Yeah, just came from a nice yoga, hot yoga practice near the beach and just had breakfast. Now, I’m slowly easing into the day.
POH
Can you share with our readers a bit more about your personal healing journey and what inspired you to become a Breath, Awareness, and Movement Teacher?
SCOTTY
My childhood was defined by challenges—battling addiction and dealing with trauma led me down a dark path of aggression and anger, resulting in frequent conflicts and time spent in jail.
I grew up as an athlete, racing Motocross professionally for 10 years, reaching the top tier in Arizona. My life was characterized by a fast-paced, aggressive, and tension-filled existence, fueled by adrenaline. However, as I entered my twenties, I realized that there was more to life than the high-speed lifestyle I had been living.
In my early twenties, after my second DUI and another stint in jail, I found myself in a counseling class. Looking around, a voice inside me, perhaps my own conscience, spoke loudly and clearly. “Scotty, you deserve more than this. You are better than this. You don’t belong here. Find your path, do something better, improve yourself.”
Those words resonated with me, not as external voices but as internal thoughts. From that moment, I decided to redirect my life. I chose to follow my passions—specifically, my dedication to health and wellness, and my love for fitness and movement. This shift marked the beginning of a transformative journey toward self-improvement and a more fulfilling life. Then I traveled to Asia.
POH
So, before delving into the Asia part, I just want to establish a bit of a timeline. After reaching a low point, leading to the revelation mentioned earlier, and subsequently rediscover your passion for fitness?
SCOTTY
After dropping out of high school, as I mentioned, I found myself in a downward spiral that many go through. I obtained my GED, and then I faced the question of what to do next. I experimented with a few things, but my true passion lay in fitness. At the age of 19, I became a personal trainer, investing two years in a community college program to become a certified fitness professional.
By the time I was 21 or 22, I took the plunge and started practicing as a personal trainer and fitness coach. It was a learning journey for me, especially in developing social skills and the ability to connect with people. Fitness became my channel, my medium, my path to understanding and helping individuals better themselves through physical well-being
POH
So when did you start your spiritual journey?
SCOTTY
It started with fitness professional training. This path eventually led me to universities, exploring exercise science and kinesiology. At that point, I had absolutely no knowledge or awareness of spirituality, breathwork, meditation, or yoga. I wasn’t that type of person; in fact, I used to mock those practices. During those years, I dismissed yoga as a waste of time and labeled spiritual concepts as woo-woo and BS.
However, as I delved into personal development and sought to understand myself, psychology, and human behavior—particularly in the context of the people I was working with—I underwent a significant shift. It was after graduating from university that I felt a nudge to travel, and that journey led me to Asia.
POH
During your time in Asia, you learned ancient, healing, and yogic lifestyle modalities. Can you highlight specific practices or experiences that had a profound impact on your healing?
SCOTTY
At the age of 26, I embarked on a backpacking journey, living out of a backpack for six months, fueled by curiosity. During this adventure, I was accompanied by my girlfriend, with whom I had been together for 4.5 years. It marked our first extended travel experience together, exploring the diverse cultures of various Southeast Asian countries. The journey was a mix of adventure and eye-opening experiences.
Upon returning to the States, I sensed that something was missing. I didn’t want to conform to the traditional corporate lifestyle or the conventional, fast-paced way of living that many people followed.
Feeling the need for a change, my girlfriend and I decided to build a business together. This business eventually became a means for us to travel back to Asia for the next two years. It was during this time that I delved into yoga, studying the practice in northern India.
POH
Where did you study that, like in an Ashram?
SCOTTY
So, in 2018, I undertook a 200-hour yoga teacher training in Northern India at Sattva Yoga Academy. The training lasted for four weeks, a comprehensive 28-day program situated near the Ganges River—a sacred river with deep spiritual significance.This experience was my introduction to a different perspective on yoga compared to what I had known in the States.
Studying there took me deep into understanding and living a more yogic lifestyle. It broadened my understanding of what yoga truly means, going beyond the superficial notions I had encountered back in the States.
POH
So then I read something that you started to do yoga retreats in Bali?
SCOTTY
So, prior to leaving the country, we took the initiative to create two retreats in Bali, Indonesia during that year. We conceptualized the vision, developed the website, designed packages, and handled all the details. At that point, I was certain about my path to becoming a yoga teacher, meditation practitioner, and breathwork instructor. The retreats were crafted based on this vision.
During my yoga teacher training, I immersed myself in meditation and learned various pranayama breathing techniques. In the following months, I traveled to Nepal and spent 10 days in a Buddhist monastery, exploring a different type of meditation and breathing practice called Vipassana.
Armed with these skills and practices, I continued daily practice, deepening my understanding. When I returned, I integrated these experiences into our retreats, guiding participants through a transformative and enriching experience. That’s how it all came together.
POH
As a Breath, Awareness, and Movement Teacher, which specific conscious breathing techniques and self-awareness skills do you find to be particularly effective for promoting healing? For those unfamiliar with breathwork, could you provide a brief explanation.
SCOTTY
There are various types of breathwork, and it’s become a rapidly growing trend, akin to the popularity of pickleball.
In the realm of healing and spiritual practices, there are diverse breathwork techniques. To simplify, let’s consider a basic practice. Right now, as we converse, take a moment to notice your breath. As I’m speaking with you, Frank, and for those reading this, observing my breath slows me down. I notice my belly rising on the inhale, a pause between words, and a softening of the body on the exhale.
Engaging in dual awareness while talking and listening allows for an active experiential practice. By lengthening the exhale, breathing through the nose, and inhaling from the belly to the lungs and heart, then exhaling slowly through the nose from the heart to the belly, we initiate a process of calming the mind and the nervous system.
In just a minute, this practice may induce discomfort because our accustomed pace clashes with the deliberate slowing down, revealing layers of energy—normal reactions like impatience, frustration, and irritation.
Yet, as we breathe intentionally, our breath becomes a tool, anchoring us to the present despite distractions and impulses. It’s a conscious breathing technique that directly connects to the nervous system, promoting calmness.
POH
Now, considering that we also breathe unconsciously, some might express not having time for conscious breathing techniques, echoing sentiments about meditation. What would you say to those who feel they lack time for such practices?
