The Yoga Loft Storybook: Ben Mervis

Why/When/Where did you start practicing yoga?

I’m sure there are classes I don’t remember, but the first time I began practicing yoga with any regularity was in 2014 when I moved to San Diego. I had joined a “luxury” athletic club and was curious about the consistent groups of happy people scrambling to the yoga studio on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It turned out they were all there to practice with Andre, a self-proclaimed fitness legend with a personality comprised of Richard Simmons, Fabio, and Andy Cohen. I fought for a mat in the crowded room (this pre-dated the ubiquity of online reservations), and the class ended up being a mess - but I was hooked. 

Andre’s classes had a flow, but it was chaotic, rushed, and set to the rhythm of a pop soundtrack that always played too loudly. The music changed weekly, but the flow stayed the same, and the regulars - which I became - had it DOWN! Andre would occasionally shout movements and instructions into his mic, but more often would be heard preaching about LOVE. He would ask us to shed the “try-hard attitudes of the athletic club” and instead to love ourselves, our bodies, and our imperfections. Those messages resonated with me, and at 24, it was a type of “mindfulness” that felt familiar. 

This may not come as a surprise, but Andre has-since been dismissed from two, maybe three separate studios… but his loyal crowd still follows everywhere he pops up next.

I took about a year off from yoga after moving to Los Angeles; there was no filling the void of Andre’s class. But I would eventually fall in love with traditional Yoga in 2016 and have been practicing regularly ever since. In such a busy city, I learned to cherish the stillness and quiet of Savasana. I began practicing with my cousin who was going through YTT in Hollywood and found studios and teachers with a healthier balance of flow and affirmations. I strengthened my practice, learned more about yoga’s roots, and connection to meditation, which I also came to appreciate.

In late-2019 I visited friends in San Diego and snuck away for a class at Andre’s new studio. The music was still loud, many of the faces were the same, and it was still all about the love.

How has yoga changed/influenced your life?

Yoga really taught me to slow things down, and to connect with my body and my breath. I went from being afraid of the word meditation to finding little moments for it throughout my day. 

When I imagine myself at 24 in Andre’s class, I was rushing to keep up, and constantly looking at others for cues of what position I should be in - a decent metaphor for my life at the time! Now I have a confident image of myself in class with the Yoga Loft ladies (and Vito), feeling the strength in my energized fingertips, and breathing deeply, in and out of class.

What keeps you busy outside of yoga?

You can often find me shouting “on your left” as I cycle the streets of Marblehead and the greater North Shore. My favorite bi-weekly route is a 50mi loop up 127, from MHD to Gloucester, with a pit-stop at Captain Dusty’s for a kiddie cone. 

I spend quite a bit of time in my parents’ garden, planting things, pulling weeds, and cutting fresh flowers, and herbs to cook with!

I also work in partnerships, marketing, and social impact within the cannabis industry. I work hard to destigmatize the therapeutic use of CBD and THC, and advocate for policy reform and reparations for people and neighborhoods heavily impacted by the overzealous war on drugs.

Do you have a Linkedin, Facebook or Instagram page that we can share on our page?

I’m always glad to connect with my Yoga Loft family on Instagram (@Ben.Mervis) or on LinkedIn.