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wilmettebeacon.com LIFE & ARTS
the wilmette beacon | August 16, 2018 | 21
Wilmette’s Frydman helps others harness inner awareness
Alexa Burnell
Freelance Report
Anyone searching for
a more peaceful and centered
self must look no
further than Wilmette
mom and yogi, Revi Frydman,
who has earned a
well-deserved reputation
for helping others harness
inner awareness, one deep
breath at a time.
Frydman’s journey began
in the late 1990s when
she moved to the United
States from Israel, along
with the man that is now
her husband. She quickly
pursued a bachelor’s degree
and made new acquaintances
but felt a disconnect
from her former
self.
“Everything was going
well, I was completing my
degree at UIC, and enjoying
my new home, but I
was homesick at the same
time. I found myself living
on autopilot in America,
spending too much time
in relationships that were
superficial and filled with
small talk,” Frydman said.
“I longed for the deeper
connections I had with
people back at home and
more importantly, I missed
the relationship I once had
with myself. Being reflective
and contemplative is
the essence of me, and I
found myself craving authenticity.”
As luck would have it,
Frydman almost literally
stumbled into the Peace
School in Chicago, where
a sign reading, “Free Yoga
for All Students,” led her
on a new and fulfilling
path.
“I was hooked, mostly
because of the lectures and
meditation that preceded
the physical practice. I began
to look inward, building
a relationship with myself
once again, leading to
more meaningful relationships
with those around
me,” she said.
While Frydman stayed
devoted to her yoga practice,
life circumstances
such as several relocations
and having four children
sometimes meant less time
for making a date with her
Yoga mat.
In 2015, the Frydmans
returned once again to the
United States after a few
years of living in Israel.
This time, they settled in
Wilmette for good. Now
in her new hometown,
Frydman recognized that
old, familiar need for a
deeper connection to herself
and others in her now
surroundings.
She discovered a new
yoga home at Lifetime
Fitness, enrolling in an
intense 200-hour training
program, changing
the course of her life once
again.
Today, Frydman teaches
at Lifetime and also at her
home studio. Now, as the
instructor herself, Frydman
strives to teach her
clients about the power of
the yoga mat.
“When you are on the
mat, it is about getting to
know yourself. It is about
building your mental stamina,
through breath work,
focus and being present,”
Frydman said. “So many
people think of Yoga as
just another workout, but
it is so much more. Yoga
is truly about the breath.
When you exhale, harnessing
the breath, it takes
you not only physically
deeper, but emotionally
deeper. The holding of the
pose, in combination with
the breath works, centers
people, helping them to be
present in the moment; it’s
a time for self-growth and
reflection. Yoga teaches
you how to respond, rather
than to react.”
Full story available at WilmetteBeacon.com.
Wilmette’s Revi Frydman teaches yoga at Lifetime Fitness and from her Wilmette
home. Photo submitted