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When I first did the video, I didn’t think much about it. Then, I made the mistake of reading Youtube comments. But I realized, I’ve been through this before.
Andrea Marcum: When the video went viral, did that kick up some of the Thai pop star dust and have you concerned, or did it confirm to you that you’d done the work and could handle it? Briohny Kate Smyth: A little bit of both. When I first did the video, I didn’t think much about it. Then, I made the mistake of reading Youtube comments. But I realized, I’ve been through this before. I need to be myself and try to have compassion for where other people are coming from, even when it’s hurtful. The opportunity to inspire other people when the spotlight is on you is there, so that’s where I put my focus. AM: Has the enormity of the video had an impact on the intimacy of your classroom? BKS: There’s even more camaraderie because we’ve been through something together. We have a “trauma bond” on a very mild level. AM: But no one expects you to show up in your underwear, right? BKS: What’s funny is that when companies send me clothes, which I’m very thankful for, they send me tiny shorts and bras. I never teach or practice in that. AM: There’s a lot of talk about the video being empowering. What aspect of it is most empowering for you? BKS: It’s basically that after years of body issues, I always struggled with how I looked. I even had someone suggest that I get a surgery to put extra plates in my knees to make me taller. AM: Certainly, getting comfortable in our skin is tough, but to me what’s empowering is what you’ve endured, not just as a young pop star, but later as a single mom, a music producer, and a fashion entrepreneur and that you’re so humble about it. When I spoke to Judith Lasater, she asked, “Why are we doing all these handstands and arm balances, unless our lives are shaped and changed?” BKS: I love arm balances and inversions because I feel so strong. It’s not your ego saying, “Yes, I can do this so everyone else can suck it.” It’s, “Yes, I can do this. I’m filling my heart with confidence. I feel good about myself.” One teacher whom I admire, who’s been very successful at marrying her passion for inversions with how they represent struggles and obstacles in life is Kathryn Budig. She inspires me. If I can inspire people through arm balances and inversions, I am happy to. Those things, no matter how petty they might seem, changed my life. They made me want to dedicate my life to yoga. They make me more and more present every day. Another way in which yoga has turned Bri’s life upside down is that it introduced her to her husband, Dice Ida Klein (aka “the guy in the bed in her video”) and they have recently welcomed their son Syd. After all she has been through, Bri has landed in a happy household, and evidently, in an abundance of tiny shorts and bras.
Andrea Marcum // www.ustudioyoga.com
briohnysmyth.com
PHOTOS: David Young-Wolff
M A N T R A M A G . C OM
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