The Story Behind Beit Mariam: The Art of Oneness

Yoga teaching is perceived as “living the dream” to most people, assuming instructors travel all the time, getting paid to do what they love the most, while staying healthy and in good spirits. However, aside from being a tremendous career choice, it’s not all green sceneries and majestic namastes at sunsets. It’s a career of dedication, persistence and commitment – all the reasons for which Mariam Sobhy has taken this path for a living. We were interested and keen on finding more about Mariam’s journey and how yoga changed her life, so we sat down with her for this inspiring talk.

Tell us a bit about your story.

Initially, I completed my business studies at the Faculty of Commerce at Cairo University in 2000. Post-graduation, I joined Vodafone and worked in the marketing field for ten years. However, I realized that as time passes by, we grow and change. Since then, I started to feel that I wasn’t doing what I genuinely loved. I was just following the familiar path, same as what society plans for many without prior thinking. In a quest to find out who I was and what it is that I wanted, I studied life coaching and adapted a healthier life through exercising and eating well, yet something was still missing. I was still not feeling happy with my career – I felt empty. Yoga came into my life journey in 2010.

One day, I heard of a yoga class and I had no clue what it was – just that it increases one’s flexibility, and so, I attended my very first class back when yoga wasn’t even very popular. I thought I would do well, but throughout the class, I was falling, totally unbalanced, stiff and stressed. I didn’t slightly enjoy myself. Yet, something triggered my curiosity about this practice as I glanced at practitioners of different ages, breathing deeply and looking so peaceful and focused. That’s why I kept going back to this class, not liking it still, but more curious…until I got hooked. I started to study the philosophy and history of this beautiful practice, getting to the roots of it.

What made you decide to start ‘Beit Mariam’?

When I finished my teacher training course, I became a certified teacher and tried to teach in so many places. Still, I didn’t want to teach the yoga poses alone, as I don’t believe that yoga is just a physical practice, but it has more depth to it. I wanted to teach more of what made a difference in my life and the philosophy behind this practice. I have so much admiration for this profession, and I don’t believe that this is something that can be turned into a mere business or commercialized to the extent that what people wear in class surpasses what they practice.

I am glad we are moving forward and away from the misconception of who practices yoga and why it was the “in” practice among the elite social standards. I believe yoga is for everyone, regardless of their race, religion, ethnicity or class. So, I built a space for whoever wants to work on themselves and develop a sense of knowledge and awareness. I wanted to offer a space that encourages sharing physical, mental, emotional and spiritual values without having to worry about any financial liabilities. That’s the reason we built Beit Mariam in 2015.

Do you have a favorite yoga type or practice?

I practice and teach Ashtanga & yin yoga. I find those two yoga styles complement each other; they represent the balance between ‘the yin and the yang’.

What do you prefer about this particular form of yoga?

I enjoy the meditative flow and the synchronicity between the breath and the movement in Ashtanga practice; it makes me feel as if I am floating on the mat like I am dancing softly yet making my body strong and flexible and my mind focused and slowed down. In yin yoga, I love the stillness we reach in each pose, the slow pace and meditative state we reach during the practice; it’s the feminine side of it, and I enjoy its tenderness and softness.

What usually runs through your mind while running a class?

The well-being of my students. Just complete focus on holding the space for them to learn more about themselves through their practice, be more aware of their physical, emotional and mental state. To make sure that no one hurt themselves by pushing their limits too far during class. Constantly reminding them to listen less to the ego and more to the heart and intuition. I focus on directing my students not to compete while practicing, or judge or label themselves, but to observe, accept and work on their limitations from a place of love and kindness.

What changed your life the most ever since you started teaching yoga?

Through my yoga practice, I learned a lot that has changed my life. To love, and accept me as

well as others, and be aware of my limitations and work on them softly.

Do you feel yoga is more mental or physical?

Yoga is a lifestyle. Our body, mind and soul are all connected; you can’t have a clear mind without a healthy body and the other way around. We practice yoga postures to relax the body and keep it strong and flexible, whereas we use breathing to still and slow down the mind and relax it, so we are ready to meditate. We meditate to reach our true selves, our pure consciousness, and by that, we reach a state of peace and bliss.

Do you believe it is an alternative form of healing and medicine?

I can’t claim that it is a decisive alternative, but I can assure that yoga practice and meditation can prevent a lot of physical and mental illness that we witness nowadays. It can change our lifestyle and make it more authentic and carefree.

Your favorite mantra?

A mantra is a word, a prayer or a verse that we repeat to train our mind to focus on one single point. My favorite mantra comes in the form of prayers that I always use at the end of every class:

“May our heart be filled with peace, love, and happiness.

May we always be kind to ourselves and kind to others.

May we always stand tall and proud.”