Joyce Thompson Bianchi has had an interest in health and fitness for over 20 years, adding yoga to her fitness routine about six years ago. She states, “Ours was a family of natural athletes. “My father was in the U.S. military. A strong man, he was physically fit, athletic and walked proud and with good posture. I was always aware of the manner of carrying oneself, and so yoga seems natural to me.” As her practice evolved, she was encouraged to share her love of hatha yoga with others. “I was just so taken with the beauty and gracefulness of yoga,” she says.
Having modeled as a teenager, she later was a fashion model in Milan, Italy. She earned a B.A degree in Telecommunications from CSU-Fresno and worked in radio and television as a news writer and also voiced news stories. She has appeared in television commercials and voiced radio ads. She has for the past ten years worked in child abuse prevention, a topic dear to her heart.
She has been teaching yoga for over two years. She likes people and her classes reflect her warmth. Her style is a smooth blend of the different styles of yoga she studies in an effort to keep her classes fresh.
As a Christian, Joyce views her good health as a blessing and believes that we need to take care of what God has given us. “So often, we take our health and our good genes for granted and squander them by making poor lifestyle choices. Payback for me is knowing that a regular yoga practice -- one which focuses on strength, balance and flexibility -- contributes to my students’ good health and well-being. Medical research supports the health benefits of mindful breathing as well,” she says.
