Belleville Resident Discovers Her Life’s Purpose: Teaching Yoga

Things weren’t going entirely well for Glenda Serrano back in 2008.

She was 30 pounds overweight, was taking anti-depressants, was at a job that didn’t fulfill her potential, and she wanted to go in a different direction.

The start was reading natural health books. “I started to say, ‘Wow, this makes sense. The body will heal itself naturally when given proper things.” The next step was taking her first yoga class, then enrolling at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City. “I found the school, and I didn’t know how I was going to pay for it," she recalls. "Then I cut out all processed foods.”

The fat melted away, passion awakened inside her, and InSync Yoga & Wellness, located inside Dance To My Rhythm, 382 Union Avenue in Belleville, was founded. Serrano teaches yoga and counsels on holistic nutrition.

“This is not about perfection, but about making conscious choices daily.” She then alludes to a key fact. “Make room for more vegetables. Vegetables are missing out a lot in the American diet.”

What Serrano offers at InSync is Gentle and Power Yoga. “I offer yoga at the beginner level. A lot of people are afraid; there’s a lot of sensationalism. People see how people bend in magazines and say, ‘I can’t do that.’ You are where you are while you are getting slowly to where you want to be.”

She adds, “Yoga is good for teenagers, too. There are lots of stressors. It keeps them grounded.”

Serrano, 39, chose Belleville because she claims there is nothing in town like this, and she believes yoga can be beneficial for many. “In an hour, you can de-stress, exercise and reconnect with yourself. ‘Mind-Body-Spirit’ is used a lot in yoga, and that defines it for me. There’s so much disconnect in the world, so many to-do lists, that we don’t make a connection. People are really searching for that connection, but they don’t know it.”

To achieve her goal of making yoga affordable, Serrano is offering introductory specials at InSync Yoga & Wellness. The first class is free, and the cost for the initial three classes is $25.00.

And Glenda Serrano, who is mom to 14-year-old Dylan, who is also a yoga buff, has never been happier. “I accept where I am. Life is a journey, and challenges are part of the growing process.” She then laughs. “Prior to yoga, I was miserable. Now I have a different way of looking at life.”

InSync Yoga & Wellness, 382 Union Avenue, Belleville, (973) 933-4323, http://get-insync.com/

Tuesday, 6 pm – 7 pm Gentle Yoga (perfect for beginners)

Wednesday & Thursday, 6 pm – 7 pm Power Yoga

Sunday, 10 am – 11 am Gentle Yoga (perfect for beginners)