ABOUT BRIAN BALES
Who is Brian Bales?
Brian Bales, (AKA B1, Yogi) is more than just a Yogi – he's a dedicated father of two, a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT), and the visionary & creator behind B1 Yoga TT 200 HR. With over three decades of experience, Brian's journey through various healing modalities has included massage therapy, yoga, meditation, fasting, colon hydrotherapy, veganism, energetic healing, Barefoot coaching, and conscious healing, to name just a few.
Brian is committed to empowering and building each student’s self-esteem while inspiring light-heartedness. Brian blends his knowledge, passion for yoga, and love for all of life into each Private Yoga Session!
B1Yoga is now a home office located on the Eastside by Microsoft, Amazon & Google, in beautiful Bellevue Washington.
The home office sits on 1.5 acres surrounded by tall pine trees with views of a Greenbelt, Seattle & the Olympic Mountains with plenty of Free Private, Safe Parking right in front of the entry door.
@b1yog108 press handstand Lotus Crow chaturanga dandasana upward-facing dog
♬ Trampoline - SHAED
@b1yog108 press handstand Lotus Crow chaturanga dandasana upward-facing dog
♬ Trampoline - SHAED
Brian was born in Houston but spent most of his childhood years in Kansas, New Mexico, and Florida. He says he was the family massage therapist and confidant from about the age of 6. He would do neck, hand & feet massages for his mom, dad, older brother & sister occasionally.
Around the age of 6, his dad began teaching him Ashiatsu and Brian would walk on his dad’s back often at the end of the workday. As family issues came up over the years, Brian was the family confidant early on. He became a good listener & attributes this to his good ear today for those who often vent during bodywork. It was witnessing suffering in his friends and family that drove Brian to do hands-on intuitive healing bodywork to transform the pain. Brian says he could see the auras of people and plants early on which guided him in his early healing work.
At the age of 10, Brian's life took a transformative turn when his father introduced him to the practice of meditation. This pivotal moment not only altered the course of his life but continues to be a source of profound positivity to this day.
Brian has faithfully maintained his daily meditation practice, a testament to its enduring impact on his well-being.
Another significant juncture in Brian's life occurred during his sixth-grade years when he faced the challenges of bullying. In response, he embarked on yet another life-altering journey, this time into the realm of Tae Kwon Do, under the guidance of Master Chon Lee. Master Lee, one of the few individuals in the US holding an 8th-degree black belt, became Brian's new mentor.
Through Tae Kwon Do, Brian delved into the intricacies of energy movement, cultivated spatial awareness, nurtured flexibility, and established a strong foundation for himself. His dedication and passion for the practice propelled him to the top of his class, where he thrived and found true fulfillment in the discipline of Tae Kwon Do.
Brian states that the bullying mysteriously stopped shortly after starting Tae Kwon do and never again returned. He has always felt the need to stand up for the little person whenever he sees bullying.
The story of Brian's journey is nothing short of remarkable. At the age of 15, he embarked on a unique solo path that took him across the United States on his motorcycle. Covering thousands of miles from coast to coast, nearly every state in the US to study with newly discovered and inspiring teachers. This adventurous spirit led him on spiritual quests to study with teachers who called out to his heart nearly every month for the next 30 years.
During his travels, Brian encountered breathtaking, magnificent landscapes that left him in awe. The solitude of solo travel offered him precious moments of silence, allowing for extensive periods of meditation and deep self-reflection. These journeys were instrumental in shaping his spiritual growth and provided a canvas for him to paint his own unique story.
After several years residing in the enchanting town of Sedona, Arizona, where he worked in construction as a carpenter, and laborer for concrete, electrical, plumbing, and roofing building everything from apartments to spec and custom-built solar homes and more. He was inspired and learned a lot about solar at an early age and has continued his whole life with his custom-built solar arrays' & solar batteries today.
Brian's path took a new turn in his late teens.
He dedicated time to hospice study and care and became a nurse aide working for several registries in Sedona and Prescot AZ. He embarked on a journey of self-discovery, studying to become an EMT and delving into extensive research in areas like cancer, AIDS, and Alzheimer's through nursing. These experiences paved the way for him to evolve into a Therapeutic, Alignment-based Yoga teacher and Massage therapist, deeply influenced by Eastern wisdom and practices.
Through his diverse and profound experiences, Brian has cultivated a unique perspective that he now shares with others on their own journeys of healing and self-discovery through Advanced Structural Integration BodyWork and Yoga Teaching 7 days a week.
Brian credits his then-girlfriend in Sedona who loved his bodywork saying he should do it for a living.
For his birthday, she bought him his first massage table & suggested one of her clients come to see him for his first-ever bodywork session. To make the long story short, the client came, loved the work, and told others. A week later, Brian was booked full-time doing massage & gave up construction for good, without any formal education whatsoever in massage. He says he fell in love with bodywork from the very first session.
He went from $20 per hour building houses to $60 per hour plus tip overnight. A new transformational career & life path began for Brian at that point. There was no license required in Sedona for a massage at that time and his new practice flourished until he later moved to Washington state in 1992 to continue his massage education & advanced studies in many forms of bodywork, eastern philosophies, Ayurveda, Thai Yoga Therapy, Reflexology & many others.
About 1 year after moving to Seattle, Brian was encouraged by a new girlfriend to try a Yoga private with her teacher at her home. At the time, the self-proclaimed “Gym Rat” Brian wanted nothing to do with Yoga. He thought it was for old sleepy people. After a 90-minute practice in the teacher’s living room, he states he felt humiliated & realized that Yoga was a lot more than he thought. Over the next few months, he attended more & more classes until he was eventually attending up to 12 classes a week at different studios. “Freedom” became his dedication & conviction.
He gave up the gym completely. Brian says he went from not being able to bend over & touch his toes, to being able to do handstand scorpion & many other advanced poses after the first year of serious studies with some of the top teachers in the world. He attended class every day and on many days did 2 or 3 classes a day through his transformation from gym rat to the yogi.
He admits to spending over 10K every year for the first 5 years to travel & study with his teachers, collecting data.
Like a miner sifting for gold, he says he was collecting all the good stuff.
This process was refining what would later be his own Nationally certified 200-hour Teacher Training under the name of B1 Yoga, a compilation of all his studies aimed at ending many versions of suffering. B1 Yoga is Alignment-based, self-empowerment, and self-growth focused with Tantric philosophies, to transform the self and the community for the better; with every practice.
Brian's profound yogic journey spans over two decades, during which he has had the privilege of studying under the guidance of some of the world's most esteemed yoga teachers. Through their teachings, blessings, and the invaluable gifts they imparted, Brian's own distinctive style of yoga, known as B1 Yoga, was born. Rooted in the rich tradition of Tantric Hatha Yoga, B1 Yoga embodies a fusion of ancient wisdom and modern insights.
Throughout his yogic odyssey, Brian has drawn immense inspiration from luminaries such as Douglas Brooks, David Life, Sharon Gannon, Wayne Dyer, Louise Hay, Doug Keller, Oprah, and Ellen Degeneres, among many others. Each of these remarkable individuals has played a pivotal role in shaping Brian's path and deepening his understanding of yoga.
Notably, Brian holds a profound sense of gratitude for David and Sharon, whom he regards as his yogic parents, teachers, and gurus all rolled into one. He cherishes the moments he spends with these revered mentors whenever the opportunity arises.
Brian's teaching style and classes are a harmonious blend reminiscent of Jivamukti, Anusara, and Ashtanga yoga traditions. An invaluable piece of advice Brian imparts to aspiring students is to explore the lineage of a teacher before embarking on a journey of learning with them. Understanding the teacher's teacher and their spiritual heritage can provide profound insights. As Brian's grandfather in Texas wisely put it, "Knowledge and wisdom flow from one source to another," emphasizing the importance of tracing the roots of wisdom.
Brian's dedication to his own growth and mastery of yoga is reflected in his extensive teacher training journey. He has had the privilege of learning from esteemed instructors such as Ana Forrest, David Life, Mitchell Bleier, Sienna Sherman, Doug Keller, John Friend, Tim Miller, and many others. Each of these teachers has contributed to Brian's profound understanding of yoga and its transformative power.
Brian's intention as a teacher is to share the boundless joy and freedom that comes from aligning with the Source, a journey he has personally lived and experienced. His yoga practice is a testament to the transformative potential of aligning the body, mind, and spirit.
Teacher Training
Brian has completed teacher training with Ana Forrest, David Life, Mitchell Bleier, Sienna Sherman, Doug Keller, John Friend, Tim Miller & others.
Brian intends to share the Joy-filled Freedom of Alignment with Source, that he has come to live, through the Powerful Practice of Aligned Yoga!
Here is a list of some of Brian’s teachers that he has been studying with for over 20 years.
- David Life & Sharon Gannon
- Ana Forrest
- Tim Miller
- Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa
- Nancy Gilgoff
- YOGA SLACKERS
- Gary Craftsow
- Noah Maze’
- Amy Ippoliti
- Rolf Gates
- Desiree Rumbaugh
- Bryan Kest
- Pretzel
- John Friend
- Mitchell Bleier
- Sianna Sherman,
- Doug Keller
- Douglas Brooks
- Shiva Rea
- Sarah Powers
- Erich Schiffman
- Dharma Mitra
- Marshal Govindan
- Rod Stryker
- Rodney Yee
- Shiva Rea
- Sean Corn
- Sara Powers
- Baron Baptiste
- Judith Hanson Lasater
- Patricia Walden
- Kino MacGregor
- Tiffany Cruikshank
- Tias Little
- Krishna Das
- Dharma Mitra
- Richard Freeman
- David & Doug Swenson
- Beryl & Tom Birch
- Acro Yoga with Jenny & Jason,
- Wayne Dyer
- Ellen DeGeneres
- Deepak Chopra
- Oprah
- Anthony Robbins
- John Robbins
Additionally
- Brian has led multiple Yoga retreats to Sedona Az & taught in more than 15 countries.
- Brian has completed a 10-day Vipassana (Silent meditation retreat 10 hours a day for 10 days straight of silent meditation)
- Studies with 2 Advanced Rolf instructors profoundly affected the direction of Brian’s bodywork going forward regarding structural integration & foundation.
- Kriya Yoga level 1 & 2 initiations with Marshal Govindan
- Mueller College of Massage in California
- Bellevue Massage School and the Northwest Institute of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine for continuing education courses
- Brian was licensed by the state of California, & has been licensed in Washington for 24+ years,
- He was also Nationally certified in Yoga at the 500-hour level 2000.
- He has also trained to become an EMT Emergency Med. Technician in Sedona Arizona 1990
- Nursing work includes but is not limited to private care for special needs patients, Alzheimer’s special care unit, cancer, AIDS, Registry work, and more.1990
- Brian considers himself an advanced barefoot runner, hiker, climber and is the only person to attempt let alone complete all but .5 km of the world-famous 42 miles long Milford Trek in NZ. He has barefoot trekked all over the world & even done parts of the Grand Canyon & many of the toughest hikes in the Seattle area. He is currently training to do the Rim to Rim to Rim hike in the Grand Canyon & Havasupi as well as Paradise to base camp on Mt. Rainier.
Brian was the youngest at age 12 to attend a Fire Walking workshop with world-famous Steve Bisyak where he walked on the coals 3 times without getting burned.
Overcoming the impossible has become a recurring event through life he says.
Additional Advanced Massage relatede studies
- Acupressure
- Chi Nei Tsang (internal organ massage) 30 Years
- Ashiatsu is The world’s most luxurious massage! 30+ Years
- Ayurvedic massage 20+Years
- Hot Stone
- Medical Breast Massage Certified Wa. (Pre, Post-OP, Breastfeeding, mastitis, cancer of all kinds) 5+Years
- Intraoral Certified Washington State. 9 Years
- Neuromuscular release training with Monk Barazone
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Pathology
- Kinesiology
- Cranial Fluid Dynamics, Foundation Opening Human Potential
- Touch for Health I
- Accelerated Healing Certification
- Lomilomi 18 Years
- The Foundation Cranial Sacral training
- Level I Reiki Sedona, AZ 30 Years
- Second-Degree Reiki
- Foot Reflexology (extensive studies) 35 Years
- Aromatherapies, (extensive studies) 35 Years
- Barbara Brennan Hands of Light
- Traveled to Thailand study & teach ongoing
- Ashi/Thai BodyWork 25 Years
- Thai Massage 25 Years
- Thai Table Massage
- Thai Yoga
- Thai Yoga Therapy
- Nasal irrigation education (Netti Pot) Advanced techniques 30 years
- Colon Hydrotherapy 35 years
