Today we’d like to introduce you to Beth Cosi.
Hi Beth, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My Story
I was 40 when I stepped into the Yoga Teacher seat. Newly divorced with two small children in a town that was mostly unchartered, expensive and daunting to me, Yoga was my respite and way back to myself. I never planned for it to be pathway to creating a life i love or sparking the entrepreneur inside me.
While the real estate and financial markets were crashing in 2008, so was my quiet, comfortable-appearing life in the small, beautiful town of Meggett, SC. My ex-husband and I had built our home there, were raising our two very young children and going through the motions of daily living. I was mostly isolated and under the emotional stress of being estranged from his immediate family whom he was always battling, and the death of my mother. We were struggling financially and barely speaking, unless it was harsh or demeaning. During this time, I began to take a weekly Yoga class at our town hall with a local teacher who was kind and compassionate. I had always been athletic and would run miles to keep in shape and manage stress, but after childbirth and as I aged, my body and mindset changed. Yoga helped me remember the strong and vibrant parts of myself, and face the sadness and loneliness inside. When our troubled marriage turned volatile and unsafe, I quit the physical practice briefly, but the deeper practices of meditation, mindfulness and inner strength had become a foundation.
We sold our home and I moved my children into Charleston. We started over, again and again. Although I was working several jobs and juggling childcare, I decided to enroll in a Yoga Teacher Training (YTT). I wanted more of the practice and I needed friends. I hoped it would help me integrate into our new community and ground me in this new life in a place I didn’t know well. Creating a life for us during this time was the greatest challenge i’ve ever faced. I didn’t get it right all the time but the decision to certify in Yoga and then to teach was my North Star.
By accident, luck or fate, I created a business, “Bendy Brewski Yoga” the first Yoga and beer collaboration held in a brewery. It was my attempt to bring “regular folks” into the practice- no yoga outfits, fancy poses or dogma, just accessible yoga and fellowship. We made headlines in local publications, regional magazines and national news outlets like The New York Times and Women’s Health. Lululemon asked me to be their Charleston Ambassador- my face and our classes were posted prominently in their flagship store on King Street. Our weekly classes were consistently packed and growing into other breweries. The BBY community proudly wore branded swag and placed stickers on their cars and water bottles. For 14 years it was a beautiful community event every week! Through Bendy Brewski, I have been honored to teach and witness thousands of students, coming mostly as beginner students, and strangers leaving as friends.
Before the Pandemic, I was teaching upwards of 18 classes a week- for private clients, corporate and city government agencies, free community classes and Bendy Brewski. I was feeling very burned out and my body hurt all the time from being in the car so often. The Pandemic offered me forced spaciosness and I was able to rest and turn my attention inward. What did I truly want to be doing now, a decade into my teaching journey?
To stay connected to my students and keep teaching, I created an online membership platform where students from all over can join 2-3 classes a week, live onscreen with me and also build a consistent home practice using the library of recordings and beginner lessons. Dwell Membership was created out of necessity in 2020 and is growing and serving to this day. The community we are creating is remarkable and the classes feel just like you’re in the room! People from all over the country are connecting and practicing. It’s truly incredible!
For years, my teaching style had begun slowing down and becoming more therapeutic- less vinyasa, more breath. I had entered my 50s and my system yearned for balance and stability, and calming practices that still made me feel strong. With menopause, I suffered a frozen shoulder- first the left and then the right. After much research, trial and error, I found a movement technique developed by Thomas Hannah in the 1970s- Clinical Somatic Exercise (CSE). These slow, pandiculation techniques proved to be the medicine I needed. Six months of dedicated practice, my shoulder began to heal, my neck stopped hurting, my body was moving better, my low-back didn’t ache and my bunion began to shrink. And, truly the best gift, my nervous system was calm and balanced. I was sleeping well and relating to myself, other people and the world from a place of ease. I’ve become a better listener. The changes were so profound, I joined the CSE therapist community and am currently working on a Level 3 certification. It is my favorite modality to offer and is the practice all of my retreats are anchored in. (I curate 5-6 wellness retreats a year to wonderful places all over the world.)
In 2024, I shuttered Bendy Brewski, focussing on building Dwell Online membership and committing to getting Clinical Somatics out into the community. In June 2025, Dwell Studio is opening a beautiful boutique space at the Navy Yard redevelopment project at Storehouse 9. Dwell Studio will offer in-person solo and duo sessions, small group classes, Somatic workshops, and events to support local retreats and community connection. I am so excited to see more students!
As my children have grown into amazing adults and I into a more aware and open-hearted being, I have realized, in some ways, I made my beloved children suffer, that their lives may have been harder because I left their father. But in reclaiming myself and building a career that I love, I became a better mother and role model. I am becoming the person I am meant to be in this lifetime. My children are very proud of me. My journey has not been easy, but has been so very rewarding and blessed. I have learned that you can accomplish your goals and create a life you love when you follow your gut and surround yourself with supportive community. Cheers and Namaste! In joy, beth
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Always obstacles and challenges in anything worth doing, right? I believe this and it has always kept me moving forward.
Not having a supportive community was my biggest challenge when I moved into Park Circle, North Charleston. At the time, it was the only place that i could barely afford a 3 bedroom home with a yard, and I liked the vibe here. (I’m still in Park Circle 17 years later.) I was really struggling financially. Keeping gas in the car was a real thing. Being a single parent of two young children, who deserved more than I could give (in money and time), laid a heavy weight on me while i was in survival mode AND building a business. But once I put myself out there into the community and began making friends and a network of other working women, I became part of a tribe. I am forever grateful to so many in Park Circle who literally rescued me many times while I was learning to single parent and find happiness.
I got in my own way many times- making poor relationship decisions, rushing timing, moving from a place of fear, not listening to my gut. But, it was my community that always lifted me up and made me feel seen and cared for.
These words of wisdom have been on my refrigerator for as long as I can remember:
“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” Winston Churchill
and,
“Let everything happen to you. Beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final.” Rilke
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Tapas Yoga, llc dba Beth Cosi ?
I have been in business since 2010. I am known for my “Big Mother” presence. As soon as you walk into the room or hear my voice online, you’ll feel more at ease. I never teach the same class twice, because our bodies are always changing. I am very intune with the bodies in the room; I deeply see and feel the energy of my students and this sets me apart in the classroom. I am proud that Beth Cosi Yoga, the brand, has remained successful over the years without having to submit to the hustle culture. I hope you’re curious about what dwell can bring into your life- online membership and in-person sessions at dwell studio! Retreats are always a great way to stay committed to your health and have a great time with like-minded, kind people.
What does success mean to you?
I define success through my body- through my gut. When I am feeling easeful and strong in my body, clear and eager in my mind, and connected and joyful in my heart, I know I am doing it right! Success on paper has its seasons. It expands and contracts, like money and energy. My health and wellness is everything!
My “success” mantras are:
“Never for money, always for love”- Talking Heads. (I choose my projects and my schedule with this in mind. Do I love it? Do i feel it will support the flow of love? When it does, the money always flows.)
And, “Love / money flows easily and in abundance to me and from me.”
“Right heart; right thoughts; right words.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bethcosi.com
- Instagram: @bethcosi
- Facebook: facebook/bethaudencosi
- Other: https://members.bethcosiyoga.com
