The Story of Breeze
Frank "Breeze" Smith, the founder of Breezeville, is not your typical yoga instructor. Standing at six feet tall, bearded, and covered in tattoos, Frank might not look like the kind of man to be teaching yoga. But looks can be deceiving!
It only takes one conversation with Frank to feel the pure joy and excitement he exudes when talking about mindfulness, but you won't see the real Breeze until you see him on the mat. Frank Breeze's classes are a wonder to behold! The peaceful transformation that comes over him when he steps on the mat is inspiring to see, and his calm, loving approach to yoga instruction will leave you feeling rejuvenated physically, mentally, and spiritually.
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Frank Breeze has dedicated his life to walking the path of yoga, spreading love and light into the world with every step that he takes, but his inspiring journey into the light has led him from some dark places. Read on to learn more about Frank's amazing transformation into a spiritual guru!
Frank Breeze has been teaching yoga for more than a decade, but 20 years ago he lived a very different life! A veteran of the 101st Airborne Division, Frank worked as a traveling welder and had a burgeoning career as a professional wrestler with the WWF. Frank was proud of his boat, his motorcycle, and his 19" biceps. He loved fighting, drinking, and other... less-than-legal habits. Eventually, Frank's fast and loose lifestyle landed him in prison, and his violent approach to conflict resolution kept him there. After adding several years to his relatively short stint at a state prison, Frank found himself at a federal penitentiary where he seemed destined to spend the rest of his life. But one fateful, dark day turned his whole life upside down and set him on a path that would eventually lead to yoga.
Frank's affinity for fighting was a double edged sword, it often kept him alive but also kept him in the thick of trouble. After many years behind bars, in the angry turmoil of a prison riot, Frank finally took on more than he could handle. Ambushed with a baseball bat and beaten to a pulp, Frank managed to stumble to a guard's office where he collapsed into his own blood and gore. His heart stopped several times while being airlifted to a nearby hospital and Frank spent the next several months dancing on the fine line between life and death. Miraculously, Frank recovered, but he was never the same. His journey to the other side left Frank drained of the capacity for violence that defined his life up to that moment. His reincarnation left Frank unable to harm another soul, even in self-defense, which made life behind bars a lot more complicated. His ordeal also left him with a traumatic brain injury that caused regular bouts of vertigo and memory loss, which Frank deals with to this day. No medicine and no therapy seemed to help with the symptoms of his traumatic brain injury, and when Frank was transferred back to a federal penitentiary he was left to fend for himself with no friends and no hope.