How Beauty Gonzalez keeps anxiety at bay
In her younger years, Beauty Gonzalez coped with stress and anxiety by doing “a lot of crazy things.” “Basta alam mo na ’yun!” she quips, cutting herself off before she spills too much. “It was really chaotic.”
Still, through the whirlwind of it all, nothing changed—until her friend Bianca King introduced her to yoga 10 years ago. At first, the idea of herself bending into poses made her laugh. But before long, her competitive streak kicked in. Focusing on herself and shutting out all outside noise was a challenge, and she treated it as such.
The rewards surprised her. “Nakakapagod pala, but in a good way. Mas masarap ang tulog ko, mas relaxed at kalmado ang utak ko,” Gonzalez tells Lifestyle Inquirer. “That’s why I chose to stay on this path.”
Life’s uncertainties
The more she kept at it, the more she realized just how much yoga has improved the quality of her life and her family’s, too.
Gonzalez has anxieties, mostly about the uncertainty of the future and what more she can give to her audience as an actress. She also reflects on aging and on making the most of life with her husband, art curator Norman Crisologo, who is 25 years older. And she might not look like it, she says, but “I do deal with depression.”
Meditation and asana (yoga poses) help her stay grounded. Stretching, she says, has done wonders for her husband, while their nine-year-old daughter Olivia—who also practices yoga with her friends—is calmer at school. “It has really strengthened us physically, mentally, and spiritually,” Gonzalez, 34, says.
Certified yoga teacher
So strong is her passion for yoga that she now dreams of teaching it to others. Last year, Gonzalez embarked on a solo trip to Rishikesh, India—dubbed the Yoga Capital of the World—to undergo a 200-hour yoga teacher training. She stayed for a month at Rishikesh Yogpeeth, a school located at the foothills of the Himalayas, to escape the distractions of city life.
“Kung sa Bali ako pumunta para mag-aral baka tumakas lang ako at mag-party,” she jokes, adding that the experience—especially the hour-long meditation sessions—was as challenging as it was enriching. “Pero iba talaga ’yung clarity after.”
Now that she’s a certified yoga teacher, Gonzalez’s next goal is to open her own studio someday. “Hindi naman ako artista forever,” she points out. “I want to have something to do that I love when I’m older. I have also met new people because of yoga. I made friends from Mexico and Germany. So parang lumalaki rin ang mundo ko.”
A lot of crying
That’s not to say she’s slowing down on acting anytime soon. In fact, Gonzalez is headlining a new soap opera, “House of Lies,” which airs weekdays at 3:20 p.m., on GMA 7. Like most afternoon dramas, this show airs during the sleepy hours of the day, which calls for bigger, more dramatic scenes.
Needless to say, there will be a lot of crying. “Ang daming pagdadaanan ng character ko, so iba ’yung hugot ko dito,” says Gonzalez, who plays Marjorie, a devoted wife and mother caught in a web of secrets and betrayal.
Directed by Jerry Lopez Sineneng, “House of Lies” sees Marjorie’s seemingly perfect life get threatened by Althea (Kris Bernal), her sister-in-law, whose insecurities and ambitions put the household on edge. The two women test each other and do everything—navigating loyalty, love, and deception—to protect their dreams and their loved ones.
“My character is kind, has some fight in her. But still, I cry almost every day,” she says, laughing. “But I’m not complaining.”
Besides, she can always turn to yoga whenever work on set becomes overwhelmingly emotional or physically demanding. Breathing exercises prepare and center her for intense scenes. And when she gets home all spent, a few rounds of downward-facing dogs and cow poses help her get a good night’s sleep.
“Yoga has also made me more focused at work and more resilient afterward,” she says.
Creating memories
Beyond the immediate benefits, a life of mindfulness, Gonzalez says, has gradually eased her fears of what lies ahead and has allowed her to live in the moment. “Worry about tomorrow, but enjoy life now. Baka bukas tamaan ka ng kidlat ‘di mo alam,” she says, laughing.
Indeed, there’s still so much in life she hopes to experience and accomplish. She’s practicing her writing and hopes to grow enough confidence to write a book. She also wants to learn to play the piano—three songs will do—but ideally “while wearing a sexy, backless dress.”
She hopes to pick up horseback riding so she can go on a seven-day horse trek in Patagonia or Namibia. She has been raring to visit Egypt, explore Socotra Island in Yemen, and discover more hidden gems around the world.
And fingers crossed, she can finally finish building her new home in Cavite—the most beautiful house you have ever seen, she quips, only half in jest. The space will be her pride and joy, she adds, filled with art and intricate doors from India.
“I always try to find new things to learn every year. I want to grow. ‘Di pwedeng iisang bagay lang ang binibigay mo sa mga tao,” Gonzalez says. “But more than that, I want to create memories with myself and with my family.”
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