A chance encounter transformed one woman’s life, now it’s her calling

Madeleine Vargas practicing breath work, which she touts as the pivotal force behind her life transformation. Photo: Madeleine Vargas

PARK CITY, Utah — When Madeleine Vargas first set foot in Park City in 2021, she knew she had found her true home. However, trading her life as a news reporter in South Carolina to teach yoga and breath work in the mountains of Utah came from an unexpected twist of fate.

Vargas’ journey to Park City was as much about self-discovery as it was about relocation. Originally from South Carolina, Vargas worked in a competitive career as a news anchor. The competitive nature of newscasting pressured her to climb the industry’s ladder while maintaining strict physical and aesthetic standards. However, significant time in front of the camera took a toll on her health, leading Vargas to battle an eating disorder for years, leaving her disconnected from her body and mind.

“It was like living in a gilded cage, where on the outside, everything looked pretty normal,” Vargas said. “That’s the one stigma with eating disorders … you can look more or less normal and still be really sick inside. Inside, I was broken. I couldn’t hold on to relationships. I was so isolated. I was so alone, and I thought that I would just exist that way forever, just kind of like a high functioning addict.”

Vargas had tried many treatments to “fix herself” including rehab, ketamine, therapy, etc. but little result came from them. The pivotal moment in Vargas’ life came during a walk in a park in South Carolina after one of her ketamine treatments. During her walk, she encountered a man practicing Wim Hof breathing techniques. After sparking up a conversation with him, he helped guide her through a round of breath work.

“I felt that instant, physiological palpable shift in my body,” Vargas said. “I didn’t know what it would do for me, but I knew there was something there.”

That night Vargas went home, and continued to practice the method, and it turned into a dedicated routine. “I felt connected to my body again, out of my head and dropping into my body,” Vargas recalled. “At the end of three months, my eating disorder was gone and it never came back.”

Upon discovering breath work, Vargas decided to leave her promising career in journalism and embark on a new path, leading her to Park City for a yoga sculpt training at Park City Yoga Collective.

“I landed in Park City and almost instantaneously, I realized that I would never leave… I had finally settled and found my space,” she said.

Since moving to Park City, Vargas has been an active and beloved instructor at the Park City Yoga Collective (PCYC), where she teaches Sculpt and a Breathe to the Beat class. For her, PCYC is her community and family.

“I feel like it’s the first place that I can just be myself and be so fully accepted,” Vargas said. “I created this breath work technique where we’re breathing to the beat of music and people are so open and receptive to trying it. You walk into that studio and you instantly feel like you are part of something bigger than yourself.”

Growing up in Pennsylvania as one of four sisters, Vargas was always involved in sports and music. She played violin from a young age and was a Division I field hockey player in college. This background in disciplined physical activity and rhythmic creativity has profoundly influenced her teaching style. “The beat is my life,” she shared, explaining how music remains integral to her yoga classes.

Vargas’ classes are known for their high energy and beat-driven style, whether it’s a sweaty, invigorating sculpt class or a transformative breath work session. “You leave feeling closer and more connected to yourself,” she said. Vargas puts the utmost care and thought into crafting the perfect playlist for each class, which she believes as a top priority for creating an immersive experience for her students. “The beat and the music are the two most critical components, in my opinion, of sculpt and breath work,” she said.

Beyond her classes at PCYC, Vargas has launched her own business, “Breathe to the Beat,” complete with an app to reach a broader audience. She continues to integrate yoga and breath work into her daily life, emphasizing the importance of movement and breathing for mental and physical well-being. “Breath work is my non-negotiable,” she stated.

Vargas reflected on her journey, and how far she has come since that day in the park.

“I truly believe that I reclaimed my life by reclaiming the power of my breath,” she said. “It unlocked this whole new world for me to express myself and really find my purpose.”

To take a Yoga Sculpt or Breathe to the Beat class with Vargas, visit the PCYC website.