Amanda Balionis, a familiar face for CBS Sports viewers and one of the most recognized on-course reporters in golf, has a secret passion she juggles alongside her TV career—yoga.
A Dual Career in Broadcasting and Yoga
Since 2017, Amanda Balionis has been a CBS football and golf commentator, but her interests extend beyond the world of sports broadcasting. From her home in Southern California, Balionis pursued her passion for yoga, becoming certified in Baptiste yoga after completing an intense 200-hour training.
Balionis’ Insights on Yoga
In a 2020 article on GOLF.com, Balionis shared how yoga has impacted her life. “Through controlled breath and meditative movements, practicing yoga has taught me how to stay calm during difficult situations,” she explained. “It was an intense 200-hour journey that transformed my mind because it forced me to sort through my own issues before having the capacity to teach others. I now teach whenever I can, and I continue to practice yoga at least a few times a week—the length of each session ranges from 10 to 90 minutes, depending on how stressed I am that day.”
Early Sporting Passion
While Balionis is now a regular on the PGA Tour, her first sporting passion was volleyball. She excelled in the sport during her high school years in Pittsburgh and played two seasons for Kutztown University before transferring to the Division 1 team at Hofstra.
A Journey to Yoga
Balionis’ broadcasting career began at Fios 1 and MSG Network, and she joined the PGA as an in-house reporter in 2011. It was the following year that she discovered yoga, after purchasing a Groupon deal for a $30 month of classes. This experience sparked what she calls a “healthy addiction” to yoga.
Three years later, Balionis decided to deepen her practice and become a certified yoga teacher. Despite describing the training as “exhausting,” she praised the process for helping her change her reactive mindset and focus on what she could control in life.
Growing Fame and Love for Golf
In recent years, Balionis has gained a substantial following in the golf world, amassing over 300,000 followers on Instagram. Through this platform, she has reconnected with her childhood love for golf. Reflecting on her experiences, Balionis has attributed many of her yoga techniques to her success on the green.
The Parallels Between Golf and Yoga
In an interview with Alomoves, Balionis drew connections between golf and yoga. “Golf and yoga have so many similarities, it’s crazy! It’s about staying calm and present in the moment, not thinking about what pose or golf shot is coming up next—just focusing on what’s at hand,” she said.
“Learning to connect with your breath in yoga is hugely beneficial on the golf course. Learning not to get emotionally reactive to a bad shot or bad round and just enjoying the surroundings and the people with me is all something I learned from yoga. Physically, yoga helps with spinal rotation, shoulder opening and rotation, lower back strength, and so much more that you need to play golf and not feel in pain afterward.”
Amanda Balionis continues to balance her dual passions for sports broadcasting and yoga, bringing insights from both worlds to her work and personal life.
Related topics:
