SALT LAKE CITY — When Bryan Flanders first felt a small lump growing on his shoulder, he didn’t expect it to upend every part of his life. He certainly never imagined it would lead him toward yoga, acroyoga, and ultimately the world of circus arts.
But what began as a frightening medical spiral turned into a dramatic reinvention that now inspires people across Utah.
A Misdiagnosis That Rewrote His Life
Flanders vividly remembers the moment a doctor told him he likely had a form of terminal cancer. According to his wife, Chantel, they were told the condition carried a life expectancy of one to five years, with limited treatment options. The diagnosis came just two years after they were married.
“It was devastating,” Chantel said. “We were told his body would gradually deteriorate. It felt like time was suddenly closing in.”
For weeks, the couple braced themselves for the worst. But one month later, everything changed — more tests revealed he did not have cancer.
The relief was overwhelming, but the emotional aftershocks remained powerful.
Choosing a Different Path
Before the misdiagnosis, Flanders was firmly on track toward a career in public policy. He balanced full-time work, graduate school and a competitive internship. His days blurred together in what he now calls a “meat grinder lifestyle.”
Facing the possibility of death forced him to question everything.
“What was I working so hard for if I might not live long enough to enjoy any of it?” he said.
That question pushed him toward what he describes as a search for happiness. And unexpectedly, happiness greeted him on a yoga mat.
From Tough-Guy Athlete to Yoga Teacher
Yoga had never been part of Flanders’ world.
“He was a bullet-bike rider, a rock climber, the tough guy,” Chantel said.
But grief, fear and uncertainty nudged him to try something new. Yoga helped him find stillness, presence and control at a moment when he felt he had none.
What began as a coping mechanism soon became a calling.
He trained extensively, eventually teaching at studios all along Utah’s Wasatch Front. His curiosity and athletic background led him into acroyoga — a blend of acrobatics and yoga — and then deeper into circus-style movement.
Building a New Home for Circus Arts in Salt Lake City
What grew from personal healing blossomed into something larger for the community.
Flanders went on to open the Salt Lake City Circus Arts Center, located in Trolley Square. The center offers classes in acroyoga, partner balancing, strength conditioning and other circus-inspired disciplines.
“It shifted everything for me,” he said. “Helping people feel capable and strong in their own bodies became more meaningful than anything I had done before.”
For Chantel, who teaches and trains alongside him, watching his transformation has been remarkable.
“He always wanted to teach, even when he imagined becoming a professor someday,” she said. “He might not have pictured this, but he’s an incredible teacher. He understands people’s bodies in a way that helps them progress safely and confidently.”
A Family Living Fully Through Movement
Their passion is reflected in hundreds of family photos documenting their art — images of Bryan, Chantel, their young daughter Eleanor and even their dog Archimedes balanced in playful, gravity-defying poses.
Chantel laughs when people assume she is the creative mastermind behind their polished photographs.
“It’s actually Bryan,” she said. “He’s the one crawling on the ground, framing shots, picking outfits and planning everything. Then he runs into place, and we have seconds before the camera clicks.”
Gratitude for the Diagnosis That Wasn’t Real
Looking back, Flanders says the misdiagnosis was the turning point that shaped his future.
“I wouldn’t change it,” he said. “Facing the idea of death forces you to rethink what matters. It made me choose a life that feels meaningful.”
Today, he shares that choice with every student who walks through his studio’s doors.
For those interested in exploring circus arts, acroyoga or mindful movement, Flanders encourages them to simply try.
“It only takes one moment to change the direction of your life,” he said. “Mine happened in a doctor’s office. Yours might happen on a yoga mat.”
To learn more about the foundations of yoga and movement science, you can explore resources from the National Institutes of Health. For circus-arts education and national community programs, visit the American Circus Educators Association.
