Jessie’s Journey

I walked into my first yoga class in 2012. I had just lost my 19-year-old brother to cancer the previous year and was coping with a variety of different addictions including substance abuse and bulimia. At the time I had no knowledge of healthy coping mechanisms and was instead using toxic methods to deal with what I didn’t understand was trauma manifested in my body. My favorite tactic was avoidance - if I didn’t talk about it or think about it, it couldn’t hurt me.

That’s where yoga changed my life. I walked into class looking for exercise and escape, and at first that’s exactly what it was for me. Coming from an athletic background I was immediately drawn to hot yoga for the physical challenge. A few weeks into my practice, my eating habits started to change, then my mindset started to change, and in just a few months I felt a sense of calm and purpose in my daily life that I had never experienced. I had unknowingly released powerful suppressed emotions in my chest and gut and developed a sense of self-confidence and self-awareness. I was no longer fatigued and weak. I had built physical and mental strength and flexibility. Yoga had truly become my therapy.

Once I learned how to properly use my breath to move my body I started applying this to my fitness practice as well. This was a game-changer for me. I started adding in different classes to my yoga practice including HIIT, Pilates, Barre, and weight training. I developed a more regimen gym routine. Returning to fitness with a knowledge of mind-muscle connection was so powerful that I wanted to share my experience with others.

Over the past several years I have gone to numerous trainings and taught at over sixteen studios across the country. Once COVID-19 hit and the studios closed, I started virtual teaching and dedicated my extra time at home to studying trauma and healing trauma through movement and breath. I currently teach over ten different class types and encourage my students to create variety in their practice.