Meet our Team: Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Jess

Let us introduce you to Jess, she is our virtual Vinyasa yoga instructor for Saturday’s and Sunday’s from 11:00 – 12:00 p.m.  To Jess, yoga shows you how to feel good in your body and it’s a way to explore how you fit into this world.  There are so many excuses to not practice yoga, but Jess tries to make her classes as accessible as possible, so everyone can experience the good energy in and around them. 

AGY: What is the most daring thing you’ve ever done? 

Jess: I went skydiving in Queenstown, New Zealand. We paid a little extra for 15 more seconds of free fall. It didn’t really make a difference because I felt like I was falling straight to the ground once I dove out of the plane.

AGY:  If you live in LA, when and why did you move here?

Jess:  I moved to LA from Brooklyn, NY.  I lived in Brooklyn for nine years and I craved a big shift.  The weather and the beaches of the West Coast always intrigued me so back in 2018, I quit a secure city job, packed my car and drove cross country to LA.  I often get asked what brought me here, most people assume for my career or a relationship, I answer back with my curiosity.  I came to this new city without much of a concrete plan.  I know for some people this way of thinking freaks them out, but for me I trust that I’ll figure it out as it comes along.  

AGY:  How did you get into Yoga?

Jess:  Like most people I tried yoga as a different form of exercise but I kept going back because I could feel mental shifts.  It was something a little different than your more traditional form of physical activity, but yoga worked on both my body and mind.  The synchronization of breath and movement has this interesting way of strengthening and relaxing me at the same time.  I like how yoga kind of wipes the slate clean and I can think a little bit more clearer.

AGY:  Favorite asana and why?

Jess:  My favorite pose is child’s pose.  It can be a resting pose or it can be a little more engaging by activating the arms and shoulders.  Child’s pose can be done at the beginning of class or after a more intense sequence, I always think of the pose like a rebirth where I can regain my energy again.  I have stayed in this pose for upwards of a couple minutes.  It feels luxurious.

AGY:  Why are you passionate about teaching yoga?

Jess:  When I can help a student to feel better in their bodies, whether it is physically or emotionally, that truly is the best feeling.

AGY:  What is your favorite mantra?

Jess:  This too shall pass.

AGY:  What is your Astrology Sign and how do you relate to it?

Jess:  I am a Capricorn.  I definitely feel like I can relate to my sign but I always have to look up the characteristics to put it into context for myself.  After a few clicks and reading a list of traits, I do find myself saying, “Oh yeah, that’s me for sure.”

AGY:  Random fact about you?

Jess:  I wanted to run half marathons in half of the states and I finished my 11th half marathon in January of this year, but it was my second race in California. I might use it towards my count because 25 races in 25 different states is a lot of coordination.  I didn’t think through all the training and all the entry fees when I took on this challenge 4 years ago. 

AGY:  If you could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

Jess:  I feel like this question gets asked a lot and I never had a person I was really excited about.  I answered with a cliched recognizable person from history but most recently, I had an “aha” moment of who I would like to have dinner with–Michelle Obama.  During quarantine I read her book, “Becoming,” I knew she was a kick-ass woman, but this book brought to light so much more about her upbringing, her work, and how she carries herself.  She has a great sense of humor, an incredible ability to connect with people, and is honest without being brash.  Honestly, I think we would just gab about life over a couple of drinks.

AGY:  What is one thing you have learned from quarantine?

Jess:  I learned that time is still turning. There is no real break or “place holder” because even though COVID-19 has put many events on halt, my life has not been put on a pause.  I still have to make as much use of my time now because I will not get these moments back to redo.

To attend a virtual Vinyasa yoga class with Jess, click the book button below!