JESS WILLIS (she/her)
My yoga practice started around 2012 as a means to change my physical shape: a strictly strength and flexibility based practice to push the limits of my body, paying no interest to the mind or the deeper meaning. Despite this, I consistently found myself gravitating towards teachers that incrementally changed the way that I practiced over time and taught me a deeper meaning and connection to spirit, and not just my physical body.
My relationship to yoga today is based on a love and respect for the lineage and history of the practice and the access it provides to my innermost thoughts and emotions; a way to move beyond stress and depression and into love for myself and others. I followed the curiosity and received my 200hr teacher training in Denver, CO, in April of 2023 and was initiated into the Vedic Meditation technique a few months following in July of 2023. Both practices have brought immeasurable joy and peace into my life and it's my greatest honor to share with my students.
What To Expect In My Classes
As a writer and a creative, I love blending both the physical and the subtle, encouraging my students to dive deeper beyond the physical work, and into the intelligence of the body and inner-Self. My classes are a blend of strength, stillness, breathwork, and occasionally meditation. Students can expect longer holds in single poses, followed by a breath to movement flow and cadence. I typically lead with a gentle stretch and warm up, followed by a sequence to build strength, stability, flexibility, and a sense of calm in the mind, and always make space for rest. I also seek to provide modifications to make the practice accessible to all levels and encourage students to take the class at their own pace.