Jess came to yoga asana as a dancer looking for cross-training.
When she landed at 16th & Valencia in October 2008, she was introduced to Laughing Lotus through friends and quickly fell in love with the physicality and flow of the dance-like sequencing. She found her neighborhood yoga studio. What she didn’t expect to find was the welcoming community and spiritual hOMe. Laughing Lotus was THE place she felt she could live her most authentic expression(s) as a human. She felt accepted, safe, and free to move like herself as she laughed, cried, grunted, and fell off balance from time to time. Jess felt called to deepen her yogic knowledge beyond asana and signed up for the 200-hour Laughing Lotus Teacher Training in 2017. Another layer of self-discovery was uncovered as she was awakened by these deep healing practices. Under the mentorship of Alexandra Crow, Jess found Yin-Yoga and dove deeper through the inner landscapes of her physical, energetic, and emotional bodies. She completed Laughing Lotus’s 50-hour Yin and Yoga Nidra training in April 2019. Although Jess has always been a little “itchy” about stillness and meditation, she continues to cultivate self-acceptance, love, and the courage to act in alignment with her Soul’s purpose through yogic practices. She is forever grateful for the spiritual sanctuary and refuge that Laughing Lotus offers and bows humbly to Jasmine Tarkeshi and all the teachers, students, and friends who create this vibrant community. As an educator of dance and Classical Pilates for over 15 years, Jess is excited to include yoga in her somatic offerings. Jess has a keen eye for movement and alignment, and creates a safe, healing space where people come as they are, without judgment.