Jennifer Elliott

I was in school and my teacher told me I should write my paper on Yoga and meditation. She thought it was such a good idea that she loaned me the books for research and even sent me to my first yoga class. I was young and didn't really understand what this "yoga" thing was all about or why she thought I should research it, but looking back, that's what sparked my interest. A few years later I was attending massage school and they offered a yoga certification program. I was enjoying learning about the body and this seemed like a perfect modality to add to my repertoire. Once I started the yoga training it seemed like I was always meant to do this! I remembered that as a child I would always create dance sequences for my friends to perform. Later I was on the drill team and cheerleading because I wanted to learn more about choreography. And I always was on a philosophical search for something more meaningful. Once I found yoga I felt like I was where I was always supposed to be and I wanted to share that feeling with everyone else.

Paul Grilley, Noah Maze, Tias Little, Joan Hyman

I've been a trainer for more than a decade so my classes usually have a good "roadmap" to get you safely to our peak poses. I try and create intelligent and fun sequences that inspire my trainees and students to push themselves harder while accomplishing more challenging poses with a sense of ease. I make it easy for all levels of students to feel like they are part of the class.

Retreats are transformational because you get to "retreat" from the stress or predictability of your daily life. When you change your surroundings you may be more open to trying something new. Retreats support putting more time and energy into you, instead of others, so you can really rejuvenate. The beautiful settings are great for uplifting your soul. The good food, yoga and excursions are beneficial to healing your body and mind. Lastly, you do all of this with a community of like-minded people. Relationships you often keep after the trip has ended.

I really like low cobra done dynamically. This is such a great pose to help get our bodies out of the hunched posture we often have in the upper back. I like to work it dynamically with the breath, creating a mini moving meditation. It's nice to keep it low to remind us that less is more and we can take our time moving toward those bigger backbends or poses.

Honestly, I love Downward facing dog pose. This pose has evolved for me over the last two decades and every time I practice it I learn something new. Sometimes it feels very restorative and I could spend all day there. Other times I can feel how tight or rigid it can be. Then there are those days where I find the complete balance of feeling strong and at ease in this pose. But like in meditation, as soon as I've "found it", I've lost it and my work starts all over again!

I'm really fortunate that I've been able to travel so much with my job. I love going to places where I can experience different cultures and when possible participate with local customs and rituals. I was able to do this in Guatemala, India, and Bali to name a few of my memorable trips.