Teaching Style
Coming from a background in martial arts, distance running, and calisthenics, Jay’s movement practice balances creative vinyasa with breath control and functional movement to explore the mind-body connection. His classes weave lived experience, meditation, music, philosophy and poetry to guide each student to their own unique and embodied expression of yoga with the understanding that how you practice yoga off the mat is as important as how you practice yoga on your mat. His classes have been described as challenging and fun puzzles layered with various levels of difficulty to support both beginners and long-time students alike.
How Yoga Serves Jay
Yoga has helped greatly in rewiring my nervous system. Using the yamas and niyamas as a starting point, I keep upeksha (equanimity) and viveka (discernment) in the front of my mind so that each decision I make can lead with compassion, kindness, and reverence for the interconnectedness of all things.
Words of Wisdom
“Get out of your head and into your heart. Think less, feel more. ” — Osho
Background
Jay is from Athens, GA a small college town known more for football and the B-52s. From a young age, Jay showed a love for movement practices as a martial artist, cross country runner, and performer. He also discovered his love for poetry in Athens with poetry readings and meet ups through the University of Georgia and local community organizations. He moved to Atlanta in 2016 to pursue a career in public health, and found yoga four years later while looking for healthier ways to cope with stress. Since then Jay has completed a 250 hour yoga training focusing on yin, creative vinyasa, and power flows. His interdisciplinary yoga style is a direct result from his eagerness to learn from as many students and instructors as he can. He is currently enrolled in the Katonah Yoga self-paced training program, where he is learning how to imbue his yoga practice with Taoist philosophy and energy work.