Meet Your Instructor
Hi, My name is Jessica Natalia. I have spent the last decade working in the corporate world as an accountant, Controller, and CPA. During this time I came to recognize some of the inherent disconnects within the industry — one major one being the culture around its employees’ overall well-being and development. Feeling overwhelmed and spiritually depleted from the stress of the fast-paced, high-pressure environment, I sought restoration of my own personal balance.
And so I turned to yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, and aromatherapy. The effects on my mind, body, and spirit developed through regular practice opened my eyes to how badly I had needed to reconnect with my Self. And how I could do so by practicing stillness and rest. Now, I teach others like myself how to reconnect with their Self and channel the peace and balance that lies within.
By incorporating yoga into your daily routine, you are practicing both self-care and soul care in order to reduce stress and its effects on your mind, body, & spirit. In doing so, you can then regain and maintain balance in any environment. And most importantly, you can then show up as your best, most joyful and aligned self.
What is yoga?
That seems to be the big question these days.
For some, yoga is considered a fitness class. For others, it is a wellness practice. But what if I told you that it is so much more?
What if I told you that yoga at its roots is a journey of enlightenment?
A unique personal and spiritual experience meant to help you reconnect with something bigger than yourself.
Where you yourself can tap into your higher Self.
With such chaotic schedules, it’s easy to become so enwrapped in doing, doing, doing that you start to feel disconnected from your Self. You start to forget how to just be. I can speak from experience when I say that I had become so anxious, stressed, and quick to anger that I barely even recognized the woman I had become.
And even though I had gone to my first yoga class in 2011, it wasn’t until I stepped into a class over half a decade later that I finally found a teacher who truly embodied yoga at its roots. Who taught the mental, physical, and spiritual benefits of yoga. And she inspired me to do the same.
You see, yoga is the subtle scientific method for uniting mind and body in order to experience blissful union. It originated in India thousands of years ago, and yet it has stood the test of time. I strongly believe that’s due, at least in part, to its ability to help you reconnect and experience union with your higher Self, God, the universe, or just something bigger than yourself. Especially when practiced in its entirety.
And that’s why I created this workshop. To help you restore this connection through the principles and philosophy of yoga. To transform chaotic living into harmonious being by understanding what it means to really practice yoga.
This workshop is designed to teach you the 8 Limbs of Yoga. These 8 limbs form the basis for yoga philosophy, a philosophy which believes that there are actually 8 key practices for embodying the yogic path toward living in harmony and balance. In fact, practicing asanas, or poses, in class actually only counts as 1 of the 8 limbs.
Who is This Workshop For?
This workshop is for you if…
You are a beginner looking to try a gentle, simple, and mindful yoga class.
You want to learn helpful and effective tools for cultivating more balance and joy in your life.
You want to practice yoga in a safe and nurturing community that encourages your continued growth rather than just mastering aesthetic poses.
You are looking to deepen your meditation practice.
You wish to deepen your personal practice by incorporating yoga philosophy into your yoga movement (asana) practice.
How the Workshop is Structured
The workshop will start off by discussing each of the 8 limbs in detail and how to embody these personal practices in your every day life. There will also be a few simple exercises, such as breath work, as tools to help you bring this knowledge to life in a way that your mind and body will remember. For those who are new to yoga, this is a great introduction into the practice.
I will then lead the group in a short yoga asana practice in which you will have the opportunity to apply what you have learned on the mat. Don’t worry if you don’t feel experienced; the session is meant to be slow, simple, and to build on what you have learned. And I will be sure to offer plenty of modifications to help meet you where you are. If you have props (blocks or straps), I will instruct you on how to use them to support you in exploring each pose.
The class will then transition into a brief period of meditation. And we will end with a short community session where you will be able to share your experience, lessons learned, or ask any questions you may have, if you feel comfortable to do so. You can use this time as an opportunity to discover insights and practical ways to then take your yoga practice off of the mat — to develop healthy habits that lead to more balance in your life.
The Big Why
Why is it important to learn about yoga philosophy and spirituality? Well, much of what we are exposed to as yoga here in the West has been a watered down version of the yogic practice in its entirety. Unfortunately, yoga can be added to the long list of practices that has been colonized, repackaged, and sold for consumption as something it is not.
Here, we see yoga labeled as a fitness activity or thought of as an exercise, when it was never intended to be. It was reduced to that by those from whom yoga did not originate. Ironically, yoga is much less a practice of doing as it is of being. That’s why you will always hear me say, “yoga is not something you do.”
The fact is, body posturing is just one small aspect of the practice of yoga. To learn how to do the poses without understanding the real reason why you are doing them would be like discovering a gold mine and only claiming 1/8 of its treasures. Not only would you be missing out on a rich context and culture but on many spiritual benefits of yoga that can further enrich this beautiful yet fleeting human experience.
So don’t miss out on discovering the full treasure trove that is yoga. Sign up for this intimate yoga experience below and reserve your spot today. I look forward to seeing you there.
***For this workshop, I would ask that participants please bring their own yoga mat and props. While props are not required, they can be extremely beneficial for helping practitioners of all levels deepen their experience in a given pose.
Ways to offer energy exchange for the facilitation of this class:
A donation box will be on site for any cash donation you choose to contribute. A recommended minimum donation for this workshop would be $20.00 which goes toward securing this amazing venue. I appreciate all of your support!
Thank you and be well. 💜