What are your most memorable experiences relating to your practice? 

I was part of the very first YCC Teacher Training 300. With Kathy Donnelly's direction, I participated with instructors I really admired. Now I am the director of that same program, so it's really been a wonderful journey of learning and growth. Guiding and inspiring professional growth for teachers is really a wonderful opportunity to promote a program that I myself have really gained from.   

What are your current areas of interest related to your practice?  

I am very interested in helping people find functional movement that they can take off their mats and into their lives. I also am passionate about adapting yoga for those with various spinal conditions including osteoporosis. Caring for my spine early in my yoga journey has really shaped the way I practice and teach. With Pilates, I'm always revisiting Joseph Pilates' book Return to Life Through Contrology. Adapting Pilates' original core exercises for modern practitioners is a passion of mine. Core work isn't just ab work.  Core work helps us find the deepest part of ourselves, the inner strength that we all have and can become better equipped at using.

What to expect in class: Jen's classes help students find strength, confidence and restoration in movement. She believes in the healing benefits of daily meditation and yoga and enjoys integrating poetry and philosophy into her classes.

Jen has been teaching since 2007, and teaching at the Yoga Center of Columbia since 2017. She completed both of her Teacher Trainings at the Yoga Center of Columbia, and is the director of our RYT 300 Training program! Jen is also a Balanced Bodies Pilates teacher with over 500 hours of comprehensive certifications including Principles of Movement, Anatomy, and Mat 1-3.