Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenny Ravikumar.
Jenny, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Yoga started over a decade ago for me; a time when I was young, easily heartbroken and unaware of the potential living within me. I began attending classes with my mom during my senior year of college and soon moved my practice to a hot power yoga studio with a carpet. The teacher, Mary Ellen, was straightforward and not gentle in any kind of way one would imagine. But I could see her heart shining under her exterior and knew her studio was the exact place I needed to land.
During my time on the mat with Mary Ellen and her teachers, I experienced heartache and the kind of movement in your life that only exists in your early 20s. I practiced almost every single day and know to some extent her studio saved my soul.
In September of 2010, I started my first yoga teacher training and in the years since, have graduated as an E-RYT 500 hour teacher, crystal healer, reiki master and now I have the divine opportunity to lead my own 200 hour teacher training each year through the brick & mortar yoga studio I opened in 2014, Barefoot Yoga Shala.
Yoga to me is so much more than the business, the practice and the routine; it’s the soul within. This practice has saved my life more times than I can count. The most recent being my creation of Yoga for Families of Addiction, Inc. (YFA) and the journey that lead me here.
My son was born in August 2015 and immediately I was a single mother. My ex-husband was physically present but his disease of alcoholism prevented him from being fully present in our lives. Since the time my little one was born, I have been gaining the strength I needed to be the best mother, teacher, and leader I can be in the community and beyond. I went on to create YFA during my divorce as a way of helping myself heal while continuing to help others heal as well.
The power of breath, love, gentle guidance and the reminder to be fully present are what kept me moving forward with love & compassion, daily.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The day I went to obtain a restraining order, I promptly drove from the courthouse to the yoga studio in order to teach a private lesson.
The journey hasn’t been easy and in no way has it been a smooth road. It’s been bumpy and messy and full of setbacks. But as the saying goes “the comeback is greater than the setback” – I am living proof that you will make it to the other side of your obstacle, whatever it may be.
My three sage pieces of advice: 1. BREATHE. Honestly, it solves every problem. Take a moment to sit and breath before you respond to any obstacles placed in your path. 2. RESPOND. Don’t react, but rather respond with love & compassion as often as you’re able. There needs to be a ROAR in your world sometimes, but it doesn’t mean the roar can’t hold compassion within it. 3. PRACTICE. You come first. Remember to practice as well as teach, remember to play and explore. It’s important to fill your well before you help others to heal.
We’d love to hear more about Yoga for Families of Addiction + Barefoot Yoga Shala.
Over the course of the years, I’ve been known for many things: crystal healing, teacher training, chakras, and self-love. In the last two years, I’ve been roaring loudly within the world of addiction. What it means to love an addict, how to recover from codependency, empowerment and releasing shame.
I am so proud of our brand new non-profit, Yoga for Families of Addiction and couldn’t be more thrilled to bring this work into the world. The disease of addiction affects many more than we may ever know. In 2017, it was reported that 25 million Americans over the age of 12 suffer from addiction. If this is true, that translates to be 10% of our population. Every single one of them has a mother, many have friends and family. Yoga for Families of Addiction is our opportunity to support THEM.
“We are not meant to heal alone. As families affected by the disease of addiction, we often find ourselves feeling isolated and lonely. Let us come together to heal in a safe, sacred space.”
Do you feel like there was something about the experiences you had growing up that played an outsized role in setting you up for success later in life?
My father is an entrepreneur. He works for a larger company but has always owned a disk jockey company on the side as well as a million other “gigs.” Watching him and his crazy ideas, as well as the support from family and friends, gave me the courage to open a yoga studio at only 27. He was always the one whispering for me to (sometimes literally) jump out of the boat. My mama, on the other hand, was always the one in the corner watching me jump out of the boat shaking her head with an emergency kit in the boat just in case.
Their entirely different styles of parenting created both courage and a sense of security. A reminder that I will always be supported. I couldn’t have asked for a better upbringing and when I knocked on the door at 30 with my son and our dog, I knew I would be given refuge in every sense of the word. They are my biggest supporters and thank you doesn’t even begin to cover it.
Pricing:
- Drop-in Yoga Class at Barefoot Yoga Shala $18
- Yoga for Families of Addiction Gala Ticket $100
- Yoga for Families of Addiction Teacher Training $400
- New Student Month Special at Barefoot Yoga Shala $45
Contact Info:
- Address: 191 South Main St. Suite 108 Middleton, MA 01949
- Website: www.barefootyogashala.com, www.jennyravikumar.com, www.yogaforfamiliesofaddiction.com
- Phone: 978-866-8197
- Email: jenny.ravikumar@gmail.com
- Instagram: @jennyravikumar @yoga_for_families_of_addiction @barefootyogashala
- Facebook: @yogaforfamiliesofaddiction @barefootyogashala @jennyravikumaryoga
Image Credit:
Sarah Jayne Photography, Kelly Gallagher Photography
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