Today we’d like to introduce you to Jolie Yonker.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I had some interest in yoga back in college and eventually stumbled upon a short practice on cable that I would do in the mornings before work. Looking back on it now, I see that it was really just a stretching program that incorporated yoga poses.
Nonetheless, it sparked my interest and I would occasionally flip through Yoga Journal marveling at the beauty of the combined strength and flexibility I saw on the pages. I’d love to say that I had some deeply moving reason to hit the mat, but honestly, I wasn’t trying to find the quiet spaces between my thoughts, heal my soul, or cope with high levels of stress. I just wanted to be able to put myself into some badass poses (like Scorpion).
Admittedly, I was just grazing the surface of the practice at that time, but I wasn’t looking to “showboat” or be a bendy braggadocio. I was a results-driven girl and knew there had to be something to the process, aka “the journey” of getting from Point A to Point B. I didn’t know what that meant or would entail, but it continued to intrigue me.
(Keep in mind that this was back in 1999/2000. While yoga was growing in popularity, it wasn’t as mainstream as it is now, so there was still a bit of mystique to it. Can you imagine a time with no YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, or abundant yoga pose selfies?) When a co-worker told me she went to the studio that I passed regularly and had developed a strong curiosity about, we made a date to go together.
My first class was a bit of a disaster. I felt completely out-of-my-body. Where did the #%$& my balance go? Why don’t I get this breath/movement thing? But once I got out of my head and stopped trying to be good at it–okay, so I’m a recovering Type A–I started getting better at it! Thanks to some amazing teachers, my practice became one of dedication and devotion to Ashtanga, typically going to four or more studio classes a week. As life shifted, so did my practice. I traveled more for business; my yoga studio moved to a new location; I started going to the gym and running more.
Eventually, my practice down-shifted to once or twice a week. When it did, I could feel the result in my body. I was strong as hell, but the fluidity, ease, and presence of mind were not the same. I realized that the goal-oriented, marathon-running, strength-training body and mind were taking over space solely reserved for my mind/body. I went back to the basics of connecting my breath and movement; suspending judgment and expectations of what my mat time would bring. Eventually, the mind chatter dissipated and like spinning the right combination on a lock, my body released and gave way to the practice again.
Over the years, through aging, injury, and the life changes brought on by moving from brahmacharya/student to grahasta/householder, my practice has certainly shape-shifted. While I may have beaten myself up over it in the past, a conversation I had with one of my teachers, David Swenson, several years ago helped me see that being humbled and feeling vulnerable were gifts. I had an opportunity to use the experiences to “go inside,” learn and evolve. It would be several years before I started teaching, but when that time came, it was a progressive, natural transition.
Has it been a smooth road?
The road has been relatively smooth, but only because I’ve gotten good at sitting with opportunities and observing my sacral response to them rather than saying “yes” simply due to my enthusiasm for them. That said, the challenges I’ve experienced have changed over the years. In the beginning, it was building and developing my knowledge/skill base and teaching style and making my way amidst the sea of teachers in this community.
Then it was finding ease and flow in the hustle of teaching between 12 and 18 classes a week at different studios. These days, the challenge is staying true to my purpose as a parent and spouse while also fueling my passion for learning, practicing and teaching. I have a tendency to take on a lot, so I’ve learned that if I am struggling to say “yes” to something, I need to examine how the opportunity serves me, first, and whether or not it is a win/win for everyone involved. If it’s not, I’ll take a pass.
My dear friend once told me that saying “no” to something means saying “yes” to oneself. I love that philosophy! It’s a regular practice, but being selective and deliberate in my choices has been truly liberating.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Jolie Yonker Yoga story. Tell us more about the business.
I’ve been a freelance yoga teacher for over a decade, leading classes, workshops and 1:1 sessions at a private studio space, as well as teaching weekly classes at headquarters of international corporations and member-based studios.
I’m known for my adaptability to the variety of practitioners who attend my classes, the inclusive nature of my teaching and my authenticity. What you see is what you get–I know that I’m not for everybody, and that’s okay! I’m also not chasing the next shiny thing or trying to morph the practice to captivate an audience. I have great reverence for the tradition of yoga, beyond the shapes we put our bodies in. The methodology that is my background and the foundation from which I teach is sound–and will continue to be as long as it is presented in a sound and mindful way.
I can be irreverent and certainly don’t take myself too seriously–laughter on the mat is bound to happen when you practice with me! I’m also passionate about anatomy and its relationship to life, yoga and sport, which is channeled into my all of my classes, especially my long-running Yoga for Athletes program. Many members of my tribe are highly driven individuals–who are often also athletes–so I help them leverage a system of practice that will help improve performance, reduce injury, and provide the mental focus that is required of them in their daily lives.
The other thing that may set me apart–or at least may put me into a smaller group of teachers–is my dedication to continuous education. Not only do I crave knowledge, I think it is an integral part of my profession and I travel to learn from the best and most highly respected teachers in this profession on a regular basis. Like anyone who has been teaching for a while, I’ve noticed a deluge of new teachers entering the arena–many coming out with their certificate, enthusiasm, and just enough knowledge to be dangerous.
Not being able to read the room, go “off script” or offer modifications can put students at risk, and that troubles me because I believe teachers have a responsibility to help keep their students safe. But it also inspires me to help elevate teachers who want to take their experience to the next level. That said, Jolie Yonker Yoga is evolving into East Coast Yoga Club, a boutique collective featuring Ashtanga and Ashtanga-based yoga, bespoke specialty classes, trainings, and corporate yoga programs.
There will also be a focus on yoga teacher mentorship, which is something I had to seek out for myself and think is critical to developing one’s craft and maintaining the integrity of the teaching of yoga. As a “senior teacher,” it feels like the next logical step and is a meaningful way to help cultivate strong teachers in the community.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
It doesn’t appear that interest in yoga will be slowing down, which is super encouraging!
If I look ahead based on what I see around me and in my own classes, the average age of practitioners who roll out their mat with me floats somewhere between 35-55. Many of these folks often do yoga as a complement to their other endeavors–running, hiking, cycling, skiing, golfing, triathlon, etc.–so it is important that they move with integrity in order to maintain their desired levels of activity as time marches on.
As yoga continues to grow and evolve, my hope is that those who continue to teach will not only cater to the young and enthusiastic but also the active and aging population like my students, as well as those who are ready for a more gentle shift in their practice.
Functional mobility, a keen understanding of biomechanics, and sound modifications CAN and should (in my opinion) coexist within the context of any yoga class. It is my hope that, with time and experience, the teaching and practice of yoga will continue to grow with the overarching intention of more mindful movement.
Contact Info:
- Email: jolie@jolieyonkeryoga.com
- Instagram: @east_coast_yoga_club
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/yogajolie
Image Credit:
Raya Al-Hashmi, Ashley Shea
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