My Story.
“Space to practice. Freedom to fall. Balance of grit and grace. Training resilience. Transforming moments. This is Yoga.”
— Jessica Ackerman
Jessica Ackerman, MSCCC-SLP, RYT
E
xperience & Vision
I am a certified, licensed therapist and registered yoga teacher, committed to bring access of transformational breath- based yoga and meditation to all, from athletes in training, to people with chronic pain, to adolescent sports teams, to business leaders, to trauma survivors.
My journey did not start with yoga. My journey started with pain and wounds and struggle. Years of putting on layers of armor to soothe the broken heart of my ten-year old self who lost her dad unexpectedly. Years of coping with grief which manifested in many other ways; running to soothe and avoiding the stillness, where I might actually feel. And then, yoga. Yoga as a physical practice, where I landed after a running injury. Forced to a 68-inch mat, from my 60 mile-week habit. Years of practicing. Breathing. Moving. Sweating. Unraveling. Deepening. Without even knowing, I was reconnecting with my self. I was healing.
“The wound is the place where the light enters you.” -Rumi
Being a yoga teacher is more than calling poses. It is more than imparting any “spiritual guidance". It is more than inversions or planks or mindfulness. It is about showing up and doing the work. All of it. I teach and practice strength and pushing past limitations every day on the mat; and I practice an even deeper strength off the mat. I fall often, which I have learned, is the nature of practice. Discipline helps me get back up and re-focus with intentional awareness- on my breath, on my being, on presence.
When I am teaching, I am right where I’m supposed to be. I don’t need to get anywhere else; I don’t need to re-hash the past or rehearse the future. I am held in safety and grounded in stillness. I can observe. I can be. Stillness is not my nature. But I am learning that only in stillness can we see. Only when we are mindful can we manage our thoughts. Only when we choose to focus on our breath, does our fear fade. Only when we honor the tears that we carry, can we attend to the unfinished business of the heart. This has been my invitation to presence through teaching.
We all have a story. We are all holding onto something. Whether it is stress or weight or injury or simply heaviness from our day. I am here to reach you where you are and bring you where you want to be; optimizing health, maximizing performance, and and cultivating joy in training for real life. This is real life.
Cultivate Fearlessness. Continually challenge your beliefs. Meet your edge. Remove your armor. Step toward the unknown. Do it all with Love. Nothing is promised. But everything is workable.
Yoga is more than your practice on the mat. It’s thriving in life. It’s shining through all the moments- the darkest and the brightest. It’s growing through change and allowing room for all to happen- grief, relief, misery. It’s daring to dive into radical self-inquiry and know that this is where courage resides. It’s connecting with others and showing up. In all the ways. Always. It’s messy and scary and wobbly...and it builds strength and resilience and wholeness.
This is yoga.
Book a session HERE.
YOGA
Holding me up in so many ways, for so many years. This practice is so far beyond the poses... all the trust, surrender, focus, discipline, awareness, breath, spaciousness, freedom, synchronicity, and Love. ️ Being in it.
“Yoga is more than the pose. Yoga is your mind. Yoga is your breath. Yoga is practicing being present and focused on what you are doing right now. Yoga is being challenged to your edge. And then breathing right there.”
On healing through yoga — Jessica Ackerman, RYT
Power Yoga is for everyBODY. Power because we are empowered to show up and do the work. You don’t need to be flexible, or to look a certain way, or even to know what to do. All you need is a willingness to step on your mat and practice. If you do, goodness will follow.
— Jessica Ackerman
WHY Yoga & Meditation are so Transformational…
Research is widely accepted that breath-based yoga practices and mindfulness meditation reduce stress, anxiety, illness, and overall medical costs; and promote healing, health, and wellness through improved sleep, weight management, stress reduction, immune system, and overall health.
My professional background is in healthcare, as a speech-language pathologist and independent patient advocate. I am a yoga and meditation teacher, and I have trained as a competitive athlete all my life. I have incorporated the skilled practices employed across communication therapy, neurology specialty, counseling, yoga, meditation, and breath training to reach people where they are and bring them where they want to be, optimizing health and functional performance in training for life.
Book a session HERE
Follow Along on Instagram
