Svādhyāya is a compound Sanskrit word composed of sva (स्व) + adhyāya (अध्याय). Adhyāya means “a lesson, lecture, chapter; reading”. Svā means “own, one’s own, self, the human soul”.  Therefore, Svādhyāya literally means “one’s own reading, lesson”. I have been moving through a lot of “self study” lately and the universe has put this word in front of me so many times in the last few days. So I thought I could share a bit about my own “readings and lessons” in my life. I struggle with the Lesson of how much I should or should not insert myself in my moms life? At 91 she has been on her own for 53 years, how much does she need me? Am I inserting myself through guilt or actual need? I am so thankful for those around her who can translate for me!! She does not often tell me everything, so I depend on others to help me decipher what is really going on there. This is my Lesson, that I do not have to know it all, I just have to be open to the outcome of the Lesson. The recent loss of my ex-brother in law, I found myself actually “reading” a situation and asking what was really needed of me. I wanted to support my niece, but did not want to insert myself in a situation that may not have needed me. My niece and I spoke and what was to be a “celebration” of his life was really about his siblings. I had to heed the voice in my head to “fix” it so that the whole family could come together, but that is not what was needed. She had it under control, she felt good that he was not suffering anymore and that he had found his way to God. It was a good place. When I get out of my head and let the teachings of Yoga flow from me, there is no self doubt, there is no imposter syndrome. I heed what the Sutras tell me Sutra 2.46 – “sthira-sukham asanam”. to find the balance between effort and ease, my teachings come from the heart and my teachers before me and I can believe in myself. What does Svādhyāya tell you? Love and Light, JennyO

A dear friend and colleague made this for me. I love the idea that you can grow your mind. How, you may ask? Well, by spending time learning from others and from yourself. Spend time reading, learning something, doing a daily Practice, studying Yoga, because for me it’s all about Yoga.

Yoga has been such a big part of this time in my life. It was not always that way, but in the last 20 years or so it has been. I remember a teacher of mine during my first of many training sessions, leading us through meditation and chanting. I also remember leaving that class and waiting in the hallway until the meditation or chanting was over. And now, look at me, teaching that very thing and completely loving it!!

What grows my mind? Teaching, sharing this idea of Ayurveda, Yoga Therapy and Yoga. And being able to share that with fellow teachers, students, both new to yoga and seasoned yoga practitioners.

Join me over the next couple of weeks as I roll out more of my 300hr Teacher Training. These are Modular trainings and can be taken separately if you are looking to hone your skills or simply interested in deepening your Practice. You can complete the 300 hours and put them together with a 200 hour and become a 500 hour teacher, or complete some CEUs. Kaytee Hernandez and Laura/Kirtan Marcotte will be joining in from time to time to help out and create wonderful trainings to deepen your knowledge of Yoga.

Love and Light,
JennyO

Acceptance and Patience are quite different for all of us. Recently in our Saṃgha Offerings we spoke about this very thing. And while Acceptance and Patience takes on many lenses, such as death, aging, and how we interact with our loved ones, I have come to these thoughts. I still miss Mabel very much, the house is so quiet, Acceptance gets me through the day.  Patience with myself to remember to turn off the garage light, since her food was out there, and I do not have the need to go out there any more.

When we find Acceptance and Patience we find a very different flow to our lives. We no longer live in our Kleśa/Affliction. We can release our Raga/Attachment of what we look like now not 5 years ago,  what we were that we cannot go back to (maybe headstand is no longer a good idea), what we lost that is now only a memory.

When we release Raga, we can open ourselves up to other things, like this beautiful garden of Dahlias and my best friend being surrounded by them. She recently lost her father and like me we were able to find beauty in the flowers and be in awe of their colors. All the while being able to toast her dad and Mabel and the things we love(d) about them, because our Love is present, it does not die with them.

What Raga/Attachments do you have that are holding you back? Can Acceptance and Patience help you through them? Remember that grief has no timeline, and NEVER let someone tell you what that timeline looks like.

I love you all and the continued support you share with me and with others in this community.

Be well. Be Safe. 
Love. Light.
JennyO

We had to say goodbye to our sweet little Mabel. She warmed everyone’s heart and was always happy and just looking into her eyes was like looking into the soul of a person. She was with me anytime I was teaching online, students tell me they miss her gentle snores that were so comforting.

It was a hard thing to have her die in my arms, but I would rather have her with us than somewhere cold and alone. The day before she went into my Yoga room, she had never gone in there with herself before, only if I was in there. I knew then that she would succumb to the tumor that was diagnosed 9 months prior. I had to make a CHOICE right then, was I willing to let her go? She has always spoken volumes to me so it was up to me to listen. She went downhill quickly, I held her and spoke in her ears that it was “ok to go, she did not have to stay with us anymore.” I had to LET GO no matter how freaking hard it was. This is the circle of life, we must all go, how we choose to let our loved ones go is up to us. Is it painful, hell yeah, that pain will be there for a long time, but how I suffer, that is my choice. I can choose to look at all the love she brought us and that I chose to let her go, so that she did not hang on for us.


The Sutras teaches us about pain and suffering, choice and letting go. I have to lean on those teachings now as I move through this next chapter in my life. I remember saying goodbye to my Dad, an entirely different story, so much chaos, pain and no choice. I have come a long way… I do not fear death, you must make your own choices about that. I told her she did not have to fight anymore, that we loved her and she could leave, she had friends on the other side waiting for her. Do not fear death, as it often frees us from pain on Earth. Choice. Do not let others stay for YOUR benefit, let them go when they are ready, tell them it’s ok, no matter how freaking hard it is. Choice, not the one I wanted, but it was a CHOICE.


Thank you as always for providing the space for my thoughts and for always holding space for me and my life as I navigate my world and my yoga teachings. These teachings have given my mind somewhere to go as I move through grief and I thank YOU, my students for that opportunity.☺️

Be well. Be Safe. 
Love. Light.
JennyO

I took this picture in India, a place where Ayurveda is alive and is part of everyone’s life. I was surrounded by this ancient knowledge and have a full respect for this Practice. I knew then and there I wanted to go deeper. 

In the last year I have finished my certification to be an Ayurvedic Health Counselor and Practitioner. Although I knew that I would never stop being a Yoga Therapist, Ayurveda allowed me to connect to my clients in so many ways. Like these leaves, Ayurveda and Yoga just fit together –  they are “sister sciences.”

In this training Ayurveda for a Heart Centered Life we will cover the macro and the micro, how all the elements present themselves in EVERYTHING that we do, eat, who we spend time with and even our clothes. Think of the idea that “like attracts like”.

Be well. Be Safe. 
Love. Light.
JennyO

Those of you who know me are aware that 1). I do not like having my picture taken. I had a student the other day say “hey I think we took that training together, I will have to go back and look at the pictures.” I told her I am always hiding or finding a way to be outside when pictures are getting taken. My standard response has always been “I am in witness protection and cannot be in the picture” but it really oozes into the next thing 2). I have a hard time talking about myself and my accomplishments. A picture proves I was there, but does it prove I know everything? No and that is me, not fully believing in myself – something I have always struggled with. It has gotten better for sure, but it creeps back in time and again.

My dear teacher once told me, that his teacher told him, “be your place card.” Meaning, LIVE what your business card says, don’t just list it out. So I take that to heart, I am trying, to the fullest of my ability, to LIVE what I know and share that with others the best way I can. For me that is sharing my love for teaching, my skills of all things sacred and ritual based, and living my yoga every day in whatever I do. Sometimes patterns and negative thinking get the best of me, like sitting in traffic on Mopac when it takes me 50 minutes to drive 12 miles. But through the years I am LEARNING and LOVING sharing my experiences from years of studying and teaching.

A good friend and student gave me this t-shirt. The creator of the t-shirt based this sentence on the fact that she had 5 kids and she was never going to be “thin” in the eyes of the public. She was good with that. For me, this t-shirt means that I have a lot to give, that I am “thick” with knowledge. On good days, I can even say “yes, my body is thick and I am ok with that.” Again, Yoga works on so many levels. What does the “thick life” mean to you?

Be well. Be Safe. 
Love. Light.
JennyO

We each spent many months in our mother’s womb listening to her heartbeat, a steady rhythm… lub, dub… lub, dub… lub, dub. This natural beat is entrained into our nervous system and can be tapped into once again.

Drums have been used in every culture for many purposes from religious rituals and other ceremonies, to sporting events, and as a way to communicate or signal. Shamans used drumming as a means of reaching an altered or trance-like state so that they can connect with the spirit dimension.  Drumming has also been used therapeutically since ancient times.

The “medicine” drum is still used in many Native American ceremonies today for good reason: drumming can promote physical and emotional healing, boost your immune system, produce feelings of well-being.

Be well. Be Safe. 
Love. Light.
JennyO

Community… this is how I grew up, can you guess which one is me? I grew up on a farm surrounded by lots of family. Fast forward to 2020 and we go into lockdown, no social interaction or any kind for 2 solid years, even more for some. Then blast into 2022 April to September and Feb 2023 thru April 2023 and my mom’s health kept me at her home as her caretaker. Two things happened during these stints of time, I found new relationships with my mom and it felt like my life was on hold. I know that I will continue to support my mom, but like all of us, we cannot put our lives on hold. That is a hard concept to wrap one’s head around because we do love and only want the best for our loved ones. But still a life on hold is not a full life, it is a path we must all find on our own, how to show up for ourselves and others without one overshadowing the other. I found myself loving the stillness of the country and at the same time missing my social life in Austin. 

While I am not an “extrovert” by any means, I did miss human contact, especially as a Teacher. Teaching brings me joy on so many levels. It allows me to digest and pass on teachings from my own teacher, my experiences and my growth, it allows me to connect in a much deeper way. It’s this connection, this exposure to ideas and community that leads me to Saṃgha, pronounced Sangha. That is why I want to bring this idea back again. I did it early on during the pandemic, and while I know some of us are yearning to get back to human connection. 

This idea of “virtual” can also expand our community into other time zones, cultures and ideas. These topics will vary from yoga philosophy, yoga therapy, everyday tips and well… basically everything Yoga or or any ideas that you might want to explore, please let me know. Some of these will be led by me, other times I will bring in other folks who have a direct connection to the topic, like an interactive podcast. These offerings will be donation based and range from 1.5 to 2.5 hours in length. Literally, pay what feels comfortable to you. As I mentioned, they will be interactive and in some cases recorded. 

Be well. Be Safe. 
Love. Light.
JennyO

Dear Ones…

I cannot believe that it is December!! Being away for 6 months really makes the year short. For many reasons this is my favorite time of the year. Mostly for the idea that I can begin again, shake off the old and bring in the new. It was not until recently that I was able to really let the Universe guide me in this thought. I tried to force and shove things into play, to ease my sense of fear, because if my calendar was not full then fear came into play. How would I feed, clothe, and be someone if i was not busy and my calendar full? The thought of NOT having something “planned” and “set” brought up so much fear for me. While I know that this fear lingered from trauma at an early age and the idea that “distraction” would keep me safe. Cause you know a moving target is harder to zero in on. That was me, always moving, in mind and body. Let’s be clear, I still move hahahaha, but I move with a little more purpose and I move in a manner that allows me to look at my Patterns. Patterns come with certain Emotions and for those emotions, like Fear, to shift, we must first shift the Pattern.  Does this sound familiar to anyone? Have you ever been in a car accident and do you still flinch when you come to that intersection? That is a perfect example of what I am talking about, there is a pattern and an emotion, this requires a shift to happen. And there is no better way to shift a pattern than to have an intention for the coming year. So save the date January 28th from 10:30-Noon. Space will be limited so that we can work a litter deeper and with more focus.

Wishing you all a safe and happy Holiday season for you and yours.

Be well. Be Safe. 
Love. Light.
JennyO

Ayurveda teaches us about Qualities/Gunas, 10 opposing qualities. They are listed below in English and in Sanskrit.

English: Heavy – Light, Slow – Sharp, Cold – Hot, Oily – Dry, Smooth – Rough, Dense – Liquid, Soft – Hard, Static – Mobile, Gross – Subtle Cloudy – Clear

Sanskrit: Guru – Laghu, Manda – Tikshna, Hima\Sheeta – Ushna, Snigdha\Sneha – Ruksha, Slakshna – khara, Sandra – Drava, Mridu – Kathina, Chala – Sthira, Sthula – Sukshma, Pichchila -Vishada

I bring this up because during the holidays, there are many qualities that come into contact with us. They can be introduced at family functions, meals and even with the folks that we interact with.

We often put so much pressure on ourselves to produce the most perfect “event” that we increase some of these qualities, and bring ourselves out of balance. We forget that the most important thing to remember about the holidays is that we are there for Sangha or Community. We have made a choice to be where we are, so we should take the time to really enjoy it. To be with the people we love, or not. Make a choice and be happy with it, do not let other Gunas/Qualities come into the equation. Just enjoy what you have decided to do, or go out and start a “new tradition”. My partner and I have. We both work on Thanksgiving day, so when we come home we have “snackies”, put on pajamas, and watch a movie snuggled on the couch with Mabel

It’s important to prepare for the holidays, ensure you are breathing enough, moving enough and most importantly fortifying your body with Grace and a steady practice. Below are a few offerings to support you throughout the holiday season, I hope you enjoy them!

Be well. Be Safe. 
Love. Light.
JennyO