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Featured Teacher: Jean Mazzei

It only takes one class with Jean and you fully feel the meaning of transformation. Her instruction, her hands on adjustments, creative flow and sense of humor is the perfect combination of what she best describes as lightening up and enlightenment.

Off the mat, Jean is equally as creative, fun and inspiring to get to know. We hope you enjoy getting to know Jean as much as we do!

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Tell us about yourself! What was your first job? Any fun hobbies or personal interests?

My first actual job was at a pizza and ice cream parlor called “Happy Joe’s”. When customers would come in to celebrate their birthday, I had to honk a big horn and lead everyone in singing Happy Birthday.

Fun facts: I love traveling. I used to do high altitude mountaineering and have been to heights over 21,000ft. I was also a professional jazz singer and had a rock band called “Flying Venus” that played my original songs. I’m basically an artist – whether songwriting, painting or creating yoga classes and curriculum. For me, it’s all creative.

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How did you become interested in becoming a Yoga Teacher?

After college I got a job in a dance company, so I was already teaching dance and movement. I kept seeking the qualities of mastery and effortlessness – interesting that I would discover that Patanjali talks about these in Yoga Sutra 2:47!

Besides dance, I started taking yoga as a way to gain more flexibility. Even though the classes were once a week, I was told you were supposed to practice everyday, so I did.  I also studied Alexander Technique, some Feldenkries, release techniques and contact improvisation (kind of like the new Acro Yoga).

Because I was so immersed in movement as a path to self-actualization, I think I just fell into teaching yoga. It made sense, I had a lot of anatomical, physiological, and kinesthetic knowledge based on both study and direct experience. I believe I had something to share that would help people feel better in their bodies.

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What style(s) of Yoga do you offer? Can you explain what makes this style unique?

I teach Ageless Yoga, as well as Transformational Flow, Aromatherapy Flow and Yoga Nidra. All the yoga classes I teach contain the element of conscious transformation. It’s more than a workout or stretch class.

In Ageless Yoga, the goal is to help people gain more fluidity in the body and mind. Since older joints are drier, we use gentle, dynamic movements to help lubrication of the joints and gently create space to increase range of motion. There is a lot of emphasis on the breath and the use of “prana” which helps them tap into a more efficient use of energy resulting in greater range of motion and strength.

I feel like I get to be the most creative in Ageless Yoga for a few reasons. First, it’s such a great group of people and they are willing to explore whatever works! They have fewer expectations on what a class is “supposed” to look like, and they are more concerned with the progress they are making both on and off the mat. Because of this, I feel free to pull from my years of experience and use different modalities. People just feel great after this class!

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What do you feel makes a really good Yoga Class?

This is so individual. For some, a good workout is enough. Others look for creative sequencing. Others look for something that is predictable. Some like alignment cues. Some like to focus more on imagery.

For me a “good” yoga class involves vinyasa krama (intelligent sequencing) where the class is structured alchemically to lead to a peak pose, energetic pose or meditation. Thematically, this kind of class contains concepts that apply to the physical practice, as well as to the practice of life.

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What is your favorite Yoga pose and why?

It would be so much easier to ask me what poses I don’t like! (navasana… LOL) My favorite poses would be Tadasana and Hanumanasana. Tadasana (Mountain pose) because when done a certain way, it is the perfect pose. Stability (sthirah) moving down through the legs, resulting in an effortless sense of upward energy through the top of the head. The “center” point between up and down, in and out. And I love feeling that confidence and clarity as I stand on my own 2 feet.

Hanumanasana (splits) is one of my other favorite poses. From a physical reason, because I had to work so hard at it to be able to do it! Since it never came naturally and having gone through the steps myself, I know how to teach this pose very well. I worked on this pose for a few years and through the process I learned how to be consistent and firm with myself, as well as how to be gentle.

Hanuman, the “monkey god”, is a deity who represents unconditional love and devotion, and is known for the “leap of faith.” I knew that if I kept working on the pose, one day I would master it. He is also known for having a few siddhis (powers). He can become very small and very large. This is convenient when moving through a crowd! Also he has the super power of being an amazing best friend. I feel amazing when I do the pose – leaping across my own limitations, and remembering that I am my own best friend.

We hope you found Jean as inspirational on and off the mat as we did. Want to catch a glimpse of her transformational classes? Be sure to check out her schedule!

See Jean’s Schedule

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Jean’s Upcoming Events

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