La Yoga Ayurveda & Health — October 2017

(Elle) #1

This is the work of the practice: it changes shape and form, it expands
and contracts. It shifts constantly; it’s the perfection of imperfection.
Jesse’s desire and willingness to cultivate this beginner’s mind is part of
what makes Jesse, Jesse. She isn’t interested in knowing everything, she’s
interested in being connected. Throughout her time on the mat, she has
awareness about the evolution of her practice, the need for her body to
slow down, and the ability to move to an internal teacher.
That said, Jesse knows it’s easy for her to get into a lot of “crazy”
poses because of her body type and hyper-mobility. This came up when
she was put on stage during her first teacher training and as she says, she
was used “as an example of every single thing that was misaligned and
wrong with my body.” She was mortified.
Jesse was told that the experience was going to make her an outstand-
ing teacher, a teacher who can see every body in front of her and know
what to do. Mortified or not, this provides some insight into the way
Jesse teaches. Through her experience, she knows how to encourage sta-
bility in hyper-mobile students and how to coax more mobility for those
who are less flexible.
This awareness also influences her ambivalence around aspects of the
social media yoga scene which often highlights fantastical and out-of-
reach asanas. She’s found her own way to navigate this territory. Jesse’s
Instagram is hilarious; she riffs on herself and life in general.
Coming back to our first meeting -- Jesse as reality TV show character,
me as photographer -- I reflected on our interaction and the shift that
occurred during the shoot. When I asked her about it, she told me she
stopped trying to guess what I wanted and instead moved into feeling her
direct experience.
Jesse reminded me of something I said, “I’m here to celebrate you. Just
be you and do your practice. I’m merely an observer to capture moments in
time, not an illusion of perfection. It’s about what you feel in your body.”
When she recognized this, Jesse began to move like no one was there,
not me, not the TV cameras. She said, “I started going inside to let go
of the exterior and go into the interior.” It was Jesse, her breath, the air
against her skin, the warmth of the sun, and her internal experience ex-
pressed outwardly through grace and presence.


This interior focus informs her go-to practices of meditation and the
cultivation of stillness. It’s no surprise that Jesse’s personal practice has
shifted from her busy pre-family days. She used to practice every day,
sometimes twice a day—the “double dip” as she calls it. Now her prac-
tice might be a class a month, or asana practice once or twice a week.
Jesse said, “What I need to do changes; sometimes a bike ride is an asana
practice.” Her mentor, Maty Ezraty, suggested that after 18 years of
dedication to asana, it was time to focus on another limb of yoga. Jesse
recognizes that meditation and stillness are more in line with what she
needs these days.
In this moment, Jesse speaks with excitement about her passion for
and dedication to yoga. She’s figuring out the path to be in a place of
integrity with her values and what she loves about the practicing and
teaching in the modern world. “Teaching inspires me,” she says. Her
clarity comes from her continued work with her mentors, such as Ezraty,
as well as taking the time to be in stillness and meditate, including a
week-long meditation retreat. She’s influenced by some of the advice she
received there: “Remove what’s causing you to suffer,” and “Keep look-
ing at what you love.” Jesse’s reality is hopeful and as a teacher, she’s
looking at what she loves.

Jesse Schein teaches public classes at YogaWorks, online at MyYogaWorks, and
privately. In 2018, she’ll be at the helm of a YogaWorks 200-hour teacher training
program, leading retreats, and facilitating a post-500-hour mentorship program.
Follow her on IG at @jessescheinyoga.
Sarit Rogers is a yoga teacher, writer, and photographer who is an active partner
with and photographer for the Yoga and Body Image Coalition. She teaches in
recovery centers and at One Down Dog. She and her husband Joseph Rogers are
the founders of the LoveMore Movement: saritphotography.com
Hair and Makeup by Jeannie Jeffries a freelance hair and makeup artist and avid
yoga practitioner: jeanniejeffries.com
Photo shoot assistant Jakob McCarty IG@jmccartyhair
All clothing by Hard Tail (hardtailforever.com)
This photo shoot was filmed as part of the the Docu-Series Yoga Girls, airing on
health-entertainment cable network Z Living (zliving.com) Sundays at 8pm ET.
Free download pdf