There are people we meet in this world who touch us with their genuineness and humility. Very few people these days are humble despite being the best in class of their trade. Jenny Graddy also known as @jennyg2bfit is one such person!/p>
Yoga comes naturally to Jenny and she does it with the aplomb of a professional, moving into the most advanced asanas with ease and a smile. She is a teacher, a practitioner and an Instagram yoga community influencer. Jenny’s journey into Fitness is a very motivating one. Like most of us, her journey wasn’t an easy one and yet she overcame all those obstacles and emerged as a confident and inspiring yogi.
We thank her for taking out time from her busy schedule and sharing with us a few words on her incredible yogic experience.
Jenny, How and why did you start yoga?
Jenny: I’ve been practicing yoga sporadically since childhood. I began training in yoga in college in the 90s. I have been most active with my yoga practice in the last three years.
We all have benefited from yoga in some way or the other. What obstacles has yoga helped you overcome?
Jenny: Yoga helps to manage my anxiety and cope with PTSD. I practice daily. It is one of the most effective strategies for me to stay well.
What we think is what we become. Jenny, what is your mind set when you step onto the mat?
Jenny: Each time I begin my practice I’m excited to have the opportunity to tune in to my body and mind. Even on more stressful days I know that yoga is the best way to cope and heal my worries.
Jenny your practice is so flawless, and it shows years of experience. When did you understand you wanted to be a yoga teacher?
Jenny: In college I began training in the Yogafit yoga teacher programs in order to be able to teach yoga at the fitness centers. This is a great program that is available to fitness centers looking to design yoga programs suitable for all populations.
Is there anything else that you want to share with our readers and enlighten us?
Jenny: Yoga helped me as a child and preteen in many ways physically and mentally and later socially. Eventually, I was less shy and my fitness passion became my degree and career. I also got certified in about every type of fitness program and was teaching fitness classes from cardio (hi/lo cardio, step, kickboxing, spinning) to weight training and then on to Pilates and eventually Yoga. As Group Fitness And Wellness coordinator at the University of Florida, I was the first one to incorporate Yoga into the University group fitness program by hiring qualified instructors and training them to meet group fitness standards. (This was just before YTT programs took off) It was not easy at first to convince that Yoga belonged; But the industry was adapting, and yoga mainstreamed into fitness centers across the world. That was when yoga came back into my life. Still I wasn’t practicing as often, and it was mostly my stretching for after weights and cardio unless I was teaching my power yoga classes. I wasn’t practicing on my own. Yoga finally “stuck” when I needed something to heal from within from past trauma that resurfaced just few years ago. My Anxiety and PTSD is successfully managed with daily yoga practice. I have yet to return to teaching again. My priority is my personal health and to care for my family. However through these IG squares I have met so many that inspire me to grow and continue to heal.
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