The undercurrent of my yoga journey has been about self empowerment. In 2010 I was working as a bank teller, finishing up my bachelors degree, and completely confused about where my life was going. During this time I developed sciatic pain due to piriformis syndrome. After visiting several doctors and only being handed new prescriptions for pain medication, I took it upon myself to look for alternatives. Of course, one of the first things that came up on my radar was yoga. I had attempted yoga at one other point in my life but as they say, the timing wasn’t right. This second time around, it seemed that all the components had lined up for me to land back on my yoga mat. 

I reentered the yoga space with very little knowledge about my body or about yoga. I was nervous about the heat in the room but ultimately I allowed myself to be open to possibility. I was immediately in awe of the energy of the teachers. They were very present and encouraging, invited me to feel strong and empowered in my body, and allowed space for self reflection. This is a feeling I will never forget and I knew right away that I wanted to be a similar guide for others, feeling immediately inspired to share this practice with my friends and family. After only one class I felt relief from the sciatic pain, and with every class after that I felt stronger, more self-aware, and even more excited about life.

My yoga mat became a place of excavation, digging through the layers of thought patterns, uncovering my triggers, and beginning the quest to decipher my purpose in this life. It wasn’t long before I realized that the real work of yoga happens off the mat, working through fears and insecurities in real time, learning to focus my mind, and cultivating a relationship with myself.

In 2012, despite all of my doubts, I dove headfirst into the yoga world. I signed up for a yoga teacher training, quit my banking job, and began to work the front desk at a local yoga studio where I started teaching soon after. The journey of learning how to lead a yoga class and how to hold space was extremely daunting, yet thrilling and incredibly rewarding. 

My passion as a yoga teacher has evolved overtime. I have enjoyed guiding students through the process of learning about their bodies, helping them to find both strength and safety in their practice, while empowering them to apply the practice to all seasons of life. I also subtly invite students to begin their own excavation process, cultivating awareness of the landscape of their mind and reminding them of the power of their thoughts and emotions. 

After my initial teacher training I continued my education and was certified in Annie Carpenter‘s SmartFLOW Yoga method. I am also a NASM certified personal trainer and I have spent about four years guiding clients on their journeys to a healthier and stronger body. I’ve always found so much joy in moving my body and hope to help others find that same joy through yoga and strength training. 

When I’m not in teacher mode, I enjoy my quiet time, hiking, spending time with my dogs, and watching scary movies with my husband. I’ve most recently integrated the idea that there is no need to rush in life. In today’s world where everyone seems so busy, I’ve consciously made small choices to create more space for myself so that I can show up fully present when holding space for others.

I have been a part of the Yogabody community for nearly six years. It is an honor to be able to share the practice of yoga and witness the journey of each individual and the collective community. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to hold space for the transformations that take place within a teacher training; helping your unique inner light shine so that we may continue to share the benefits of the practice with more and more people. My hope is that you choose to honor your intuitive voice within and dive into this experience with us.

Jeny Rae Vidal is a Yoga Alliance (YA) Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher® with 5000+ hrs teaching experience across 10 years as well as a (YA) continuing education provider. She is also a 300-hr Certified Breathwork Facilitator, a MA MFT candidate, Teen Talking Circles Facilitator and Trainer, and a community advocate.

She integrates the hard and soft edges of life experience into a playful, deep, and authentic presence. Recognizing we are all both student and teacher, she creates a judgement-free zone of inclusivity and accessibility. Her intention is to simply hold up a mirror and help you polish it to reveal your brilliance and find courage to own it.

Yoga has been a beautiful transformational journey. Through my practice I have gained tools to observe myself more honestly and have formed improved discipline to let go of old thought patterns, habits and emotions that no longer serve my connection to the greatest good.

I was called to serve my community with the founding of YogaBody studios during the summer of 2011. Today, I enjoy teaching weekly classes to an evolving community of amazing human beings from all walks of life. Yoga has taught me that community is no doubt our greatest currency and I stand humbled by the wealth that surrounds me. Please join me in class soon and let's gratefully celebrate our prosperity together.

My yoga journey began in 2011. Upon taking my first yoga class I knew I would be a lifelong yogi. I immediately enrolled in teacher training and received my certification a few months after my first class! I quit my job as an HR Director and began a fast track journey into full-time yogi, teaching several classes a day. It was a very scary transition but my practice allowed me to recognize my fears, overcome them, and empowered me to follow my heart. Yoga has given me the tools to begin unpeeling the layers of subconscious thoughts that do not serve me so that I may embrace life more fully with an abundance of love, compassion, and joy. When we deepen our breath and quiet our mind, we can accept and love ourselves just as we are.

My passion is in teaching others how to cuItivate and strengthen their mind-body connection. I enjoy encouraging students to honor the body they’re in, to move from a solid container with strength and stability, to increase their active range of motion, and give them the tools necessary to maintain a sustainable practice that extends beyond the mat. I incorporate the Functional Range Conditioning method into my yoga classes to create healthier stable joints by applying methods that decrease the gap between passive flexibility and useable range of motion. 

I am a life-long student of yoga. In continually furthering my education taking various courses in yoga, movement, anatomy, and physiology, we continue to evolve the YTT curriculum using the most up-to-date scientific principles and methods. I am a Mazé Method 300-hour YTT graduate and a Functional Range Conditioning Specialist, specializing in joint health, and mobility training based in scientific principles and research. 

When I’m not teaching yoga, running trainings and helping run a yoga studio, I am busy guiding little ones on my most epic journey of all, motherhood. I am a mother to two smart, wild, energetic, and beautiful children, ages 2 and 4, and a wife to Scott Winslow. Yoga has given me the tools to show up for myself so that I can show up for my family in the most authentic, loving, compassionate and connected way possible. When I fall short, yoga allows me to continually reevaluate my mindset, to reflect, learn and grow from life’s experiences. Learning to respond rather than react to life’s challenges is a daily practice. After all, the old adage “action speaks louder than words” rang truer after children as they mimic how we behave. What we do is often far more potent than what we say. What an eye opening revelation! 

Scott founded YogaBody in 2011, and I joined his endeavor shortly there after. I founded the 200-Hr YogaBody University teacher training program, a Yoga Alliance registered school (RYS), in 2016. We have since cultivated an amazing community of like-minded individuals on a journey of self-healing and transformation. We have facilitated over 15 trainings, and have helped foster many yoga teachers to pass on the benefits of this beautiful practice to their communities and beyond. I hope you will join me on this transformative journey. I would be honored to guide you.