Jessica McGimsey

It didn't grab a hold right away, but after my first yoga class I remember thinking, "I'd like to teach yoga someday." I started with earning my certification to teach pilates, then adding yoga and other movement styles to be able to pick up more classes. By 2009 I had completely fallen in love with yoga, mainly heated vinyasa, and opened my studio Peace Love and Yoga in 2010. Peace Love and Yoga, PLAY, was built on love and passion for yoga and was welcomed and supported immediately by the community. I loved PLAY so much and gave my whole heart and then some to it to see it grow and thrive. After a few years and continuing for many more, I lived completely burnt out. I wore my busyness like a badge and associated my self worth with how much I could and did accomplish. My health wasn’t great, and I felt disconnected from my personal practice as a result. What I thought was healthy, wasn’t for me. I realized that even though I had been teaching for years, I was completely out of balance. In 2020, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, a degenerative neurological disease. Being given that kind of diagnosis is scary, life changing, but for me was also a very motivating wake-up call. My perspective on life, and health has changed dramatically. I’ve learned health is multi-dimensional. The human system is a whole, and the things that affect one area of your system, affect the whole system. I really feel what it means to live my yoga beyond my mat. The support that Ayurveda and yoga have offered me on this journey continues to inspire me to create programs, trainings, classes, and other offerings. My goal is to help others see what it's like to practice more than just asana, to guide you to be an active participant in your own healing journey, and to thrive not just survive. Through yoga and Ayurveda techniques my goal is help/guide you to be your own/in charge/active participant in your own healing journey… giving yourself the control and power to shape your life and thrive not just survive.