Jeanine A. Howell

BEFORE YOGA:

I have been an educator for as long as I can remember.  I began teaching students with exceptional skills when I was 21.  I was in the public education system for over 25 years before transitioning to the university level.  It was there that I taught the next generation of teachers. I have also been a dancer since I was four and I have been a dance teacher for many years. I owned and operated my own dance studio for seven years prior to moving to the Dayton area.  I have taught ballet, tap, and jazz to students ages 3-83 for a studio in Fairborn in 1998. Movement has always been an important part of my life. I went to my first yoga class in 1998 and attended one class every few weeks. As my life and my body were changing, I realized I needed to start checking things off my Bucket List and find ways to fill my life with happiness and movement. I had thought about yoga teacher training but never really pursued it. A dear friend of mine told me about a 200-hour on-line yoga teacher training. I took the risk and enrolled. Little did I know that classes began less than 48 hours later---no time to turn back. My yoga training with Cloud Nine Yoga was taught online from Kawai, Hawaii. Challenging and demanding schedule with anatomy, philosophy, asana practice, Sanskrit, and practice teaching. Content classes to attend as well as at least four yoga classes per week. It was one of the best things I have ever done for myself.

WHAT I LEARNED:

Now, yoga is not only a part of my daily routine, but I am also trying to live more yoga. It’s not just the asanas, the postures. It is the breath work, the thinking before you act/speak. It is the centering and the reaching out. I know I started yoga for the movement, the exercise. However, it is the quiet headspace, the focus on me and not the crazy world around us that I now crave.    

WHY I TEACH:

I admire those who come to the mat. We are all at different points in the journey called life. One of the scariest yet most meaningful events for me was when I saw a fellow yogi cry while on the mat. I realized something had been released. No questions asked. Just let it be. It was a few short weeks after that situation, that I had an emotional release on the mat. It happened during savasana. That seems to be when the releases happen for me. Maybe it is when I finally relax after letting my body do what it needed to do during the practice. I have taught yoga for special events, retreats, and private individuals. I look forward to practicing with the yoginis at Kai. I look forward to expanding my practice and possibly obtaining my 500 hr.