Meet Jen

Hi there! Thanks so much for stopping in!

I'm Jen René, and I've been teaching and practicing yoga for about fifteen years now - hard to believe. All those years ago, I dropped into a class while living in a brand new city, and the teacher told me I could either sign up for two months or go home.

I chose to stay, and the rest is history.

Although I have dabbled in various styles of yoga, Ashtanga has always felt like home, and I have been a devoted Ashtanga student since 2007. My practice and teaching are mainly influenced by Tim Miller, who has been my teacher for the past decade. I've learned all of primary, intermediate and advanced A series from him and am currently in the home stretch of learning advanced B. More importantly, I've learned how to be a devoted and equanimous teacher from watching Tim.

Other sources of inspiration in my teaching and practice include Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor and David Garrigues - all of whom I've logged hundreds of hours of study with. My teaching is also influenced by my formal training in Pilates apparatus - so if you find your abs to be extra sore after working with me, that's why. 

After graduate school and a few unfulfilling attempts at holding down corporate jobs, I decided to focus on teaching Mysore – after all, I knew that was where my heart was. I built an awesome Mysore community here in DC. I see around forty students a morning in all their sweaty glory. I have taught students all of the Primary, Intermediate and Advanced A asana. But beyond asana, my biggest goal (and greatest reward) is to instill in my students a devotion, faith and enthusiasm for this practice. I believe wholeheartedly that Ashtanga Yoga is for everyone, and I like to take a real approach to it - it can be beautiful, but usually it's much more of a beautiful mess.

I believe in the healing and transformative effects of this practice, and I'm so excited that I get to share my love for it with you!

Read My Ashtanga Teacher Manifesto