Aerobics

Yoga

Barre

Anonymous

IP location

I came to yoga through my commitment to community health and well-being. Both on and off the mat, my primary focus is collective care and how we each contribute to one another's ability to survive and thrive. I had taken yoga classes off and on, but it was during the pandemic that I built my own yoga practice. My first in-person studio was JP Centre Yoga, and I eventually completed my 200 hour yoga teacher certification there. I know what it is like to live in your head instead of your body, and the uncertainty and self-judgment with being perceived in a yoga space. Not only is inclusivity a major tenet of my classes, I also used trauma-informed approaches to my teaching, and offer modifications for a range of ability levels. Beyond yoga, I regularly lead queer meditation sits in Jamaica Plain for LGBTQ+ folks. I also serve as a researcher in social and behavioral sciences, studying trauma and substance use at the population level. I completed my PhD in epidemiology in 2022, and my master's in global health in 2018, where I worked in Nepal and Mali studying mental health and violence. What You can Expect from My Class In my class, you can expect a vigorous combination of asanas with accessible and interesting transitions. I offer many modifications throughout class, including for pregnancy, top or bottom surgery, or if you're just not feeling it that day! My intention is to guide you out of your habit (including your yoga habit) and into your body's present moment to achieve a meditative quality in the flow. By the end of class, we'll engage with stillness more intentionally by briefly meditating in our final pose before we fully close.

Henri Garrison-Desany

Instructor at JP Centre Yoga