Jessica Jacobs

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1. How did you find yoga? What does it mean to you?
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4. A friend of a friend introduced me to yoga almost 20 years ago while I was living in Chicago as a college student at Loyola. I had won a package at an open house event through a neighborhood studio, and just dove right in. Though an athlete for most of my life, an uncertainty in my passion sparked my interest in yoga. It wasn't like anything I had experienced before, but I knew instantly that it was something really special to me. 

As someone who manages my anxious part on a daily basis, yoga is where I find peace, grounding and radical acceptance. It's where I find comfort in the uncomfortable, and stability in the unstable. Despite where I am in life or what's happening around me, I know that my breath is my anchor and can guide me back to my true self, to the Self that already lives within me.  

1. If you could teach people one thing through yoga, what would it be?**

That yoga is a path to self-acceptance. It calls us to meet ourselves exactly as we are with mindfulness and compassion. 

1. How does the Satya Yoga community impact you?

I wouldn’t be the person I am today—or the student and teacher—without Satya. 

I joined the community at a very challenging time in my life, where a lot was changing, and I didn't recognize who I was. I had lost my sense of self and instead of letting fear take control, I leaned into my curiosity and really dedicated myself to being a sponge, soaking up everything I was learning about yogic philosophy, pranayama and mindful movement. 

And thanks to the support of the teachers, I finally enrolled in yoga teacher training (which I had wanted to do for 15 years). 

1. What’s something that would surprise people about you?

I'm left-handed and have impeccable handwriting. I swim in Lake Michigan any chance I can get (mostly in the summer). I played competitive basketball for 10 years. I have a genuine love for spreadsheets and data entry. 

1. How long have you been practicing yoga?

I've been practicing different styles of yoga for nearly 15 years, but found a more mindful, consistent practice in the past 5 years or so.

1. Where did you receive your training and when?

I graduated from Satya's 200-hour teacher training in June 2025 with fellow teachers Brian and Michael.

1. What are some signature things about your classes?

I invite students to build a relationship with who they are, at that moment. I focus on connecting the mind and body through the breath and emphasize the function of the pose rather than perfection of it. 

Every body is unique, so I strive to create a supportive environment where students can be their most authentic selves through exploration without expectation or competition. That “what if?” doesn't have to be the fear-driven “what's the worst thing that could happen?”, it can be—like my husband Scotty says—“what's the best thing that could happen?”