JESSICA BELLOFATTO
Just Be You: Live Your Best Life
Where would I be without yoga? I wouldn’t want to know! Yoga gives me the tools to navigate life’s ups and downs with relative ease. I fully trust the process of transformation: No matter how choppy the waters of life may be at times, I know that I will be OK. Beyond my yoga practice of 24 years and counting, I have discovered over the years that I feel the most ‘whole’ when I am moving my body, especially outside, in Nature. The power of nature is profound, and something I think many of us have sadly lost touch with in this modern, fast-paced, and very ‘insulated’ world. We turn on the air conditioner when it’s hot, we blast the heat when it’s cold. We are disconnected from the elements and from the natural world. The next time you are struggling, try this: go outside, lay down (on the ground if possible), look up at the sky, and take 5 deep breaths. Then check in with yourself- the problem, the anxiety, the fear, the WHATEVER may still be present, but I bet it loses its power even just a little bit… that is the power of nature.
I have been practicing yoga for 24 years. Like any mature adult, I have dealt with my fair share of challenges. So when I say that moving the body and spending more time in nature is a sacred path to rejuvenation and empowerment, I don’t speak lightly—I teach what I live.
MY MISSION: TO SUPPORT YOUR HEALING AS YOU CHARTER YOUR OWN COURSE TO HAPPINESS (JOY IS OUR BIRTHRIGHT AND OUR TRUE NATURE).
I stumbled into yoga as a dance student at NYU. Intrigued by the way my professor incorporated yoga into her dance classes, I started practicing yoga at the original Jivamukti Yoga Studio, in NYC’s East Village. I completed my 500-hour training in 1997 at the Jivamukti Yoga School, under the guidance of Sharon Gannon and David Life. To build on and diversify my understandings, I’ve spent many hours studying Anusara, Iyengar, and Ashtanga (without certifying in these styles). I’m currently pursuing certification in Ashaya Yoga with Todd Norian, which sprouted from Anusara.
I’m the owner and director of JBYoga ‘Studio Beyond Walls’ in the Hamptons, NY, after owning a brick and mortar location for 18 years and closing the doors in December 2017. My studio beyond walls concept comes from the idea of inspiring us all to spend more time outdoors, practicing Yoga on the water, on the beach, as well as pursuing other outdoor based activities, like running, surfing, paddling, and playing!
All year long, I lead yoga and SUP retreats to epic locations (I’m a triathlete and an avid surfer—Adventure is practically my middle name). As the momma of three lovely beings, I’m passionate about organic food. My boyfriend is a chef, and we grow a lot of our own veggies. Our growing family of free-roaming chickens gifts us with eggs.
I hope to see you on a yoga mat or paddleboard with me soon, and I’d love for you to join me on a retreat adventure. ‘Til then, I wish you much happiness. In the words of Howard Thurman: “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
Om Shantih Om Peace.