I can’t say enough about Mystic Lotus! I had tried several yoga classes in the past, but even in beginner classes, I’d always have a hard time connecting and left feeling like I just couldn’t do it and maybe yoga just wasn’t for me. I was referred to the Saturday AM ‘Yoga & Somatic Movement for the Nervous System’ class through a therapist. This class was perfect as an approachable (re-?)introduction to yoga. As a restaurant worker, it really gave me the tools to regulate my nervous system and helped me get out of a real funk/functional burnout mode. The yoga classes eventually replaced my talk therapy as a gentler way to address some trauma. (The few privates I did with Jessica, who is deeply compassionate and insightful, proved to be rather powerful and impactful too.) Classes typically start with a check in, so Jessica is able to create a thoughtful class, teaching intuitively based on energy and whatever’s going on with everyone that day. The classes are small, with a max of 8 students, which allows for a unique kind of guidance. She incorporates breath work, meditation and philosophy into the asana practice in a way that feels accessible and relatable. The intimate setting really fosters community, and there are some pretty lovely humans that practice here. I’d recommend these classes to beginners as well as more advanced students looking to deepen their practice.

Jessica’s classes have transformed my life. I went from someone who avoided every slow movement to craving it and understanding my body on many levels that I couldn’t have imagined. Her classes are essentially semi-private lessons rooted in her intuitive reading of the energies of her students. She then draws on all her tools and trainings to carve out a unique experience for each lesson that manages to address everyone’s issues and hopes holistically. It is the kind of class you are unlikely to find anywhere else in Atlanta or even in most parts of the world—far from a commercial entity, her studio is truly about healing, self-knowledge, and community building. She starts with tiny movements that seem insignificant at first, but then lay the foundation for bigger movements that are you only able to grasp once the class concludes. If you are lucky to take her private lessons, you will see that she can create a routine directly catered for your specific needs. For me—this routine is shifting the way I engage with my anxiety, and I am finally learning how to ground myself, take care of myself, and believe in my own self-healing journey. Jessica is one-of-a-kind teacher and mentor. If you are a fast-paced, intense personality like myself who typically thrives on extremes and movement, you will find this class a wake-up call and a balancing act to the other side of life (and yourself) you’ve been long missing—the quieter, calmer, grounding elements that keep the journey smoother and your movements more graceful along the way.

Jessica's class is different each week. She welcomes us into her comfortable and balanced studio and we talk for a few minutes while she gets a feel for what the attendees need in that moment. Jessica then intuitively brings forth a class that always seems to be in alignment with those needs. It is an intersection of deep knowledge and listening that brings forth a unique, restorative practice always leaving me feeling rejuvenated and and sometimes even inspired.