MOUNT JACKSON Centering herself with a deep breath, yoga instructor Jessie Caffery said her philosophy for the ancient practice is simple: Get out of your head and get into your body.

Caffery, who began her yoga journey in 2017 after attending her first class, quickly found herself enthralled by the practice. After completing 200 hours of teacher training, the minimum requirement, she is now sharing her knowledge and passion with beginners.

You can never stop learning, said Caffery, owner of Moon Child Yoga, who is in the process of completing her advanced teacher training, where shes learning more difficult postures and techniques as well as more mythology behind the practice.

Now Im standing on my head and flipping upside down, the yoga instructor said. Anyone who reads this article and knows me is not going to be surprised.

Her main focus as a yoga instructor is to get her students out of their heads and into their bodies.

We move through this crazy thing called life at warp speed, she said. Were all busy, including myself, so yoga is a great way to ground yourself, a great way to come back to who you are, where youre at and be able to relieve any unwanted stress or anxiety built up in the body.

Once a gym rat, Caffery participated in her first yoga class with her daughter on her birthday. From that moment on, she needed more.

I built my practice at home because I was on a very strict budget, Caffery explained. I couldnt really afford to pay for anything, but I knew I wanted to learn as much as possible. I went home and looked up as much as I could on YouTube.

A couple of years went by and Caffery found herself working in a hospital with older patients who could benefit from the movements of yoga. Using her knowledge, Caffery helped them perform similar yoga postures she had once learned, but modified the poses for their various ailments.

Long story short, I got the opportunity to come to a Q&A (in 2019) for a potential teacher training through the same gentleman that I had first practiced with," Caffery said. "He was guest teaching at this studio and while I hadnt gone to any other classes since the first one, I knew I wanted to practice with him again.

Her chance would come when she was asked to provide an email at the end of her class. A couple of months later, she received an email inquiring about her interest in teaching. Expected to start in March 2020, Cafferys class was pivoted to an online class during the pandemic.

Looking back, Caffery said her life changed all because of one instructor, who at the time, didnt even know Caffery was completing her certification.

The universe is putting me where Im supposed to be, said Caffery while explaining her first teacher reached out in December, asking her to teach at his studio.

Teaching at various locations during the week, Caffery is never in one spot long. Three times a week she teaches yoga in her upstairs studio at A New You Salon & Spa. Other days shes in Martinsburg, West Virginia, at Lovin Light Yoga.

Anyone who has a body can benefit from yoga, she said. But not every day is the same.

A little advice Caffery likes to share with those who dont know or havent practiced before is a willingness to be patient.

You might be more tired or you might not feel well. Sometimes just closing your eyes and focusing on your breath is enough intention.

Caffery changes her sequences weekly. Sometimes they revolve around the phases of the moon and sometimes they focus on a specific body part, such as the hips.

For a recent morning class, Caffery had students close their eyes and focus on their breath. A sense of calm moves through the room as students find their center.

Then I suggest that students set a goal of releasing tension from the hips and then we physically do it too with various poses such as standing postures, depending on the theme of the week, she said.

Following a moment of peace, students shift into the more intense portion of the hour-long class and then end with a cool down.

Caffery often takes her classes outdoors if students are willing. She also scouts out unusual locations like the Woodstock Tower or local Airbnbs for their views as days become longer and light is more abundant.

I would practice outside all the time if I could, she said. Teaching outdoors youre looking for certain environmental factors like a flat space, the challenge of grass and the amount of space.

Caffery teachesbeginner yoga and hot yoga, where the temperature in the room reaches over 95 degrees to help the body release toxins, and keeps her classes small with just three to five students.

Yoga, she said, is not intimidating. Yoga at the core is physical movement. Any level of physical movement, even in a chair, is a form of yoga. Youre doing it even if youre just sitting, being quiet and breathing.

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Yoga is a 'great way to ground yourself,' instructor says - Northern Virginia Daily