Jessica Lohrey

People are often surprised to learn that I was afraid to go to a yoga studio for the first time. Not just a little nervous. Truly afraid. I was 30 years old when I began practicing yoga. My husband worked evenings and nights, and I would come home from work completely exhausted. Even so, I still felt out of shape and knew I needed some kind of exercise and stress relief in my life. The last thing I wanted to do, or so I thought at the time, was fight through the insane Atlanta traffic to get...

Yoga is often portrayed as something that happens on a mat, in flexible bodies, performing increasingly complex shapes as we "progress." But at its heart, yoga was never meant to be exclusive, or limited to a particular body type, age, or ability. Chair Yoga brings the essence of yoga back to its original purpose: supporting the well-being of real people living real lives. What Is Chair Yoga? Chair Yoga is a form of yoga practice in which poses are done seated in a chair, standing while using...

In yoga traditions across India, mantras have long been used to steady the mind, open the heart, and harmonize our inner world with the greater universe. One of the most beloved and widely shared mantras today is: Lokāḥ Samastāḥ Sukhino Bhavantu (Pronounced lo-kah ha sa-ma-stah ha su-khi-no bha-van-tu ) This mantra has become part of the soul of our community at Oxford Community Yoga, offered at the end of classes, workshops, retreats, and moments when we gather in collective intention. When...