Jeanine Morocco
Jeanine Morocco is a Tampa Bay native who currently lives in Denver, Colorado. You can find her teaching on YogawithJeanine.com Exclusive Online Yoga, YouTube or in-person at Black Swan Yoga and Upswell Studios.
In 2018, Jeanine signed up for a new student special of unlimited yoga classes for one month at a local studio and within that first month, fell in love with the practice. She had finally found something in life that made her feel content in her body and mind. Jeanine found teachers she loved because their classes felt like more than just a workout but also therapy; they provided her with a space to let go of everything off her mat.
In 2019, Jeanine completed her 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training and has been teaching ever since.
It is with passion that Jeanine teaches to enhance and refine the state of the body and mind through yoga, to be a genuine source for self-care and wellness and to create a safe space for her students.
Interview for Greet Wash Park
I originally moved to Colorado from Tampa, Florida two and a half years ago but have only been in this neighborhood since the middle of April. My health and wellness truly became a priority once I started practicing and teaching yoga. It has made a positive impact on my life, and I am inspired to continue my lifelong journey of growing my relationship with yoga and sharing its benefits with others.
Throughout my life I tried every sport and extra-curricular activity under the sun, but nothing resonated with me. In 2018, I did an unlimited month special at Bella Prana Collective in Tampa, Florida and committed to taking a class almost every day. Within that month, I fell in love with the practice. I had finally found something that made me feel content in my body and my mind. I found teachers I loved because their classes felt like more than just a workout but also therapy; they provided me with a space to let go of everything off my mat. In 2019, I completed my 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training and started teaching right away because I wanted to share my love for yoga with others and create that safe space for them as my teachers had done for me.
As a yoga teacher, I have experience teaching to all ages, using a variety of accessible styles of yoga including chair, yin, gentle and vinyasa flows for all-levels and advanced practitioners. The main style of yoga I teach is vinyasa flow where you link your breath with movement. I am inspired by vinyasa flows because of how connected I become with my breath, it is a full body workout that is gentle enough on the body that I can do it every day and it allows me to clear my mind. I am constantly encouraging others to incorporate yoga into their lives because of the physical and mental benefits. Yoga is more than just work on your mat, there are lessons that can be applied to your daily life.
Yoga can make a positive impact on your life in so many ways, including but not limited to, improving flexibility, strength, balance, posture, pain relief and management, better breathing techniques to help calm the nervous system and enhance blood circulation, reduce stress and depression symptoms, as well as develop body and mind awareness. To experience these benefits, you do not have to commit to an hour of yoga each day, you can incorporate yoga into your life at your own pace and find what works for you. Start your day with a long body stretch while you’re still in bed and take yourself through a body scan, noticing how you feel physically and mentally. Throughout your day, if you feel overwhelmed, focus on your breath for one minute, taking deep inhales and long exhales. If you work at a desk all day, pause to stand up, take gentle neck and shoulder circles, side stretch and hang out in a forward fold. Find comfort in your own home and tune into a yoga or meditation video on YouTube, for example, my 15 Minute Feel Good Yoga Flow | Mindfully Move Your Body https://youtu.be/dy8jwSkZuTI?si=O5dmD0q3yW78hUKa. With time, the practice of both breathwork and movement will speak for itself within your body and mind. It is important to know the benefits of yoga and begin to implement this practice into your life because it is a sustainable, achievable way to live a healthier lifestyle regardless of your age, socioeconomic status, or current state of health.
My journey with yoga has influenced my personal life more than I could have imagined. During my teacher training, my priorities shifted in what was important to me, how I wanted to spend my time and who I wanted to surround myself with. I have met the most amazing people through yoga, incorporated more healthy habits into my life in addition to breathwork and movement such as eating healthier, meditating, journaling, reading, connecting with likeminded people, hosting and attending wellness events, disconnecting from technology and spending more time outdoors to feel grounded.
There are many in-person studios and teachers with different class packs or membership options that you can try out to see what resonates with you. There are donation-based classes where you pay what you feel comfortable paying. There are free yoga classes offered throughout the city. If in-person isn't for you or your schedule, there are endless options on YouTube for free. You can also work one-on-one with yoga teachers if you prefer a private session focusing specifically on what you want out of yoga.
My advice on incorporating yoga into your life comes from the heart. It is easy to be passionate about something when it is so beneficial and truly speaks for itself if you open yourself up to what yoga has to offer. Yoga can always be a part of your life and that’s a key factor as to why it’s so great – knowing you can keep practicing at any stage and age of your life. As we get older, our bodies change, more stressors may arise, life changing events can occur, but there will always be the opportunity to turn to yoga. Your practice may look different in ten, twenty, thirty years, but you can still maintain your yoga practice in a way that feels right for you and rely on the teachings you have learned throughout your practice that you can apply on and off the yoga mat.
I hope my work as a yoga teacher impacts others in a positive, life enhancing way. I hope to hold a safe space for my students, to create and maintain lifelong relationships built on trust and good intentions that I will always have my students’ best interests in mind. I hope as I share my love for yoga, that others will learn to love it too and begin to share their experience with those in their lives, continuously growing the yoga community.
For anyone interested in connecting with me about yoga, please feel free to email me at theestheticyogi@aol.com, reach out to me on Instagram @yogawithjeanine or subscribe to my YouTube channel, Yoga with Jeanine. I happily offer private one-on-one sessions, private group sessions, my free YouTube videos, in-studio classes and will soon be hosting donation-based yoga (pay what you feel comfortable paying) at Washington Park on select Thursday evenings at 6:00 pm.