The benefit of beginners

Jessica Lee is not an advanced yoga teacher who dedicates her life to the practice. She says she’s more of the 40-hours a week, desk job kind of gal. She does not have the perfect handstand, but she does have something that is difficult to come by after years of practicing yoga and meditation.

She is a beginner.

Empty of preconceived notions of how the class should be, or how perfect a posture one can create, she simply comes to class to do the practice.

“There’s no one right way to do it, no final goal,” Lee says. “Every pose has modifications. You can tone it back or challenge yourself more, but you have to be honest with yourself about where you are at that exact moment.”
She reminds us that the goal of yoga is not necessarily to perform amazing feats of strength or flexibility. “I wanted to do something good for my body, and it turned into ‘me time’,” Lee says. “It’s always calm in here. You walk in and everyone is happy to be here. No matter what kind of day I had, as soon as I’m here, everything is fine.”

Lee’s favorite postures are twists and downward facing dog.

Kate Lundquist is a freelance writer and yoga teacher living in Asheville. Her website is www.lightonbalance.blogspot.com, and she teaches Saturdays, 2:15 p.m.-3:45 p.m., at Asheville Yoga Center.

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