About
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There's an expression in theatre: "find your light",
which simply means: move to where you are most brightly illuminated. The shift is often slight, but meaningful; theatrical spotlights have a circumference, and there's a visible difference between standing on the edge of the circle and standing in the center. As an actor, you can't always locate the light’s center by looking for it; you have to sense how the light falls across your face - its brightness and warmth. In other words, you have to feel the light to find it, and you have to find it to be seen.
Doesn’t everyone want to be seen?
It is this same idea of moving out of the shadows and into the light - feeling your way from the edges to the center - that guides my work as a yoga teacher.
But instead of seeking light outside of ourselves, we explore the depths of our bodies and hearts to uncover the light that's already within, and encourage it to shine freely. If we can step into the center of ourselves, and act from the truth of the heart, our unique radiance will be revealed. When we see someone inhabiting their authentic self, they have a shiny quality that we call presence.
Actors are trained to "live truthfully under imaginary circumstances" (Sanford Meisner). The best actors are present and honest: fully inhabiting their bodies and revealing their hearts through the lens of character. Bravely allowing themselves to be seen. I aspire to this level of presence and truth on stage and in life, and have recently begun to understand how my artistic and yogic pursuits are driven by the same core values of authenticity, empathy - and play! After all, the word “light” signifies more than illumination - it also means a lack of weight. My approach to the practice is light and playful, inviting curiosity and connection in the hope that it leads to greater freedom and joy.
As my mentor, Chrissy Carter, says: "Everything is both/and,"
as opposed to either/or. For example, one of the things that initially drew me to yoga was a feeling of expansion, but I now realize that integration is just as important, whether it’s body parts in asana, or pieces of one’s identity. The pursuit of wholeness means embracing opposites; there's value in drawing in and expanding out. Movement and stillness. Mobility and stability. Effort and ease. Light and dark. Everything really is both/and, and exploring these ever-shifting continuums is one of the most fascinating parts of my yoga practice.
In my 10-year teaching journey, I have trained with and been inspired by many other wonderful teachers:
Ossi Raveh’s strength and grace led me down the path of teaching in the first place; under her wing, I began to fly. Bethany Leigh (Be) has taken me on deep dives into the heart through the practice of Yin, and is a beacon of authenticity in her own evolving practice. Nikki Vilella and Schuyler Grant of Kula Yoga Project expanded my understanding of flow and made my sequencing much smarter. Allegra and Nancy Romita helped my unscientific mind grasp anatomical concepts through their take on "Functional Awareness.” And I am forever indebted to my teachers at the American Conservatory Theater including Jeff Crockett, for igniting an abiding interest in the mysteries of breath, and the late Melissa Smith and Frank Ottiwell who first encouraged me to trust my heart, and to "try softer."
From the light of my heart, with gratitude and a sense of wonder, I humbly attempt to give back a fraction of what these teachers have offered to me, while remaining forever a student. I believe that staying true to our evolving selves requires continued inquiry and dedicated practice, and I am honored and delighted to journey alongside you.
What lights you up? Let's feel it to find it.
Jody Flader Loving, RYT500;
MFA, American Conservatory Theater; BA, Harvard University.
Jody became a certified instructor in 2012 under the guidance of Ossi Raveh (Brooklyn Yoga Project), and completed 300 hours of advanced training with Chrissy Carter (Yogaworks) in 2021. She has also trained with Nikki Vilella and Schuyler Grant (Kula Yoga Project), Allegra and Nancy Romita (Functional Awareness: Anatomy in Action), and Bethany Leigh (Yin yoga). As a trained actor, Jody has studied a wide variety of movement modalities including Laban, Feldenkrais and the Alexander Technique which she brings to bear in her teaching, as well as a passion for authentic connection and a decent sense of humor.
