We are excited to welcome Mariah Jiles to the team!
Tell us about yourself! What are some things that your students might not know?
I am originally from the Midwest, from the south suburbs of Chicago, and moved out to the Bay last year to start graduate school. I am currently getting my Master’s in Public Health, focused on Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, and I am interested in ensuring health equity for BIPOC communities.
How did you become interested in yoga?
I became interested in yoga through classes offered at my school’s gym in undergrad and was blown away by not only my physical growth but the emotional and spiritual benefits as well.
Tell us about your yoga journey. What style did you start in and with whom do you study now?
I took my first yoga class my senior year of high school. Unbeknownst to me, it was an intermediate hot yoga class that I barely made it through! I rediscovered yoga in a much less intense environment through classes offered at my university’s gym in undergrad. It was during this time that I became dedicated to my practice and was blown away by not only my physical progress but emotional and spiritual benefits, as it allowed me a space to process the sudden loss of a close friend.
After a few years of having my own home practice, I became a yoga teacher to help share this healing modality with my community. In graduate school, we constantly learn about disparate health outcomes for BIPOC communities. I view yoga as a way for us to reclaim agency over our physical, emotional and spiritual health in a society that often attempts to corrode our wellness.
Describe your teaching style. What can folks expect when they attend your class?
I would describe my teaching style as unhurried, soothing, intentional and supportive. I teach in this way to allow people’s nervous systems space to calm, to ensure that the postures are accessible to people’s bodies, and to allow time to connect breath with movement. Folks who attend my class can expect to be led through a series of postures that will allow them to find and honor their edge.
Any exciting projects or plans on the horizon?
I will be a part of the prenatal yoga teacher training cohort later this September! 🙂 Super excited to attend this training and learn how to support pregnant people in their yoga practice.
That’s all for now! Follow Mariah Jiles on Instagram: @serenecitrineyoga.
