Yoga Center of Jackson

11/26/2025

A little gift from us to you:

🍁 Thanksgiving Gratitude Flow

A unified, soothing practice for mind, body, and nervous system.

This practice supports you through the emotional intensity of the holidays — stress, family dynamics, grief, joy, and everything in between. Move slowly. Listen inward. Let the breath guide the heart and remember, we have a mat here for you!

✨ One Unified Gratitude Flow
1. Centering Gratitude Breath (1 minute)

Inhale for 4
Hold for 2
Exhale for 6
Repeat gently
Invite the heart rate to soften. Let gratitude settle in your chest.

2. Heart-Opening Cat/Cow (1 minute)

Inhale: Lift the heart and broaden the collarbones
Exhale: Round the spine and release tension
Feel gratitude expand with each inhale.

3. Supported Child’s Pose (2–3 minutes)

Fold into Child’s Pose with forehead supported.
Allow the jaw, shoulders, and belly to soften.
Repeat silently:
“In this moment, I am supported.”

4. Seated Twist (1 minute per side)

Inhale to lengthen the spine
Exhale to twist gently
Let the body release what it no longer needs.

5. Gratitude Mudra (Hridaya Mudra) — 1 minute

Index fingers to the base of the thumbs, other fingers extend.
Place hands over the heart.
Name one person, place, or breath you’re grateful for.

6. Flow of Receiving (Soft Sun Salutation) — 2 rounds

A simple, symbolic “gift flow”:

Mountain Pose — Pause, receive your breath

Sweep arms overhead — Open to gratitude

Forward Fold — Bow to the earth

Half Lift — Create space

Step back to Downward Dog — Ground through the hands

Lower knees — Move slowly

Cobra or Sphinx — Lift the heart

Child’s Pose — Return to center

Rise to Standing — Hands to heart

Intention for both rounds:
“May I receive peace.
May I offer peace.
May peace begin with my breath.”

7. Savasana (3–5 minutes)

Lie back, hands over heart or palms open.
Allow the practice to settle into the nervous system.
Rest in gratitude.

🧡 Happy Thanksgiving

To all our practitioners, students, and teacher-trainees:
Thank you for supporting the Yoga Center of Jackson and the Yoga Teachers School of Excellence.

Your dedication and presence are gifts to this community.

10/20/2025

Congratulations Elizabeth Ferris, our latest 200 hour Registered Yoga Teacher!

In Elizabeth’s own inspiring words:

MY YOGA JOURNEY

With the birth of my daughter, I set forth on a journey of self discovery. Becoming a mother is one of the most powerful and wonderful changes of life. But the road of motherhood is not a straight forward path.

In the beginning, I found myself turning inward and unintentionally limiting
my beliefs. I did not carry the confidence and self worth I wanted to have for my daughter and family.

I began to realize that to truly be there
for my family, I had to be an advocate of health and happiness for myself first.

For years prior to becoming a mom, I had enjoyed casually practicing yoga. And yes, I had always left the practice with a sense of joy and well being for my body. But not until after the birth of my daughter did I begin to truly understand the power of yoga to heal me physically and mentally.

Through asana practice and meditation, I’ve learned to release the expectations and pressures that motherhood can sometimes impose, and instead, embrace a mindset of self-compassion and growth.

Practicing yoga has given me the mental clarity to be more present and centered, both for my family and for myself. Through yoga and mediation, I have rediscovered my inner strength, resilience, and a deeper sense of peace.

My wish is that others find the same.

Class Times and Description, Prices
Yoga Intermediate, Beginner, Gentle, Flow Yoga, Pilates $8 to 10

09/16/2025

A sneak peak at just some of the information that Russ will share with us in October.

🍳🥑 Let’s Talk Fat: The Good, the Bad, and the Deliciously Necessary! 🥓🧈

If you grew up in the “fat-free” 90s, you probably still flinch when you see butter. (We were all promised SnackWell cookies were health food…spoiler: they weren’t.) Fast-forward to today, and science has redeemed fat from its villain role. Let’s break down fat vs. carbs vs. protein, how they fuel your body, and why fat is more friend than foe—especially when it comes to your brain and nerves.

⚡ The Three Musketeers of Nutrition
1. Carbs = your body’s quick fuel. Think of them like kindling on a campfire—great for fast energy, but they burn out quickly. Sources: fruit, grains, veggies, bread. Too many processed carbs? Hello, sugar crash.
2. Protein = the construction crew. Protein builds and repairs tissues, muscles, and enzymes. Without it, your body’s repair shop shuts down. Sources: chicken, beans, eggs, fish, tofu.
3. Fat = the slow-burning log on the fire. Fat keeps your energy steady, cushions your organs, makes hormones, and carries fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) where they need to go.

🧠 Why Fat is So Important
• Brain food: Your brain is nearly 60% fat. Omega-3 fatty acids (found in salmon, sardines, walnuts, chia seeds) literally help build brain cells. Studies show higher intake of these “healthy fats” is linked with better memory and slower cognitive decline in dementia.
• Nerve function: Nerves are wrapped in a fatty substance called myelin, like insulation on a wire. Without enough fat, nerve signals don’t fire properly.
• Mood balance: Healthy fats can stabilize mood and reduce inflammation in the brain. Translation: avocado toast = cheaper than therapy (sometimes).

🔥 Benefits of Fueling with Fat

Ever notice how a donut leaves you hungry an hour later, but eggs and avocado keep you going all morning? That’s fat at work. Healthy fat:
• Keeps you fuller, longer.
• Steadies blood sugar.
• Provides a slow, sustained energy source (great for long workdays or workouts).
• Supports hormone balance (ladies, your body especially thanks you).

🥑 Types of Fat (The Good, the Okay, and the Nope)
• Unsaturated fats (the heroes)
• Monounsaturated: olive oil, almonds, avocados.
• Polyunsaturated: salmon, flax seeds, walnuts.
• These support heart health, brain function, and reduce inflammation.
• Saturated fats (the middle ground, with perks!)
• Found in cheese, butter, red meat, and coconut oil.
• While overdoing them may raise LDL cholesterol, in moderation they have real benefits.
• Cheese, for example, isn’t just tasty—it’s a source of protein and calcium, both important for bones and muscles.
• Coconut oil may support HDL (the “good” cholesterol) and is widely used in Ayurvedic traditions.
• Trans fats (the villains)
• Found in fried foods, margarine, packaged pastries.
• Raise bad cholesterol, lower good cholesterol, and basically throw a house party in your arteries. Best avoided completely.

🥦 Should You Fear Fat?

Not at all. Fear the processed stuff, not the avocado. A balanced plate with healthy fat, lean protein, and complex carbs is the best way to fuel your body, protect your brain, and keep your energy even.

But be moderate.

Ayurveda teaches that heavy fats paired with heavy carbs—like fried bread, pastries, or cheesy pasta—can disturb digestion (agni) and lead to “ama” (toxic buildup).
Modern medicine echoes this concern from another angle, noting that fat + carb combinations make food more calorie-dense and rewarding (think donuts, chips, pizza), essentially hacking the brain’s reward system and encouraging overeating. Still, both traditions agree that when you choose healthy fats with complex carbs—like rice with ghee or fresh veggies with olive oil—the pairing can be nourishing, stabilizing, and even beneficial for digestion and nutrient absorption. 🌿

Bottom line: fat isn’t the enemy—it’s your ally.

Choose the right kinds, and you’ll feed your brain, protect your nerves, and maybe even sharpen your memory enough to finally remember where you left your keys. 🗝️😉

If you’re looking for a primary care physician who takes time to listen, we would love to welcome you to our practice Our strength is in treating the whole person with both science and compassion and a little bit of Grandmother’s common sense Give us a call today at 901-345-6700 We can usually get you in the same week.

🌿 Sage Advice: Life isn’t about cutting things out—it’s about choosing wisely, chewing slowly, and letting food be your friend, not your foe.

09/14/2025

🎉 I earned the emerging talent badge this week, recognizing me for creating engaging content that sparks an interest among my fans!

09/14/2025

Sharing Russell’s post mentioning Heidi’s upcoming workshop! You don’t want to miss this one as it impacts so many of us. Russ himself will be teaching on fats the next day. Call Deborah to sign up.

🍂 Feeling SAD this Season? Let’s Talk Seasonal Affective Disorder 🍂

When the days get shorter and sunlight hides out, many people feel their mood dip right along with the sun. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is more than just the “winter blues”—it’s a form of depression triggered by reduced daylight.

What it can look like:
• Low energy (coffee just laughs at you ☕)
• Irritability or sadness
• Sleeping like a hibernating bear 🐻
• Carb cravings that make bread your new BFF 🥖
• Trouble focusing (wait… what were we talking about?)

Why it matters: SAD doesn’t just affect mood—it can make other health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, or chronic pain worse. Think of it as a gloomy guest who invites rowdier friends along.

Simple ways to fight back:
• Get outside every day—even if it’s cloudy, your body knows.
• Move your body—yoga, walking, or dancing in your kitchen count.
• Try a light therapy lamp to mimic the sun.
• Stay social—don’t let SAD isolate you.
• Add more colorful foods to your plate (nature’s rainbow beats a beige carb-fest).

And here’s the bright side: Heidi Hill, an experienced yoga teacher and nurse practitioner, is offering a special Yoga for Seasonal Changes workshop. She’ll guide you through seasonal yoga, grounding breath practices, and Ayurvedic lifestyle tips to help you reset body, breath, and mind for fall and winter .

📅 Saturday, October 11, 2025, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM
📍 Yoga Teachers School of Excellence, 365 North Pkwy, Jackson, TN
☎️ Call Deborah Perry at (731) 664-6633 to reserve your spot

If the season has you craving naps, snacks, and sweatpants, you’re not alone. Come reset, recharge, and maybe even laugh your way through the darker months.



🌿 Sage advice: Even on the cloudiest days, the light is still there—you just have to let it in.

08/23/2025

Are you a proud graduate of one of YTSE’s transformative teacher training or yoga therapy programs? If so, on this 25 year anniversary of the programs, please share a heartfelt message to thank Deborah for her remarkable impact!

A gentle reminder.... yoga isn’t only what happens on the mat.

It’s also holding hands, pausing long enough to feel the love in front of us, and slowing down to cherish those who walk beside us.

To many more years of walking beside Lizzie.

👇Who do you want to pause with today?

08/18/2025

🎉 Congratulations Laurie Cooper Kay! 🎉

All of us at Yoga Center of Jackson are overjoyed to celebrate Laurie’s incredible achievement — completing her 300-hour Advanced Yoga Alliance certification and graduating as a Yoga Therapist on August 10, 2025. This milestone reflects her dedication, compassion, and countless hours of study and practice. Laurie’s journey inspires us all and reminds our community that growth never stops, both on and off the mat.

Laurie has provided a personal message that we are honored to share in its entirety below. Please join us in applauding her accomplishment and welcoming the next chapter of her yoga journey.

***

Although yoga had occasionally touched my life as I grew up, it was only 12 years ago that I began a conscious yoga practice.

I had been working for several years in a university facility where a yoga class was held every day, just down the hall from my office. It was only after my daughter began attending the university that I tried the yoga class, when she invited me to go with her.

I immediately loved it.

I could often only arrive near the end of class, just in time for savasana. After just those few moments of guided relaxation followed by savasana, I felt immense relief from the stress that I was carrying.

I was soon attending class every day and loving it. I loved the transformation that yoga was bringing to my mood, mind, energy, strength, and spirit. I was fascinated and wanted to learn as much as I could about this incredible, life-changing practice, so I began searching for a yoga teacher training program.

I could not find a program that seemed right for me in my hometown. When my uncle, who lived in Jackson, passed away and I was in town for his funeral, it occurred to me that I should look for a yoga school there.

When I found the Yoga Center, Deborah was so warm and welcoming - I knew that I had found my yoga training home!

I enrolled in the next available session and looked forward to traveling to Jackson each month for the training. It was a true joy to learn alongside my wonderful classmates, guided by such a knowledgeable, wise, warm, and engaging teacher.

Deborah had been my first yoga teacher’s first yoga teacher, so she had already impacted my life before I even met her.

Several months into my training, I went to help my aunt clean out my late uncle’s sign shop, and I was surprised to find a prototype of the iconic sign that hangs outside the Yoga Center. It turned out that my uncle had made the sign, so my family was already connected to the Yoga Center years before I knew it existed.

I had entered the 200-hour teacher training with no intention of teaching, to deepen my knowledge. Deborah wisely observed that I might change my mind about not wanting to teach, and as usual, she was right!

I soon felt a calling to serve others through yoga. I wanted to help expand access to this transformative practice to those who were least likely to be able to experience it, but who could greatly benefit from it, so I began teaching at an activity center for persons who were experiencing homelessness.

I obtained additional certifications in Accessible Yoga Teaching and Trauma-Informed Yoga to make my teaching more accessible. I then enrolled in the Yoga Center’s Yoga Therapy program to learn more about how yoga can help treat specific conditions.

The Yoga Therapy program has equipped me with knowledge that will help me better serve my students’ needs, and I am so grateful to have had this opportunity to learn and grow more as a yoga teacher and practitioner.

Deborah’s knowledge of yoga is unsurpassed, and I will forever be grateful that I have had such an exceptional teacher and mentor who is as gracious, kind, encouraging, and supportive as she is knowledgeable and wise.

I’m so grateful to all of the teachers and classmates at the center who have been a part of my yoga journey. Each time I walk in the door of the Yoga Center, I feel that I’ve come home.

I’m excited about the possibilities that lie ahead in my yoga journey, but returning to the Yoga Center for learning opportunities will continue to be a treasured part of my future journeys.

08/15/2025

Big shout out to our newest top fans! 💎We are glad to see these superstar yogus on Facebook!

Laura Voth, Patricia Slaughter

Drop a comment to welcome them to our community,

08/15/2025

Shared from our friends at Yoga Warriors Quash Worry! — because brain health, resilience, and joy are for everybody regardless of shape or age .🧠💛

Here at Yoga Center of Jackson, we’ve got a mat with your name on it — ready to help you soak up these same mind-and-body benefits. Whether you’re brand new or a seasoned yogi, there’s space for you here… and maybe a little laughter along the way. 😉

We’ve got a mat for you. 🧘‍♀️🧘

🧠✨ Move Your Body, Lift Your Mind

Movement isn’t just for muscles — it’s medicine for your mind. Research shows that aerobic activity — walking, cycling, dancing, vinyasa flow — triggers remarkable changes in the brain at any age.

Here’s what’s happening when you move:
💡 Better memory — find your keys, remember your passwords, and recall yesterday’s conversation
🌱 Neuroplasticity — your brain forms new pathways, helping you adapt and learn
😊 Emotional resilience — regular movement lowers stress hormones and boosts mood-elevating chemicals
🌊 Calm clarity — exercise can reduce anxiety and quiet racing thoughts
🎯 Sharper focus — improved concentration, quicker decision-making, and more creativity

The secret ingredient? BDNF — Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor — a natural “fertilizer” that helps brain cells grow and thrive. Aerobic movement increases BDNF and even expands brain volume in areas linked to memory, emotional regulation, and executive function.

Yoga connection: A dynamic yoga flow counts as aerobic training — especially when paired with mindful breath. When you step off the mat, keep moving: brisk walks, bike rides, or dancing in your kitchen all feed your brain and your spirit.

💬 What’s your go-to movement when your mood needs a boost?

07/28/2025

Ever wonder why the teachers at Yoga Center of Jackson spend so much time on alignment? Not only is good alignment the best way to remain strong and pain free, it also impacts you energetically! Enjoy this post from Yoga Warriors Quash Worry!, a private Facebook group that is open to all practising yogis. (Send a request if you would like to join.)

***

What’s Your Back Body Trying to Say? 👀🧘‍♀️
In yoga, we don’t just stretch muscles—we listen to them. Especially the back body. Why? Because it holds the stories we don’t tell up front. Literally.

Here’s a little peek behind the spine 🌀 into the energetics of our backside:

🍑 Flat B***y, Frazzled Future?
The psoas is more than just a hip flexor—it’s the "muscle of the soul" in yoga and Chinese medicine. It helps you move forward in life. An underused or overly tight psoas may show up as a flat or tucked pelvis—and may reflect fear of change or difficulty stepping into the unknown.
➡️ Try gentle lunges, bridge pose, or even mantra like “I am safe to move forward.”

🎒 Heavy Shoulders, Heavy Load?
Slumped shoulders might be saying, “I’m carrying too much.” In Louise Hay’s words, the shoulders represent our ability to bear joy and responsibility. When we round forward, we may be unconsciously collapsing under life’s “shoulds.”
➡️ Open up with heart-lifting poses like cobra 🐍, camel 🐫, or a big juicy hug from a friend.

🦴 Tight Hamstrings = Stuck in the Past?
The hamstrings are about support and stability—but chronic tightness might signal an energetic resistance to moving on. Louise Hay associates leg tension with a fear of progress.
➡️ Forward folds help lengthen and let go. Try saying, “I release the past with ease.”

🦘 Low Back = Support System Check
Low back pain or tightness may reflect fear of money or lack of support (physical or emotional). Louise Hay reminds us: the lower back holds our sense of security.
➡️ Ground down with child’s pose, supported bridge, or just rest—because receiving support is sacred, too.

🦒 Neck (Back Side) = Flexibility of Thought
The back of the neck represents our willingness to look at life from different angles. Stiffness here may suggest stubbornness or difficulty seeing beyond your current perspective.
➡️ Try gentle neck rolls, supported fish pose, and a mantra like, “I am open to new ways of seeing.”

👣 Heels/Feet = Trust in the Journey
Your heels help you stand your ground—literally. Pain or tightness in the soles or Achilles may be connected to fear of stepping forward or uncertainty about the path ahead.
➡️ Use grounding practices like mountain pose, heel lifts, or a foot massage. Repeat: “Each step is supported.”

💨 Remember, the back body is the realm of the unconscious. It’s the shadow we don’t always see but always carry. Yoga helps us turn toward it with curiosity, compassion, and courage.

✨ Your back body may be quiet—but it’s full of wisdom. Are you listening?

07/25/2025

Permission granted!

In a world that praises productivity, Restorative Yoga whispers: pause. You are already enough. Jai!