Jen Pastiloff

Jen's class is fun.

About 15 minutes before class, I was in Santa Monica, looking up nearby options on the MindBody App. "Manifestation Yoga", .1 miles away from me, sounded so perfect that we just had to drop everything and run across Santa Monica's gigantic outdoor mall.

A couple sweaty minutes later, Jen welcomed us into the space and we set up in the front. We quickly learned the rules:

1. Have fun. Jen really emphasized that her yoga was about fun, above all else. And you could feel that joy expanding from her heart.
2. You are encouraged to fall- then, if you fall, you must laugh, and take your neighbor down with you.

First thing that happens, during three-legged dog, Kimi reaches over and taps me in the butt with her toe. "Okay, everybody," says Jen, "Reach over and tap your neighbor on the butt with your toe- gently". She made the whole class do it. And it works your hips and legs!

The class was a powerful vinyasa flow, with every kind of music, R & B, rock, lyrical....a little bit of heat and concentration and I'm in the zone. I've learned to appreciate warm classes. Not so hot that the heat is the main focus, but lovingly warm in an inviting and muscle-relaxing way.

There was something about Jen's attitude that really moved you to express yourself in any way, modify a pose or try something and fall. For me, that always translates to trying to jump up into a handstand at the top of my mat. Toward the end of class, Jen asked us to come into prasarita padottanasana and Kimi whispers "turn towards me". We do a partner version of a spread leg forward fold and then adjust each others feet (flexing back the other other persons foot) when we were bending over each side. Jen's comment? "You guys are so cute".

Jen just came back from teaching a wine and yoga retreat in Italy, and at one point she even (jokingly?) invited everyone to bring their wine bottles to class next week. Kimi commented that this was so comforting, when an instructor is humble, it makes a student feel accepted and deepens his or her respect. After Jen's class (and my lingering yoga-high, I take forever to leave class), my imagination sprung-up positive-mood wildfire. Perfect night.