A day in the shoes of: Moksha Yoga's Jane Howell

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Bio:

An Aussie who stuck around a little longer than most, Jane Howell has made Kelowna her home for the past seven years. Having travelled far and wide she knows a good spot when she finds one, and loves the Okanagan for its wonderful people, nature and yoga! Managing and teaching at one of the city's hot spots, Moksha Yoga Kelowna, she loves sharing what yoga has to offer.

Was the job description accurate?

There is no mastery, or grand arrival! Yoga shows up in every aspect of a person’s life, so teaching yoga is a profound responsibility and requires continuing study and dedication. However, most yoga teachers need to supplement their teaching income - I manage the studio full time as well as teaching - so you have to really want to do it, to believe in the value of sharing yoga from a place of service. The gifts are huge and look different every day.

Describe your ideal shift?

Attending a yoga class needs to be prioritized, whether at the beginning of the day, or the end! Teachers are aware that students in their class have to plan ahead, drive through traffic, park, organize their gear… Thankfully, I have the ease of deciding at the last moment based on the flow of the day. Once I am all centered, stretched, wrung out and cleaned up from moving and sweating I enjoy connecting with students who are around the foyer area. At MYK we have taken time to develop an intentional, relaxing space with benches and a couch so we can form relationships with each other as a yoga community. Once the foyer area is quiet, there is always tidying to be done, and I like to give the space loving attention. Communication and organization is central to my work - emails, phone calls and general management tasks leave me feeling accomplished! Every day about 200 people attend one of the 8 – 10 classes offered by MYK, so there is a constant flow of people and unique tasks. I love it. My ideal day would certainly include chatting with Kylie, MYK’s owner and a close friend. We spark each others’ creativity and make sure fresh ideas are continually taking shape. Taking a phone call or meeting outside while walking in nature is a trick we both like to balance out a work day. Combining teaching with management tasks makes for a full day, but it is a welcome challenge to leave the day’s practical tasks and ‘drop into’ teaching. Once in the room and leading the class, my attention fully in the present, there is nowhere else I would rather be. Ending the ideal day with a community event would really top it off - the team at MYK thrives on bringing people together. We host workshops, pot - luck dinners, DJ classes, personal development sessions, feedback sessions, clothing swaps! The studio holds space for it all. It fills me up to see people deepening connections to themselves, their yoga and each other.

How have you grown from being a yoga instructor?

I grow a little everyday, informed by the yoga path. Each teacher, the owners, the wider MYK community, the volunteers, desk staff, students all invite me into growth in some way. It could be physical, spiritual or practical. I have grown through self - observation, becoming more aware through observing my reaction to situations and having other people hold space for me to grow. I also grow through attending classes with a range of teachers and sometimes taking time out to attend a workshop or retreat. The team of yoga teachers is an open and reflective group of colleagues. Most recently I have grown through the art of active listening.

What are some of the challenges?

We all are open hearted and sensitive, so it gets personal really quick! We don’t just work together, we are a community, almost like a family! A big, wild, unique family. which is a gift but also makes for interesting times as we learn to understand one another.

Most memorable moment on the job?

The Moksha 5-year anniversary party! We had a great team throw a big party at the El Dorado Hotel. It was on the scale of a wedding! Teaching with a DJ and a disco ball was also extra memorable (and SO awesome) because I love music. The memory of a full class of students back-bending and singing Tom Petty’s Free Falling will always stay with me.

What traits does a person need to succeed as a yoga instructor?

Devotion to the path of yoga! Because It’s not easy. We work towards humility, acceptance of change and willingness to adapt - yoga is always changing. It is important to have a genuine desire and passion to share the practice. A yoga teacher needs to be a good listener, and be able to really see everyone.

Favourite class to teach?

Yin. It feels like 90 minutes where I get to invite people into a place of peace. The effects for students are usually really profound, Yin gives us permission to slow down and simply be.

Favourite class to participate in?

Right now it’s Moksha Flow. I recently extended my learning in the series, so it’s really in my body. It’s a rhythmic and dynamic style, breath with movement, music and strong poses! It’s an invitation to get a break from head-chatter, and into your body.

Favourite pose?

The still relaxation of Savasana, where there is so much depth and so much potential! In class, we do all the active stuff to arrive at this pose. A long savasana is an important key to a good class.

Favourite yoga instructor?

MYK’s Kylie Sutton has been my teacher for years, and I enjoy that she always drops life lessons perfectly woven into a strong class. Susie Newson sparked my inner light like no one else, and her Mocean Yoga style always feels great in my body and soul. Bill Eager is a wizard - I love his teachings on, and off the mat. Right now I am taking lots of classes with Alli Shafer, Janet Stone and Dina Tsouluhas for a fresh new approach to practice. In yoga, teachers bring their individual style and personality, so there’s always more to learn from one another.