Grit Fitness and Performance Podcast · Chris Sanchez

#70 Breath, Balance, and Finding Meaning: Insights and Wisdom from Balanced Planet Yoga Owner Jenna Kelly

April 18, 2024·1 hr 1 min·5 clips

Jenna's yoga teacher taught her to replace every judgmental thought with a well-wish for strangers.

Host Chris Sanchez welcomes Jenna Kelly, a yoga studio owner and former personal trainer, to discuss the intersection of yoga, fitness, and personal growth. Jenna shares her journey from personal training to yoga, which began as she navigated a divorce and sought greater mental resilience. She co-owns Balance Planet Yoga in Marlton, New Jersey, which has survived for nine years, including through the pandemic by pivoting to an established online platform. The studio primarily teaches Vinyasa yoga, linking breath with movement, and Yin yoga, involving long-held postures targeting connective tissue. Jenna emphasizes that an advanced yoga practice is about adapting to your body's needs, not performing complex poses. She explains that yoga can benefit strength trainers by improving full range of motion and breath awareness, which enhances lifting efficiency and recovery. A key part of her teaching philosophy involves asking "why" to uncover deeper motivations behind fitness goals, moving beyond surface-level answers like weight loss. Jenna describes a pivotal moment when her yoga teacher discussed replacing judgmental thoughts with well-wishes for others, which fundamentally shifted her perspective. She highlights the importance of breath work, starting with simple observation and progressing to techniques like diaphragmatic breathing and box breathing to manage the nervous system. The conversation explores how breath awareness can keep you present during workouts and prevent injury, as Jenna recalls getting hurt in bodybuilding when she lost focus. Both hosts agree that finding a "why" is universally applicable, fostering motivation and consistency in any endeavor. They discuss creating environments of non-judgmental curiosity, where clients can explore their physical and emotional reactions. Jenna notes that a yoga teacher training requires at least 200 hours, contrasting it with some quick fitness certifications, due to its deep philosophical and transformative components. The tone is conversational, educational, and reflective, blending personal anecdotes with practical advice. Listeners interested in integrating mindfulness with fitness, or those curious about yoga's benefits beyond flexibility, will find this episode valuable. Individuals solely seeking high-intensity workout routines or disinterested in introspective approaches might prefer to skip.

As heard by us

Breath work, silence, and self-checks shape a practical fitness conversation.

Jenna Kelly and Chris Sanchez keep the episode on practical ground. They talk through walking without noise, making room for silence, and pausing long enough to ask why a reaction is happening in the first place.

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Why you'd press play

If you want breath work framed for gym people, press play.

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