How Award-Winning Yoga Instructor Jessamyn Stanley Found Her Voice in Wellness

Welcome to Second Life, a podcast spotlighting successful women who've made major career changes—and fearlessly mastered the pivot. Hosted by Hillary Kerr, co-founder and chief content officer at Who What Wear, each episode gives you a direct line to women who are game changers in their fields. Subscribe to Second Life on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts to stay tuned.

If you are a yoga guru or in tune with the wellness industry, chances are you know Jessamyn Stanley. Self-proclaimed as the "Beyoncé of yoga”—and rightfully so—Stanley has taught yoga all over the world, garnering a loyal following of over half a million followers on Instagram that share her passion for wellness and the power of yoga. While Stanley was working on earning her MA in performing arts management, she was introduced to Bikram yoga, and her yoga journey began. Today, she has become an impactful voice in the wellness industry and an award-winning author of two books: Yoke: My Yoga of Self-Acceptance and Every Body Yoga: Let Go of Fear, Get on the Mat, Love Your Body.

Stanley has become a regular contributor to Self magazine, where she shares her unique perspective on the industry, giving a voice to the systemic inequity marginalized communities face, particularly in the wellness space. She also hosts her podcast Dear Jessamyn, and in 2019, she launched her own inclusive wellness app, The Underbelly. Stanley has undoubtedly found her vocation as a yoga teacher, thought leader, and entrepreneur, paving a new path in the industry that truly knows no boundaries.

Yet before she became an inspiring yogi finding balance in both physical and mental wellness, Stanley actually attended culinary school and worked at a James Beard Award–nominated restaurant. Listen to the latest episode of Second Life to hear Stanley found her footing in yoga and how she continues to use her platform to redefine 21st-century yoga and intersectional identity. 

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