Jason Mazar-Kelly (YogiJay) is a man of many stories. A Kripalu Yoga instructor, meditation teacher, breath-work specialist, mindfulness coach, CPA/accountant, consultant, husband, son, brother, friend, person. Jason is one of the Co-Founders of WholesomeMV and leads the Wholesome Yoga dimension which focuses on providing mindfulness-based practices through community collaboration and cooperation. He has been practicing yoga since 2011 and teaching yoga and meditation since 2014. Jason specializes in intuitive movement, meditation, breath-work, yoga philosophy and the subtle anatomies of yoga.
Although Jason started as a certified public accountant and financial auditor by day and teaching yoga by night, he always knew that he wanted to give the gifts of yoga and mindfulness to others. It was always there in the back of his mind.
Jason talks about his background of growing up with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) during his adolescence. He says he found yoga early on in college and it was transformative. When he first entered the resting and relaxation pose of Savasana, he noticed that his mind was still and calm, when normally with OCD it was a constant stream of thoughts and compulsions.
Jason talks about his mission of bringing yoga and mindfulness practices into the school system on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. As a teen growing up with anxiety and depression, these practices changed the direction of his life. He now wants to share these practices with other young people.
In his work with high school students, Jason talks about offering these young people a way to figure out how to be themselves and how to reduce stress in a safe and supportive space.
In the middle of the episode, Jason guides listeners through a mindfulness breathing exercise. Enjoy and appreciate this beautiful opportunity to slow down and breathe with Jason.
Jason talks about why breathing is so powerful and transformative. From an OCD perspective, the breath allowed him to create space around the sensations, thoughts and compulsions. He says although there will be ups and downs, if you can just keep showing up and doing the work, over time you can make big changes for the better.
Jason speaks about the importance of not underestimating taking a pause and asking these inquiries (listed below) during moments of anxiety, stress, difficulty or conflict:
Am I still breathing?
Am I still thinking?
Am I still feeling?
Am I still here?
You can learn more about Jason and his company Wholesome MV right here: https://www.wholesomemv.com/
Podcast: Play in new window | Download