“FOR ME, I NOTICED HOW YOGA HELPED ME WITH SCHOOL AND RELAXATION. IT INSPIRED ME TO HELP OTHERS BECAUSE IT HELPED ME.” — JAYS E A D E VO E
JAYSEA DEVOE
YOUNGEST CERTIFIED SUP YOGA INSTRUCTOR, FOUNDER OF SEAVIBES AGE: 15
Jaysea Devoe has loved yoga from a young age—when other forms of sport didn’t work for her—and has found a sense of happiness within the practice. However, as relaxed as yoga makes her, merely practicing isn’t enough. Devoe is also a certified yoga instructor, and she is only 14 years old. Teaching at the Yoga Bergamot every Wednesday night, Devoe shows that her young age doesn’t matter because she is able to share the passion and relaxation that yoga brings her to her students.
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Q: How did you get into the yoga hype? Jaysea Devoe: I was about eight years old. I had been taking kids’ classes at a dance studio that offered yoga one or two times a week. I loved it. I tried all different sports, but none really worked, and yoga just stuck with me. I took the training when I was 12.
incense and music on. When the students show up and line up their mats, I welcome them and introduce myself to new students. I start off slowly with one pose for a few minutes to reflect on our bodies. We pick up the pace in the middle with sequences that build up, and at the end of class, I bring the sequences down to reflect.
Q: What inspired you to become a yoga instructor? JD: For me, I noticed how yoga helped me with school and relaxation. It inspired me to help others because it helped me.
Q: What advice do you have for people who want to try yoga? JD: I hear students say they can’t do yoga because they’re not flexible. Yoga is meant for working on flexibility. If you haven’t started yoga, go to a local studio and take a few classes. Go for a few days a week and build it up, and see if you notice any differences in your mind and body.
Q: How does doing yoga and helping others make you feel? JD: Yoga is such an important thing that everyone should practice. Being able to help others make their bodies healthy makes me happy. It empowers me to help others. Q: Walk us through a typical class when you’re instructing. JD: Normally, I go in and teach at Yoga Bergamot. I teach on Wednesdays, and I put
Q: What are some of your biggest achievements in the yoga field? JD: For me, it’s my clothing and jewelry line called SeaVibes. We have a little shop where I teach. It gets me into a new thing while incorporating yoga.