Slow Down, Enjoy Life
Welcome! Here you can join me, Jessica Flowers, PhD, RYT 500, in practices that emphasize slowing down, being mindful, and taking time to enjoy simple pleasures like Smelling the Flowers.
I hope you will learn to connect with your body and experience how she can be a great teacher. I intend to share practices that are gentle and safe for most bodies; however only you know your body and her limits. If you chose to participate, you take full responsibility for your interpretations and choices. To help reduce the risk of injury, never force or strain. If movements cause pain, stop immediately.
My logo was created in collaboration with my cousin Jessica R. Field of JR Field Studios. She took my rough clip art idea and turned it into this beautiful work of art that has several elements that are important to me.
- Lotus flowers to symbolize growth and rising above the muck.
- A welcoming yogi with open hands.
- A brain because I get a little geeky sometimes and like using yoga to build nervous system resilience.
- A drop of oil on the forehead because the limbic system housed behind there is responsible for olfaction (smell) and emotions and I think that is a very interesting connection!
- Finally, my motto: Slow Down, Enjoy Life
What to Expect
In my classes, I strive to help you slow down, get quiet, and turn inward to hear the whispers of your body and soul. Every body is unique and I believe that finding comfort and connection with your body is essential for peace, self-love, physical, and emotional wellbeing.
I use a combination of techniques learned through my explorations of yoga, qigong, fascia, and embodiment practices to create a variety of unique classes. You can find videos on my YouTube channel, Smell the Flowers Yoga with Jessica Flowers, or join me for classes in person at Princeton Club Fitchburg, Perennial Yoga, and Bayview through YAFA Yoga (Yoga Accessible For All).
Consult your healthcare providers with any questions or concerns before starting this or any exercise program. In the event of physical or mental distress, please consult appropriate professionals. I assume no responsibility for injuries and disclaim any liability for injury, accident, health impairment, or loss that befalls any viewer or individual utilizing the techniques suggested in my videos or in person classes.
My Journey to Yoga
When you get quiet, you can hear when your body is whispering to you. It took me almost four decades to learn this important life lesson. Time and time again I kept doing, doing, doing until my body screamed at me to slow down. I thought it was just the natural rhythm of my life and it worked quite well for me for a while. In 2016 I could no longer ignore my body’s protests. My energy was completely tapped out and I was in pain most of the time. I didn’t bounce back as quickly as I typically did and I knew something had to change. That’s when I found Yin yoga and it changed my life. After just a short time of practicing, I had a lot less pain and gradually I gained back more energy as well. The biggest gift, that I didn’t even know I was looking for, was having a quiet mind.
You may have heard the saying “your issues are in your tissues” and that was certainly the case for me. After decades of ignoring and pushing down emotions, or staying so busy that I didn’t have time for them, yoga helped me to open up to my feelings. I was blow away by the profound effects this practice had on my body, mind, and emotional wellbeing. As a scientist, I had to know how this worked which led me to enroll in the Yin yoga teacher training program at Yoga4 Wellness Center with Sandra Carden in 2018. I did learn quite a bit at training, but one of the lessons that stuck with me is that “you don’t have to understand it for it to work”. That was so freeing, to be able to let go of knowing, to just be.
My inquisitive mind and love of learning has kept me seeking to better understand how these practices work. In 2019-2020 I completed 200 hr yoga teacher training through Perennial Wisdom Yoga School with Megan Grace and Keith Borden. I've completed several online trainings with Kristine Weber and Subtle® Yoga including: 40 hr Subtle Yoga Revolution Online Yoga Teacher Training, Science of Slow, and Yoga and Neuroscience Connection. My anatomy training has been enhanced by studying with Eric Franklin including the Franklin Method® Fascia Trainer for the Low Back training in 2020. In 2021 I completed the 300 hr advanced yoga teacher training through My Vinyasa Practice studying primarily with Michelle Young and Ana Pilar Cruz.
What Participants Say
"I just wanted to pass along my appreciation for the incredible work and passion Jessica brings to the practice of yoga. Despite these evident hectic times, Jessica's ability and approach to cultivate a relaxing, engaged atmosphere allows the mind and body to relax, detach, and regenerate. I could go on, but I feel it's best experienced in person. The Madison area has sorely missed Yin and this particular practice is a welcome addition to a thriving culture of curious first-timers and Yogis alike. "
Ben H.
Madison, WI