Author: Jheni

I’m a Jesus follower, yoga teacher, fitness instructor, and personal trainer in Dallas, TX. I took some time off and served as a missionary in Bucharest, Romania in 2023-2024. I’m in the middle of writing my second book, which I’m hoping to publish by the end of 2024. I aspire to be a polyglot: English is my second language, but it’s the one I’m the most fluent in, followed by Korean (pretty fluent). I study French everyday (I’m at A2-B1 level) as well as studying Romanian (A1) and Spanish (A1) regularly… and I attempt to squeeze in Russian when I can (this one is tough). My plan is to go to France every year for my Birthday, so we’ll see if I can make this happen!

What a Difference a Year Makes… Pt. 2

by Jheni, posted in Self-Discovery

Happy 2016!

It’s been many MANY months since I’ve blogged.  Honestly, “LIFE happened” in more ways than one in 2015.

Last year this time, I was teaching at the aerial yoga studio that I co-owned with two business partners in Plano, TX.  I was also busy getting the second semester of my daughter’s homeschooling academic year started with lots of wonderful homeschool activities and co-ops.  My schedule was extremely packed with church, family, homeschool, my studio and yoga. Everything (including sleep time and short breaks) were scheduled into my life. I had a full life, living life to the full… or was I?

I strive to live an authentic life, a life that reflects who I was created to be since the beginning of time. In 2015, I felt that although I was living my dreams, but something wasn’t right. I felt unsettled in my heart, and I began to wonder if the path (of life) that I was trying to create for myself was truly the path that I was supposed to be on.

“Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of
who we think we’re supposed to be and
embracing who we are.”
– Brené Brown

After feeling unsettled in my heart for the first half of 2015, I began to meditate in prayer, asking God to reveal who I am to Him. Without talking to anyone about it, I started this meditative prayer journey, seeking clarity of my spirit. During this time, my business partners and I received word from our landlord informing us that he has sold his business and the new owner did not want to renew our lease (as he wanted to use our space for his own business). We diligently searched for a new location (even after we had to close the doors to our studio in Plano, TX) without success. Then one Saturday during my meditative prayer times, I felt a sense of peace come over me as I decided to let go of the studio and not re-open (My business partners had the same revelation on the same day), Up until that point, I resisted the thought of not re-opening. I thought to myself, “Finally, I have arrived at my authentic path!” What I was about to find out was that this was only the beginning.

“Once you get out of your own way,
the speed of finding your authenticity will accelerate.”
– Jheni Solis

To my surprise, I continued to feel unsettled… So I continued my meditative prayer times and searching for clarity through God’s word. During this time, I saw on Facebook that my husband Shawn’s and my good friends, Tim and Brooke, were moving to Boone, NC to start a church there. That same week, I noticed in the Bible how a lot of God’s people moved around a lot. I thought about the possibility of moving for a split second but then dismissed it since we had just bought our house a year ago. We had our lives planned out and that plan included retiring in our home in Garland, TX. But each time I prayed, I couldn’t shake that feeling of unsettled-ness and how our lives became too comfortable/predictable. So one night when Shawn got home from work, I decided to bring it up to him to see what he would say.

“I’ve been feeling quite unsettled myself,” was Shawn’s reply.

So we started to pray about the possibility of moving (still not taking it too seriously). To put our prayer into action, we decided to list our house and told God that if it sold it one week, we will know He wants us to move. Our house sold in exactly SEVEN DAYS!

Fast-forwarding many more bold (answered) prayers and seeking spiritual input from our trusted godly friends, I am now writing this in my rented home in Charlotte, NC. I get to wake up every morning and make breakfast for my daughter (that I still homeschool) and my husband who now works from home. I teach traditional and aerial yoga at a wonderful studio in Cornelius called Gotta Yoga Studio where I also teach my aerial yoga teacher training certification workshops. I also choreograph and dance with the dance ministry at The Charlotte Church.

When people ask me what brought me and my family to Charlotte, I smile and reply, “God.”

A lot can happen in one year. A lot can happen in 2016.
Are you ready?

Aerial Yoga: A 3-Dimensional Practice

by Jheni, posted in Aerial Yoga, Health, Yoga

I love Aerial Yoga.  I love the fluidity, grace, strength, and fun that Aerial Yoga brings. It’s such a cool way to practice Yoga, and when done properly, it can be a great practice to uplift, calm, or center (just like a great traditional Yoga practice). It can be as restoring or as physically-challenging as you want it to be (or both).

You can use the hammock as a propAerial Dancer to assist in certain poses (like in Natarajasana, or “King Dancer Pose”on the right) which allows certain poses to become more accessible for those working on increasing their stability and/or flexibility. While in a pose like Natarajasana with a hammock, you can pull the fabric forward and up simultaneously to increase the back bend.

You might be saying to yourself, “I can use a yoga strap to achieve the same pose.” It is true that you can use a yoga strap to achieve an Assisted Natarajasana, but the aerial hammock allows for more versatility in assisting with other poses like Uttitha Hasta Padangusthasana (“Extended Hand to Big Toe Pose”like this one on the left).  This assisted pose allows the body to build up the stability and flexibility gradually while learning proper alignment and gaining confidence that you can achieve the unassisted/unmodified version of the pose(s) in the future.

Another aspect of Aerial Yoga that I love is the inversions. When I teach traditional (Hatha and Hatha Flow) Yoga classes, the only “inversion” that I teach is Viparita Karani (also known as “Jack Knife” or “Legs up the Wall”) because it does not compress the cervical spine. Ever since I was involved in a car accident two years ago (I was rear-ended by a vehicle going about 40 mph), I no longer do my favorite inversion, Sirsasana (“Headstand”) because my I’ve lost a lot of the curvature in my neck (see my blog titled “Inversion Addiction“). Aerial Yoga gives me an alternative and therapeutic way to invert without compressing any part of the spine.

Here’s me doing one of my favorite inversions, Inverted Pigeon:
Inverted Pigeon

This pose, along with other aerial inversions, allows the spine to decompress, creating more space between the discs which becomes more and more important as we get older.  (On a side note, did you know that after about 30 years of age, your spinal discs begin to dry out because the water content in them begins to decrease?  Creating space in the discs allows them to “suck up” moisture like a sponge.)

To be completely honest, I haven’t done an aerial yoga practice in 12 days, and my spine definitely feels the difference! I’ll be planning some time with my hammock this week!

Inversion Addiction

by Jheni, posted in Uncategorized

Salamba_Sirsasana_-_Supported_HeadstandBefore I completed my 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training, I had so many ideas on what I wanted to achieve through my training. I dreamed of doing perfect Headstands, Shoulder Stands (which I was already doing pretty well), Hand Stands, and whatever else inverted stands you can think of. I was thinking, “I’m gonna be so hard core with all the cool poses I’ll be able to do… and I bet my body’s gonna be pretty ripped!” Two years (and over 600 hours of teaching) later, I laugh at my thought process back then!

Towards the end of my teacher training, I was involved in a bad car accident where I was rear-ended by a pizza delivery boy who was going about 40 mph and texting (or looking down at his phone) at the same time. My SUV was totaled and I was left with a severe case of whiplash. I went through months of chiropractic care and even received a cortisone shot as well as went to a Orthopedic Doctor, but I still have neck pain to this day. I’m sure I didn’t have a perfect curve in my cervical spine (the spine in the neck area) before the accident, but any curve that it had went out the door and I now have two bulging discs in my C5 and C6/C7.

Documenting life in 2010.

Majority of us have lost some (or all) of the natural curve in the cervical spine from sitting behind a desk and staring at our computer screen (our heads start to protrude towards the screen, chronically straightening the curve in the neck) and from texting (most people look down toward their phones to text).

Okay, getting back to Inversions…

Raja_sarvangasanaInversions like Headstands put too much pressure in the already-straightened cervical spine, causing compression in the discs. Shoulder Stands (see picture on the left) straighten out the neck which eventually contributes to loss of curve in the cervical spine. Handstands are probably the safest pose in regards to spinal health, but the shoulder joints and wrists were not made to bear the weight of our bodies (minus the weight of the hands and arms) for an extended period of time. Being that I already have an injured rotator cuff, I try not to overuse it doing full weight-bearing activities.

Although the benefits of inversions are wonderful (improves circulation, energizes, detoxifies, improves immunity), the risks seem to outweigh the benefits, especially when there are other poses that can be done with similar benefits.

Non-Inversion Poses

My ego still misses the head stands and other inversions, but my higher self (and neck) are perfectly happy with skipping those poses in my traditional yoga practice. Now, inversions in aerial yoga is another story!   🙂

Namaste,
Jheni

Me and Kate Hudson

by Jheni, posted in Uncategorized

So I bet you’re wondering what my association to Kate Hudson is.

Kate is the co-founder of Fabletics, an active wear company for all shapes and sizes (they even have a men’s line called FL2)… and I represent her company as a Master Trainer.

The Master Trainers (known as “Fabletics Masters”) lead dance/fitness/yoga events that Fabletics sponsors. I get to give away Fabletics Swag at the events that I teach and answer questions and provide information on their VIP Program.

I have been a Fabletics Master for a little over a year now, and I am so proud to represent a company that celebrates all women! (Like I mentioned earlier, they do have a men’s line called FL2, but I’m going to focus on the women thing for now)

As you can see in my pictures on this website, I’m not exactly a size 0 fitness model. I’m a size 4, medium-build and average height (5’4″), and sometimes after eating a really great Indian Buffet, I get bloated and feel like someone should roll me out of the restaurant (it doesn’t happen often, but I do indulge at Indian Buffets once in a while). What I’m trying to say is, I’m not someone that would stand out in the crowd at the grocery store. But whenever I write blogs for Fabletics and send photos to them to publish on their site (like this one), they never retouch my photos to make me look leaner or more in shape.  I love that about Fabletics.

Kate is also very involved in the design process.  She and the design team listen to feedback from customers and us Masters.  In fact, we (Masters) provide feedback every quarter on the products (how they fit, the designs, etc.) to the design team… and our feedback to them is based on what the public (our students, friends, family, co-workers) expresses to us.

 

Here are a few of my Fabletics Outfits:
Blog Photo - 081215

 

I’ve compiled a short list of common questions that I’ve been asked (and my answers to the questions):

  • Q: What is the VIP Program?
    A:  It is like an on-line membership where you get special pricing on the clothing.
  • Q:  Do you have to become a VIP Member to buy from Fabletics?
    A:  No, you can make purchases without being a VIP Member but you will have to pay full-price for the items.
  • Q:  Do you have to buy something every month?
    A:  No, you can skip purchasing for the month by the 5th. You can skip as many months as you like. You will receive more than one e-mail in the beginning of each month to remind you.
  • Q:  I just saw a Fabletics commercial on TV about getting the first outfit for 50%.  How do I take advantage of that?
    A:  Click here to go to the website and sign up as a VIP Member to take advantage of the 50% off on your first outfit!

I recommend getting the Salar Capri or Salar Leggings… They have maximum compression but don’t feel like they’re sucking your insides tight!

Happy Shopping!

Namaste,
Jheni

What a difference a year makes… Pt. 1

by Jheni, posted in Self-Discovery

Since my last blog (over a year ago!), I opened an aerial yoga studio, became a Fabletics Master (more on that next time), taught 4-12 classes per week (can we say burn-out?), continued to homeschool my daughter, started my advanced yoga studies with my teacher Shanon, launched my first yoga retreat in St. Croix (there’s still room!), got licensed to teach CIZE LIVE, enrolled in a Fundamental Neuroscience Certificate Course… and closed my aerial yoga studio (that’s another topic I’ll blog about in the future)!

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned (and continue to learn) through Yoga/Meditation/Prayer is that unless you’re walking in the path that you were meant to be on, you can not truly soar and live life to the full.  I spent the past year digging deeper, weeding out deep-rooted seeds of negativity, growing in my security in who God has created me to be… the list goes on and on.  What’s really cool is that when you start walking in the path that you’re supposed to be on, everything begins to fall into place in a way that you never imagined possible.

I’m about to embark on another year of homeschooling my daughter, traveling to teach the aerial yoga instructor certification that I’ve created, teaching yoga classes, and leading Fabletics-sponsored yoga/fitness workshops.

It’s so easy for me to plan far ahead… so let me reel myself back in to this moment and just say… It’s amazing what difference a year can make!

Namaste,
Jheni

Yoga Teacher Training – Weekend #7

by Jheni, posted in Self-Discovery, Teacher Training, Yoga
Wow, it’s almost as if I’ve fallen off the face of the earth!

After Yoga Teacher Weekend #6, life got extremely hectic and I just couldn’t keep up with my blog. There were 6 more weekends, and in between Weekend #7 and Exam Weekend, the number of fitness classes I was teaching went from 2 to 8 along with selling our home and moving into a temporary dwelling place… and I was rear-ended by a pizza delivery boy who was driving 40 mph!  I was able to finish my contact and non-contact hours to graduate the training with close to 230 hours and 97% on my written exam.

As part of our exam, we had to each create and teach a short yoga practice with an assigned theme from our teacher.  We were evaluated by our peers as well as our teacher, and everyone did well.

Since becoming a 200-Hr Yoga Teacher, I’ve been teaching 2-4 yoga classes per week, and scaled back to 2 fitness classes a week.  I’ve also had the privilege of leading over 200 women in yoga at two different women’s events, a private yoga class for PepsiCo… and I got certified to teach Aerial Yoga (yoga on aerial hammocks).  I’ve been co-teaching and assisting in aerial yoga workshops out of town, but I’m about to launch my own aerial yoga workshops here in Dallas.

We’re getting ready to (finally) move into a house that we’ll be buying (we’re under contract) in a location closer to everything my family and I do (our old house was rather far from a lot of the activities we were involved in)… My next blog will contain some things that I’ve learned about myself and others through my journey in Yoga.

So until next time… May your days be bright and your heart be light! Namaste.

Yoga Teacher Training – Weekend #6

by Jheni, posted in Self-Discovery, Teacher Training, Yoga
Sorry so late… I should’ve posted this several weeks ago:

Hi, I’m Jheni.  And I’m a Pitta Kapha.
This is my lead-in to weekend #6 of the Yoga Teacher Training!

We continued are discussion on Vinyasa Krama and the methods to create the most efficient and effective practice for each individual according to their needs.  It really is pretty methodical in that every asana should be intentional (whether the pose is used as a warm-up, forward bend, backbend, twist, lateral, extension, or a counterpose), and it is put together elegantly.

Vinyasa Krama spoke to the analyst in me, but learning about the chakras, doshas and prana vayus blew my mind!

I think out of all the things I learned this weekend, figuring out my prakriti (your ayurvedic constitution) opened so many doors to my inner-self.  (Find out what dosha you are by taking the Dosha Quiz)

So yes, as I stated in the beginning of this blog, I’m a Pitta-Kapha.  Shanon, our teacher, had us take the Dosha Quiz twice: Once for when we were younger and once for the way we are presently.  My results showed that I currently have a Pitta imbalance, so my goal will be to decrease the amount of Pitta.

At the end of the weekend, we partnered up and practiced reading each other’s pranayama vayu.  We took turns observing each others breathing to see if there were any possible blockage in energy.  Apparently, I do not have any blockage (although I believe emptying my bladder beforehand would’ve made it more comfortable for me!), but the girl that I partnered up with had a blockage in the Pran (also known as “Prana”, the first vayu in Prana Vayu).  It was really interesting how just by observing the breath, you can determine energetic blockages within a person!

We’re meeting in two weeks (instead of three), so my next post should be up soon!

So until next time… May your days be bright and your heart be light!

Namaste.

Yoga Teacher Training – Weekend #5

by Jheni, posted in Self-Discovery, Teacher Training, Yoga

I thought the past YTT weekends were awesome… Well, they’re about to get “awesomer” (yes, I know that’s not a word…)!!!

The topic of the past weekend was Vinyasa Krama.  Vinyasa Krama (not to be mistaken for “Vinyasa Flow”), is the intelligent sequencing of a practice with a specific intention or goal.
“Vi” = in a special way
“Nyasa” = to place
“Krama” = system, step, order, sequence, series, progressing step-by-step

Basically, in Vinyasa Krama, each asana (pose) is picked and placed in a specific order purposefully.  There’s a rhyme and a reason for the way each asana is sequenced.  There are three main reasons for this “intelligent sequencing, placed in a special way” are to:
1. Reduce the risk of possible injuries in a particular asana or yoga practice,
2. To adjust one asana from another, and
3. To create the energetic effects desired within the practice.

Anyone can put a bunch of asanas together and call it a “yoga class”; but to design a Vinyasa Krama class, one must plan and choose each asana with a purpose.

Our yoga practice on Saturday KICKED MY BUTT!!!  We stayed in certain poses for up to 5 minutes!  One of the asanas that we stayed in for 4 – 5 minutes was the active pigeon (think pigeon pose with the back leg off the floor and foot flexed while you fold forward).  My back leg started to shake so much!  Since Shanon advised that before coming out of a pose, ask ourselves why we wanted to come out of it, I had a nice dialogue within myself; my physical-self said, “Oh my goodness, your leg is shaking violently!  You can’t hold it any longer,” but my mind said, “You’re okay.  You’ll be fine.”  “No, I can’t do this,” my physical-self whined… but my mind stayed calm and said, “Sure you can.  You’re already doing it.”  It took me back to the internal dialogue that I had within myself when I was in labor (over 8 years ago).  After the practice, I felt so strong, accomplished… unbreakable!

We ended our Sunday session with Restorative Yoga which I was grateful for because I was still sore from the previous evening!  My only experience with Restorative Yoga was a couple months ago at a yoga studio about 15-20 minutes away from my house.  I recall not enjoying it AT ALL, so I figured I would have the same experience… boy, was I wrong!  We stayed in each pose for quite some time, but when Shanon cued us to begin coming out of the pose, I was thinking, “Aw, man!  That wasn’t long enough!”  I didn’t want that practice to end…  So after my new-found love for Restorative Yoga, I came to the conclusion that either the environment of my first Restorative Yoga class was not conducive to the practice, or I must be evolving…  Or maybe a little bit of both.

The topic of Vinyasa Krama continues for the next two YTT weekend sessions… I’m so in love with this experience!

 

So until next time… May your days be bright and your heart be light!

Namaste.

Yoga Teacher Training – Weekend #4

by Jheni, posted in Self-Discovery, Teacher Training, Yoga

This post should have been published at the end of April… With so much going on, I just sat down to finish this one… Weekend #5 post to follow soon…

 

I’m really loving these YTT (Yoga Teacher Training) Weekends!

I was so excited going into this weekend because we were going to be covering Twists and Inversions (and of course, more Human Anatomy which I absolutely love!).  I love twisting asanas because it feels so good on the spine… It feels like I’m giving myself a chiropractic session!  Also, I love what it does to the digestive system.  The “wringing out” motion of twists leaves me feeling so “cleared”!  I’ve been doing Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand) and recently started working on my Salamba Sirsasana (Supported Headstand), so I was ready and eager to have the whole day (Sunday) dedicated to Inversions.

The lecture portions on Friday, Saturday and Sunday were really eye-opening.  Twists do more than just wring you out.  I learned that they have the energetic ability to center and ground you.  Twists, if done improperly, can cause your disks to bulge (ouch!) among other things.  It’s extremely important to keep the spine straight when twisting.

As far as inversions, I never realized how unsafe some of the poses could be!  Sarvangasana, for example, can cause the ligament in the back of the neck to stretch (and once ligaments are stretched, they remain stretched).  Being that the ligaments, the muscles, the bones and the disks in the neck work to protect the spinal cord starting at the base of the head, stretching out the ligament is probably not the most favorable thing to do!
(Here’s a great article on the dangers of certain asanas:  http://www.drmccall.com/yoga/bodyyoga.pdf)
I must admit, headstands are a bit addicting… but I’ve promised myself that I will practice this pose sparingly (maybe once every other leap year at most) if I feel the deep desire to do so.
We tried a lot of the inversions in class just for a little bit (so that we understand, as Yoga Teachers, how they would feel).  Shanon also guided us in trying out some great modifications of the poses.  One of the poses that I absolutely love (which is one of the safer poses) is Viparita Karani (Jack Knife).  This can also be done against a wall with a bolster as a prop, but I love how this pose feels away from the wall.  Holding this pose for several minutes creates such an uplifting energy… I will be doing this pose more often!

The weekend ended with relaxation and some pranayama (Prana Shudhi, Kabhala Bati, and breath manipulation).  After our “Namaste”, I left feeling so energetic, like I could conquer the world!

Until next time… May your days be bright and your heart be light!

Namaste.

Yoga Teacher Training – Weekend #3

by Jheni, posted in Self-Discovery, Teacher Training, Yoga

Because of my not-so-pleasant experience with the Forward Bend practices from weekend #2, I was not as excited to start weekend #3 of In-Depth Yoga Studies & Teacher Training program with Shanon Buffington. 

As we started the topic of the weekend (Back Bends and Laterals), we discussed how we felt after the Forward Bend practice from weekend #2.  It turned out that there were several of us that felt low in energy and a bit somber in our mood.  Shanon explained that although we did some counter-poses, Forward Bends tend to be more grounding and therefore, can bring one’s energy down (which is great if you need to have your energy brought down from being too high).  She went on to inform us that if we liked Forward Bends, then Back Bends may not be our favorite practice (since it brings your energy up) and vice versa.

I always enjoy the Friday night lectures because the human anatomy fascinates me.  It blows me away how intricately the human body is designed.  The spine, for example, has three primary curves: Thoracic, Sacral and Coccyx.  This is what we’re born with.  As we grow and develop, we get our secondary spinal curves: Cervical and Lumbar.  This amazing spine of ours protects the spinal chord and nerves, and it supports about half of our body weight!  (Okay, back to weekend #3…)

Although I’ve always been hesitant about doing too many back bends because of my sciatic nerve pain, I was excited to explore how my body and my energy responds to a back bend practice.  Saturday’s practice was amazing.  We worked on several back bends such as Dhanurasana (Bow Pose), Dwipada Pitham (Two-Legged Table), and Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (One-Legged King Pigeon Pose).  We then worked on our apex asana, Urdhva Dhanurasana (Full Wheel Pose).  I don’t do this asana often, but when I was in this asana, I felt a sudden sense of… LIBERATION!  I felt so liberated and strong!  This (and the other back bends) elevated my mood and energy to a point that after class on Saturday, I went home and did an intense workout for an hour and a half!

On Sunday, we discussed our own experiences with the previous day’s asana practice.  There were some who were up past 2 AM (one girl was up until 4 AM!) because they had such a surge of energy from the practice!  Our Lateral asana practice was pretty uplifting as well (but not equal to back bends).

Weekend #3 ended on such positive spirits on my end, I want to bottle this energy up!