Yogi in the Community: Juneous Pettijohn

Our Yogi in the Community this week is a community builder, Life Coach, and yoga instructor in a beautiful wellness center in the DC/Maryland area. I always enjoy learning about community organizations who add to the dynamic and diverse groups of people who practice yoga. Learn about Juneous Pettijohn’s yoga journey and be sure to check out Spiritual Essence Yoga Wellness Center in Upper Marlboro, Maryland!

Current City: Washington, DC

Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio

Why do you practice yoga? I practice yoga because it quiets my mind. Yoga helps me build a personal relationship with myself. When I am on my yoga mat, I have an opportunity to work out my personal issues that I otherwise would not have done away from my mat. I have a busy schedule and having a yoga practice allows me to slow down and honor the present moment. Yoga gives me a chance to reconnect with myself. I allow my breath to guide me and I listen to what my body is telling me.

How did you find yoga? Or, how did yoga find you? I started my yoga practice out of curiosity and as a way to incorporate it into fitness routine. I started my practice at home with the aid of a book called “Yoga for Everybody” by Paul Harvey. I eventually took my first class at the YWCA and really started to notice the physical changes in my body. I decided to study further by taking my first yoga teacher training program and by then I was hooked.

What is your relationship with yoga now? I have a special relationship with Yoga! Yoga is my best friend and confidant. Yoga is there to remind me to let go and it is OK to be imperfect. Yoga is there to call me out of my stuff when I am messing up. I have struggled with yoga, yet yoga has never allowed me to give up even though at times I wanted to.

How do you integrate yoga into your daily life? Within the last couple of years, I have grown deeper in my yoga practice. This has allowed me to become a spiritual human being. I am learning how to be more honest with myself and have found that it is OK to speak my truth (of course in a loving way). Although it is a daily struggle, I have learned to let go of the things that do not benefit me, I do not overreact to various situations, and I have learned how to really love myself more.

Can you talk about your business? Transforming U, LLC is committed to helping people reconnect with themselves by finding answers within and creating a life that works. In addition to yoga instruction, I offer Reiki and Thai Yoga Bodywork. Currently, I am enrolled in the Institute of Integrative Nutrition on a track to become a Certified Health Coach. It is my mission to lead people into loving themselves from the inside out. I believe that once people begin loving themselves, everything else in their personal life will begin to fall in place. My passion is to also expose people to the benefits of yoga as a way to get them healthy and in shape. I try to make it a point to do a lot of community outreach to expose people to this beautiful practice. I recently completed a Restorative Yoga Workshop at my church as a way to expose people to different styles of yoga.