Jenny D

When Jenny Dawson was 20 years old, she worked at Crunch Fitness in Los Angeles. She didn't like yoga very much ("savasana felt like torture!"), but since she liked the teacher she went anyway. When she began, yoga was just another "alternative to step class (I know I know...)." Now, her former teacher Sara Ivanhoe is famous for her fitness through yoga videos, and Jenny is guiding her students through a strong physical workout with a deep meditative focus.

Born in Montreal, Canada, Jenny grew up in Houston, moved to Austin to attend UT and graduated with a degree in English and Psychology. Jenny spent her "formative years" in LA and New York, and returned to Austin to have her incredible and beautiful son Ellis. Somewhere along the way, Jenny came to see the potential of yoga. "It took many years before I was able to grasp the deeper layers of this awesome and still awe-inspiring path."

Jenny completed her 200-hour certification in Hatha Yoga through Yoga Yoga's Teacher Training program. Since then, a few of the renowned teachers she has studied with have been David Swensen, Ana Forrest, John Friend, and Jonny Kest. Jenny completed Level I advanced teacher training with Christina Sell, and is currently studying to be a licensed nutritionist. Her teaching is inspired by B.K.S. Iyengar's attention to physical alignment, the fun and challenge of Patthabi Jois's Ashtanga practice, and the simple path of Buddhist philosophy.

Throughout years of practicing strong postures and flowing sequences, Jenny has maintained her interest in working with the subtle energy field through Kundalini Yoga and with the mind through meditation. Jenny dreams of going on a retreat someday with Jack Kornfield, Pema Chodron or Lama Surya Das- authors who have been a huge inspiration to her.

You will find Jenny teaching Hatha Flow classes on our schedule. In these popular classes, Jenny presents a dynamic blend of physical postures, meditation, intention and mindfulness. She offers students a physical challenge while keeping the mind focused in the present moment. "Students are encouraged to play their edge physically while remembering that the true mark of progress in yoga is increased awareness- on and off the mat."
Many of us are introduced to yoga the way that Jenny was -- as a part of our physical fitness routine. We don't automatically associate physical work with spiritual endeavors. Jenny says of yoga's evolving role in her life:

"After many years of missing the point of what yoga is all about, what I love most about yoga is the awareness it has brought to my previously very unconscious existence. My teaching and practice remind me daily about the importance of loving myself and others and extending compassion where once there might have been none. Beyond that, the yogic path reminds me to live fully in each moment- whatever it brings and then to let go of the attachment to my efforts and desires. This doesn't mean that I always live perfectly in each moment or that I never mess up, but yoga has taught me that every moment is an opportunity to wake up and potentially to make a change."

Jenny is inspired in her teaching by her students. She stays interested in the physical work by imagining how much fun she and her students will have in class, exploring the bounds of their physical abilities while staying totally present for each moment. And you never know how many moments you could stay in utkatasana (powerful pose, aka, skiers sit)! Jenny's ability to push her students physical limits and encourage them to explore the subtle, mental aspects of yoga makes her classes very popular with all kinds of students.

Recommended by Jenny:

Light on Yoga by B.K.S. Iyengar
A Path with Heart by Jack Kornfield
Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn
When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron
Awakening The Buddha Within by Lama Surya Das


"The finding of God is a coming to one's Self." - Aldous Huxley
"My religion is kindness." - the Dalai Lama