Jessica G

Jessica Goulding, known around the studio as "Jess G," grew up in Houston, Texas. She came to Austin in 2004 with her husband after living in New York City. In 2005 her son Nathaniel was born and totally changed her life. She was blessed again in 2007 with her daughter Havia.

Jessica was introduced to yoga in 1990 as part of her dance training in Houston, and later at the University of Texas at Austin. The first yoga class that really had an impact on Jessica was during her freshman year of college. "We were doing some heart-opening exercises, and my teacher said we might have some emotions come up during the class or later in the day, and that was perfectly normal. I thought, "yeah, ok, whatever." I didn't get it and thought it was weird. Then, sure enough, I had emotions come up all the rest of the day. Some joy, some sadness, but all very profound and memorable. I realized there might be something to this yoga thing. I get it that people might think yoga is weird at first, and I still say it is. But it's a GREAT weird. Life would be pretty dull without a little weird thrown in too!"

After earning her B.F.A. in dance, she moved to New York City to dance professionally, and continued studying yoga. In 2004 she became a certified yoga teacher through the teacher training program at Yoga Mandali Studio in New York, studying under certified Anusara teacher, Lisa Keays. Other influential teachers in her career have been John Friend, Jackie Prete, Rudrani Farbman-Brown, and Bindu Wiles.

While in New York City, Jessica taught at Yoga Mandali and World Yoga Center, as well as Ballet Academy East and the NYU Tisch School of the Arts. In 2005 she completed her post-natal yoga training at Yoga Yoga, and now teaches popular post-natal classes for moms and babies.

Jessica is an Anusara-inspired Yoga Teacher™ and teaches Hatha Yoga classes in the Anusara style, using John Friend's Universal Principles of Alignment and the Anusara philosophy. Click here to read more about Anusara Yoga.

When she's teaching, Jessica strives to bring out the inner beauty in each student as they playfully explore the asanas (postures). Each class has a theme that tied the yoga we do on the mat to our lives outside the studio.

The infinite variations of yoga keeps Jessica practicing and learning about the tradition. "Yoga doesn't care about your age, body type, strength, or flexibility. It has gifts for everyone." Sometimes she practices to her rockin' "Sista Shree" CD, or to the music of Janis Joplin or Aretha Franklin. Those early teachers in New York are still with her, and their voices continue to inspire Jess and inform her personal practice and her teaching.

Outside of the studio Jessica spends her time hanging out with her kids and with other moms. She contributes regularly to Staying Connected - Yoga Yoga's Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga newsletter. She loves the water, water skiing, boating, and just being out by a lake. Since becoming a homeowner, she's getting into gardening, and feels that digging in the dirt might be good for the soul. She is committed to chips and salsa, country music, and having a good dance partner. She has a rather quirky goal to someday learn to play the harp.

Click here to see when Jess teaches.

Jessica recommends:
Light on Yoga, by BKS Iyengar
Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Meditation: Happiness Lies Within by Swami Muktananda.
Krishna Das and Benji Wortheimer CD's