Fit Calabasas: Community Yoga

Yoga changes lives.

Jill Kennedy knows that firsthand. Kennedy, a former athlete, found yoga in 1994, and said it helped her physically heal from injuries and calm the anxieties of her mind.

“I see it happen over time. It’s not a quick fix. It takes commitment and discipline,” says Kennedy, a former interior designer who teaches the Community Yoga class Tuesdays and Thursdays at , “but the people that come in, they leave with a smile. It’s so gratifying to see their happiness.”

Her Community Yoga class combines traditional and modern poses, or asana, in a power-based vinyasa flow yoga practice.

She preaches “breath, intention and focus.”

“The breath is the main reason why we practice. The poses are secondary,” Kennedy says. “Even though this is a physical class, without the breath, this is just a workout, just calisthenics, and you might as well go to a gym.”

When David Leger’s girlfriend brought him to class, he didn’t know what to expect. That was a year ago, and he’s still coming to class once a week in addition to his regular fitness regimen.

“I think all men should [practice yoga] bimonthly at the very minimum, just because we’re not wired for it, we get more out of it,” he says. The Topanga resident says the benefits are equally physical and mental. “I get a bit of cardio and I feel a complete relaxation.”

Kennedy leads her students first through a long warm-up to connect to their breath.

“Even though it’s warm in that room,” says Kennedy, who gradually raises the temperature in the room to 83 degrees, “I don’t want anyone to have false heat in their body. Sometimes we think we can go further than we can.”

Then she takes her students through poses, flowing from the surya namaskara, or sun salutation sequence, to the virabhadrasana, or warrior poses, chair position and chaturanga dandasana, similar to plank position, tapping into the energy of the room.

The sequences begin with a mild twist to the spine, deepening as heat builds within the body.

Kennedy focuses her students intently on the connection between mind and body, encouraging them in their practice.

“The body follows the mind,” Kennedy says. “We practice training our minds to stay focused and connected to the present moment. The more focused we are in the moment, the more focused we are on our bodies.  Whatever you’re feeling in your body is your truth.”

Her messages resonate with her students.

“I love the way she talks, what she says,” says Linda Yabuki of West Hills. “She’s very inspirational.”

Yabuki said she has derived both physical and mental benefits from the practice of yoga.

 “You feel like you’ve had a massage and workout at the same time,” Yabuki says. “I’m more focused and stronger in everything that I do.”

Kennedy is patient and reassuring, helping her students to self-realization. She corrects with a “sweeping touch to bring their attention to a part of their body that I’m talking about and then they’ll make the shift happen. If they make it happen, that’s how they learn, and it’s empowering for the student,” she says.

The encouraging environment is what has kept Yabuki coming back since November.

“I didn’t feel out of place even when I started and I couldn’t do a thing. I always felt really comfortable,” Yabuki says.

Though the schedule on the Inner Power Yoga website says the class lasts 75 minutes, Kennedy devotes 90 minutes to the class.

“It’s just a blink in the scheme of things,” she says, “Yoga forces you to slow down and be with yourself. The real challenge is practicing yoga out there,” she says, gesturing outside the studio.

Stay present with the Community Yoga class at Inner Power Yoga, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:15 to 1:45 p.m. for only $10. Kennedy also teaches a 90-minute Power Yoga class on Mondays and Wednesdays at 9 a.m. for $17.