Jena Blackwood
1) Why do you like it hot?
the hot keeps my mind present and keeps my mind connected to my breath, most of the time.
2) What are your personal tips to Bikram Yoga Lower East Side students?
Be willing to have a new experience every day in this room. Bikram Yoga will change your life if you let it.
3) As a child, what did you want to be “when you grew up?”
the decider.
4) Tell us about your first kiss: who, when, where?
Brian Wise, on a bus coming from a basketball game away in Lewiston, MN. Sometime in Junior High, I’m guessing 7th or 8th grade. He put his tongue in my nose. Major fail. We were in the pep band together hence the dark bus ride late at night. I played the flute, he played the drums. Go team.
5) What’s your most prized possession?
My life.
6) What’s your guilty pleasure?
Mega doses of sleep when I can get them.
7) What is your most embarrassing moment on the teacher’s box?
Long story. You ready? I can find plenty of answers to this question, but this is truly the most embarrassing.
I occasionally travel and teach. I need A LOT of yoga clothes to travel and teach. I had been on a teaching trip and my toiletries bag had burst in my suitcase full of yoga clothes. I thought nothing of it. It was kind of annoying with all the goo but whatever. I thought I had cleaned up the mess UNTIL
I was teaching one day at the Polk Street Funky Door in San Francisco. It was a SUPER HOT and SUPER HUMID and SUPER CROWDED 4:30 Friday class. Polk Street has a BIG and TALL podium for maximum room and student views. Not only can the teacher see the students, the students can always see the teacher.
Around 20 minutes into the class all the students were looking at me strangely. I am a fairly animated teacher, so people give me crazy looks all the time. People were looking uncomfortable. I thought about it briefly but whatever. I chalked it up to a full moon or karma or something.
At the first savasana I went to the back of the room to open a window. When I turned and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror I realized my crotch was totally foamy. The shampoo and/or soap in my bag had gotten onto my shorts during the traveling toiletry explosion. Big thighs, animation, and soap soaked shorts = mad dog pants.
I was embarrassed but proud of the students. I know I wouldn’t have been able to hold it together if I would have been practicing in that class.
8) What were you doing the day you decided you were going to be a Bikram Yoga Teacher?
Sitting in Bikram’s seminar lecture listening to him yell/talk at me.
9) What’s the best/worst thing about being a Bikram Yoga teacher?
Best/ being the catalyst for change
Worst / is this where I say there is nothing bad about my job?
10) What was the first concert you went to?
Judas priest.
11) Who was your childhood celebrity crush
Vince Neil from Motley Crue
12) Describe your perfect yoga shorts.
I do not believe in perfection. I certainly don’t believe in perfection when it comes to yoga shorts.
13) What’s the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning?
Didn’t I just go to sleep?
14) What’s your sign and birthday?
7/1/73. Cancer sun, cancer moon. Rising is Gemini, Mercury in Gemini, Venus in Leo, Mars in Aries.
15) Have you ever been in love?
So many times. And, now.
16) Say one nice thing about the person who first told you about Bikram Yoga.
Sattiva – you are the hottest girlfriend I ever had.
17) Words or phrases you overuse:
guys. its simple but not easy. Do you follow me?
18) What song(s) best describe you?
Built to Spill –“ In your mind” Ronnie James Dio – “Holy Diver”, and the entire Edward Scissorhands Soundtrack by Danny Elfman. Tough question.
19) Do you remember what your first Bikram class was like?
4:30 p.m. march 23rd, 2002 in Minneapolis, MN. I wore big sweatpants and a white cotton t-shirt. I made my friend Danielle go with me. The teacher took one look at us and stuck us in the back row with the sole instruction, “watch that woman in front of you and do whatever she does.” The problem was I was a little scared of the woman in the front row because she had arms the size of my legs and a 12 pack. I wasn’t sure I wanted to do what she was doing because we hadn’t even started yet and I was already sweating. Those sweatpants got pretty heavy pretty quick.
It was great to not be able to think about my problems (which were many) because I was struggling the whole time with just staying in the room and breathing. I went back the next day at noon in shorts. Eventually I even spoke to the woman with the 12 pack. Hi Jo Mary!
20) What was the first album you purchased with your own money?
Quiet Riot – Mental Health
21) What’s your guilty pleasure?
Sleep.
22) Do you have a “most memorable Bikram moment”?
The day I realized that this was more than a workout. I actually cried that day in class and then I got super annoyed. Whoa. Your destiny often finds you on the path you took to avoid it.
23) If you could have any job, what would it be?
Sorceress
24) What’s your more favorite smell?
Fresh basil
25) What’s your favorite place to hang out in the Lower East Side (besides Bikram of course)?
East river running path
