Collective Spotlight: Jem O’Hara
Meet Jem O’Hara, Yoga Instructor
Why did you want to become a Yoga Teacher?
To be completely honest, I was very uncertain whether I wanted to be a yoga teacher when I started the process of getting certified. A little voice in the back of my head always whispered that I would probably enjoy and get a lot out of teaching something, but I was not sure what that something should be. I did, however, feel a call to go deeper into my practice and learn more about myself outside the contexts I was familiar with: academic, creative, and work environments.
It really clicked for me that I wanted to be a yoga teacher when, during training, I realized the philosophy of foundational texts— Rig Veda, Bhagavad Gita, the Devimahatmya, the Tantraloka— resonated with my own thoughts and feelings on life. These deep wells of wisdom gave voice and structure to things I had been trying to express. The more I learned, the more meaningful my asana practice became, and the more I felt like, “wow, I’d love to share this with like minded folks.” I think yoga asana is such a wonderful tool, because not everyone may be open to the notion of an all pervading Divine Consciousness, but most people see the value in connecting movement and breath to build strength, flexibility, and ease in the body. With time and patience, these worthy practices can offer a harmonious way to navigate life and its many challenges. How does sitting in Uttkatasana for two minutes give us perspective and patience when enduring one of life’s many waves of discomfort and strife? How does breathing deeply into a twist show us that there is always more space for objectivity and reflection when life has turned our mind into a pretzel? Through yoga, the body becomes a powerful metaphor for inner healing and growth.
Making these sorts of connections between daily life, and our bodies moving on top of a small rectangle of rubber is just so cool to me. I want to teach yoga to share that enthusiasm and foster those experiences in others. I feel like if more people can experience the equanimity and peace yoga asana has to offer, the world would be way more chill. That sort of calling is good enough for me.
What have you gained from this work?
A pretty major and surprising gain from my yoga practice has been to connect in a profound way with my heart. I used to be fairly emotionally closed off, but consistent, mindful practice has helped change that. I know not everyone will want to come to a drop-in class to connect with their heart, that might sound scary or annoying (it would have to me in the past), yet we all stand to gain something by giving ourselves time to really be with our body and listen to what it has to say. Modern life is designed to bring us out of our bodies and into our heads. We move from moment to moment scanning for dangers big and small to protect ourselves, prevent past mistakes, and avoid future blunders. Rarely are we given the space to breathe into the present and feel what we’re feeling without judgement or control. Teaching yoga has given me space to practice this regularly. In that space I discovered that my heart needed more attention and care. Others may find something different through yoga, but it’s invaluable and important to give ourselves space and comfort to observe whatever is present in the body.
What do you hope your student feel after working with you?
I hope they can feel ease and calm in their days off the mat. We may not be able to change our bodies/minds/emotions/circumstances the way we would like to overnight, but we can learn to love ourselves and accept what is. I hope to give students a space to turn the volume down on unhelpful thoughts— not being flexible enough, being too flexible, carrying too little or too much weight, being anxious or depressed about this or that— to alleviate struggle. My greatest hope is that people can learn to hold themselves with care and learn to smile or laugh even as they struggle, so that the burdens we all carry may feel less cumbersome. Detach from the bad stuff. Celebrate and enjoy the good stuff. This, for me, is ease.
How does your work inform your activism or understanding of the world?
Many Yogic philosophies believe that we, on a fundamental level, are all One, and I tend to agree. It’s a sentiment that gets tossed around a lot, especially by people who’ve just had a great time on psychedelics, but on a sober and spiritual level, I really connect to it. The way I view and treat other humans, animals, plants, et al. follows a base assumption that whatever I do to the world I am essentially doing to myself. Said simply, I really believe in the Golden Rule. It’s really challenging to take this on with sincerity, especially now when there are so many people in the world whom I disagree with vehemently, who are degrading and destroying our planet, and who frankly would wish me dead. Nevertheless I remind myself that all people, even the heinous villains and deceivers, are human like me, and deserve recognition and respect as such. That’s not to say the world should just come together holding hands singing kumbaya, but it does mean whatever actions I take in this world I strive to do from a place of bringing people together, rather than dismissing and breaking people apart. Extending compassion to our enemies sucks on an egoic level, but I think we gotta do it if we’re gonna ever turn things around.
What's your favorite season of the year and why?
My cats! Yeah, I’m a cat person, SO WHAT?! They’re so cute and good and they meow real nice. Every night Charlotte comes to collect her nighttime scratches when I get in bed, and in the morning Marcus asks for his pets after breakfast. They’re perfect. No notes.
What has made you smile recently that you feel the need to share?
All the plants and creatures that live around my rural home! Each day I feel totally charmed by hummingbirds, dragonflies, the little weasel that played outside my window the other day, the bobcat, or the family of young turkeys who lingered in my yard, completely distracting me from the work I was trying to do! Having moved here from living in town, I absolutely love getting to witness so many different beings living so close to me. And the smell of the summer wildflowers every time I step out my door is pure delight.
