Jake Ferguson

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I had practiced yoga a few times throughout my life before joining Sol Yoga, either by taking a college course or learning stretches at the martial arts studio I attend, but I never really established a solid routine. Every time I did do yoga though I took note of the calm yet energized state it would put me in after a session of practice, this state was something I would occasionally try to recreate by picking up a yoga manual of some kind and trying my best to mimic the poses and sequences shown, this paired with the occasional Youtube video I was able to get what I thought at the time was a somewhat passable yoga practice, however I would inevitably fall out of it.

I have now been practicing at Sol Yoga since the last week of 2020, and I wish I could go back to tell that guy trying to construct a teacher out of internet videos and books to just take all that effort and put it into learning under the amazing teachers at Sol Yoga. I learned more in one month at Sol Yoga than the entirety of my previous yoga experiences.

Being a martial arts instructor has many physical demands; from being hip tossed by angsty adolescents, keeping up with excited children or being fireman kicked by full grown adults. My practice at Sol Yoga has been invaluable to my health. Keeping me loose so as not to pull or strain something, improving my balance to help demonstrate proper form and strengthening my body to make me a more durable training dummy.

Whether it's Lucy Gong off handedly blowing your mind with a simple tweak that improves your whole practice or Laura Leathers giving you “I told you so” face while you discover you are in a pose you initially thought impossible. You will quickly discover the value of studying under these lovely people.

My yoga journey has been so fulfilling for so many reasons. I first started yoga at a fitness club when I was 19. Not knowing it at the time, I stubbled upon one of the best teachers in the world IMO. She had a presence about her that I had never experienced before. She was calm, nurturing, graceful, humble, and genuine. She looked at me as though she loved me, and I think I needed that more than I knew. I went to all of her classes as often as I could. Mostly to be in her presence. But also because she was teaching classical yoga; yoga with lineage to Krishnamacharya Hatha, Patabhi Jois Ashtanga Vinyasa, and B.K.S. Iyengar yoga. She was the real deal and I could feel it. She taught me the foundations of yoga and her sequencing, knowledge, guidance, and presence left me feeling whole. After about a year of studying with her she asked me to start subbing her classes. Before I knew it, I found myself teaching at local studios, fitness centers, CSU, an alternative high school in town. I taught about 8 classes a week.

I developed a daily home practice at a young age. I did a lot of self-study and was interested in Eastern philosophy, especially yoga philosophy. My asana practice was steady and advanced quickly. I understood how to tweak the slightest position of a finger or a toe and get a different effect or energy. I was blessed with body awareness even as a child. I was a gymnast. As time went on, I moved to Denver and finally got my yoga certification after already teaching for 8 years. Then I started studying at an Iyengar studio for 14 years with a teacher who was known for going off the beaten path when it came to the Iyengar tradition. He took me under his wing and I got regular informal teacher training from him in every class. That was where I learned about the energies of the subtle bodies, body mechanics, and how to use props like a boss. I gained knowledge from watching other peoples’ bodies: posture, breath, face, energy, alignment, etc. He also taught me how to adjust people and make yoga accessible and individualized for each aspirant. I was so fortunate to have these 2 teachers, Jane Houck and Kevin Durkin, take me in the way they did. 

Even with 20+ years of asana and pranayama practice, I still lean on other tools too, for healing and balance. The practice of the yamas and niyamas, the 8 limbs of yoga, mindfulness, therapy, self-care rituals, and asking for help are other practices that I need for a balanced life - which I strive for and no, have not, mastered. I’ve learned that I can no longer depend solely on my physical practice to feel connected at a deeper level. But, this is where yoga starts and this is how I stay physically healthy, sense my emotions, and manage stress. 

In March, 2021 I received my 300 hr teaching certification, giving me the 500 hr credentials. This recent training, and the downtime of the pandemic, allowed me to go much deeper in my practice. I utilize many styles of yoga, mantras, and philosophy. I’ve realized that if I have a strong attraction or aversion to any one style, person, action, or thing then there is a lesson there to further explore. I use this technique often in life. It’s how I stay committed to growing as a student and teacher. I believe that you don’t have to commit to any one style, or any one teacher in order to experience the depth of what yoga has to offer. It is about self-discovery, self-awareness, and realizing that everything you are searching for is already inside of you. 

My wish is that any and everyone who is drawn to yoga sticks with it so they may experience how it can transform their lives. There is something for everyone and your yoga changes as you do. It is an art and science, and you don’t have to conceptualize it or label it for it to work. Your work is to show up with an open mind, stay curious, and allow the yoga to do the work. It’s a gift to be drawn to yoga. It’s a gift to seek and find deeper meaning in life. That is what I want for my students. 

My journey with yoga began in 2016 in Montanita, Ecuador with Authentic Yoga Teacher Training.  I was fortunate enough to study under teachers who were not only skilled at teaching how to sequence a class, but more importantly impart the history and philosophy of yoga.

In hopes of honoring my teachers, I try to thread pieces of yoga philosophy into each class that I teach.  And while I’m thoroughly convinced that yoga is much more of a mental practice than a physical one, I still jump for joy when I see a student reach a new depth in a posture.

Mostly though, I hope that the students who practice with me, see that like them, I am also a student on the same journey.  I am here to share my experience and equally excited to learn from all the wonderful individuals who have trusted and allowed me to guide their practice for however short or long the period of time. 

The first time I practiced yoga was 10 to 12 years ago. I had been wanting to try it for a while and finally connected with my first teacher. I do believe the saying, "when the student is ready the teacher will come", is true.  

I was hooked from the very first class. Yoga felt familiar to me from the beginning and someone once told me that "I took to it like a fish to water".  And that is  what it felt like to me, that I returned to something I had known and cared deeply about before. 

I practiced pretty regularly for a couple of years and then kind of drifted away for a time. I returned to a full-time yoga practice about 4 and 1/2 to 5 years ago and I'm now a daily practitioner.  

The more I practice yoga and the more I learn, the more I love it and the more I want practice it. 😁 It is an awesome addiction!😉  

I love to practice in studio because I like the feeling of the class building energy together as a whole and in that way each individual is more supported; we each put something in and we each derive something even larger in return in the form of increased Zen and energy flow! 

My home studio of the last 5 years recently went out of business and finding myself without a home studio for the first time in some years was an unpleasant and dissociative feeling, especially given the very close community that we had there.   

I continued my practice online at home, like everybody else did at the start of Covid-19, but once things started to open back up again, I began searching for a new yoga home.  

After taking several studios for a "test drive", I found Sol Yoga, owned by the sweet, amazing, Lucy Gong. My first interaction with Sol was with Laura (Leathers) and in that first interaction I felt a connection as Laura was very warm, friendly and welcoming. 💜 

I took my first class @ Sol with Laura and I am now an addict for Laura's classes which are always challenging, however, they are also always uplifting as well as informational (many thx for the Sanskrit, Laura)😉❤and I smile frequently in each class because Laura has a great sense of humor as well. She is a very thoughtful and contemplative teacher with a questioning mind who seeks to broaden and deepen each student's knowledge and overall yoga practice with LOTS of encouragement for all. 

After my first class with Laura, I had  the great pleasure of meeting Sol owner and studio vision holder, Lucy Gong, who was also so welcoming and just so genuinely nice and that fabulous smile! 😁 

Lucy's classes are phenomenal! If you want to build strength quickly as well as endurance and stamina and get to have poses broken down to their very foundation, as well as have the opportunity to practice poses that you might never have seen or heard of before, come to Lucy's classes!  Be prepared to work hard and enjoy doing it! Lucy possesses a WEALTH of yoga knowledge and is truly an amazing teacher. 

My favorite style of yoga, if I can only pick one, is Vinyasa, because I love the union of the breath and the movement within the flow. There are moments when I am doing Vinyasa where I feel truly free and that is priceless.❤🕉  

Sol Yoga is now my new yoga home and I am very grateful to have found it and the wonderful community that we are building there!  

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu.   Translation:  (May all beings everywhere be happy and free).  Namaste.  

I first tried yoga a couple a year's ago because I was having back problems, but I completely fell off after short time. Fast forward to 2020 and I continue to have back and joint pain so I build some courage and made it to one of the classes here at SOL yoga and fell in love with it all. I enjoy coming in to the studio and learning from the teachers and my community, on how to work on my self thru breathing stretching and meditation. Ying yang if definitely one of my favorite styles, it's the best of both worlds. Warrior II is my  favorite pose it makes me feel strong and fearless while working on my foundation. I attend class 3 or 4 times a week more or less. At the end of the day I'm glad I found yoga, it really helps me stay calm and healthy in my fast pace life. I look forward to my endless journey in yoga! I'm happy I can teach my daughter all this! 

I am a breast cancer survivor and like many, I found yoga after chemo and radiation to assist with healing. A whole new world opened up for me!

The practice of yoga has taught me 3 key things (and many more but let’s keep it to three for now):

-patience (really needed that as a single mom of 2 girls)

-how to breath (pranayama) which is my cure for all

-how to listen.

This picture, taken at the Ritz Carlton in Laguna Niguel CA, exemplifies all three of the above. Half Moon requires patience (go in to it slowly) and deep breathing (which promotes no judgment of how I am doing in the pose) and listening (behind me were dolphins in the Pacific Ocean below - and they were talking to me!)

Yoga offers peace and changes my energy with each practice. I like setting a sankalpa at the start of each class. My goal is to practice at least 3 times per week (always morning) no matter who the teacher is and no matter the style of class. I finish refreshed, restored and renewed.