Jessie Mullen, DC, CACCP

Tell us a little about yourself Jessie
I graduated from UMASS Dartmouth with a BS and received my doctor of chiropractic degree from New York Chiropractic College. I practiced chiropractic medicine in Ireland for 1 year before moving to the Lake Norman area where I’ve practiced for the last 9 years (primarily Mooresville and Lincolnton). I live in Cornelius with my husband Chris and our pets (a dog and cat).

Chiropractors practice in a variety of ways. Tell us what to expect when we visit you?
On your first visit, you can expect a full consultation and examination which includes a personalized treatment plan. I am skilled in several techniques ranging from a tool used for gentle assists called an activator to the traditional diversified adjustment that most chiropractors use (where you hear a crack).

I know you have special training in chiropractic for KIDS and PRENATAL CARE. Tell us about that.
I have additional chiropractic training and certification from the Academy of Chiropractic Family Practice and the Council on Chiropractic Pediatrics to work with children and moms-to-be. I am certified in the Webster Technique, which balances the pelvic ligaments and muscles, allowing the baby to move into the best position for birth. Pregnant women can benefit from chiropractic care and chronic illnesses such as asthma and digestive issues respond well to chiropractic adjustments.

Tell us something about which you are passionate.
Hands down, nutrition! Chiropractic school offered a steady focus on nutrition and I have supplemented my passion for knowledge with post-graduate classes on nutrition and the use of supplements. Good nutrition is critical to restoring and maintaining good health.

What do you like to do when you are not working?
I’m a real animal lover and spend lots of time with my dog, Emily, and cat, Isis. I love to run and to workout- exercise is very important to me. I also love to lounge on the boat and float in the lake all summer!! Lake Norman is a great place to live! This past year, I discovered a passion for skydiving which I hope to be doing more of every year.

What are your hours at the Bindu and how do we make an appointment with you?
For an appointment, call 980-833-3616 or email me at drjessie@drjessie.com. General office hours are Monday-Thursday 8:30-5 and Friday 8:30-12, by appointment only. Special office hours are also possible – please call to schedule.

Jessica Bowles, Thai Yoga Massage Therapist & Yoga Instructor

We are delighted to welcome yoga teacher and Thai Yoga Massage Therapist, Jessica Bowles, to the Bindu teaching team. In addition to her skillful yoga teaching and extraordinary knowledge of the body, Jessica embodies the heart of great studentship – a deep commitment to continual learning. Jessica teaches a great stretching class on Thursdays at 7pm and is available by appointment (704.941.8412) for Thai Yoga Massage sessions. I asked Jessica to answer a few questions below so you can get to know her better. If you have further questions, you can reach Jessica at jessicabowles1@yahoo.com
- Kelley Gardner

What draws you to teach at the Bindu?
There is a welcoming and nurturing energy that is felt from the moment you walk in the door. This beautiful space is filled with amazing teachers bursting with knowledge and excitement to share the love and life changing “good” that enters all aspects of mind and body as you begin to move, breath, and absorb all that is YOGA!
　
What advice do you have for people first starting yoga?
It is a “practice”. Every time you step on the mat your body will glide into each pose with a little more ease. Every time you sit in meditation you’ll find a deeper since of calmness and peace. Because you practice doesn’t mean you’ll never feel discomfort in the body or chaos in the mind, but now you have the tools to bring your body and mind back into a state of ease and peace.

What is your favorite yoga posture?
Anything “restorative”! I studied with the lovely Cora Wen during my 500hr training at the Asheville Yoga Center and she past on the beautiful knowedge of Restorative Yoga, taught to her by Judith Laster. Restorative yoga is thought to be the antidote to stress and even more relaxing for the body than sleep. In restorative poses every curve of the body is supported by props and is designed to stimulate the “relaxation response” in the body.

What are you currently working on?
Recently, I have been working on the yogic philosophy of Equanimity. This concept describes a state of mental and emotional stability that is cultivated from a deep awareness and acceptance of the present moment. In other words, trying to keep a calm and un-affected inner state, no matter what is going on around you. Equanimity is mentioned in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras as one of the four “sublime attitudes”. The other three are loving kindness (metta), compassion, and joy! I continue to consciously bring all of these into my life and being, as I practice truly “living” my yoga.
　
What is your favorite soapbox to get on?
Thai Yoga Therapy! About 4 yrs. ago, I traveled to CA to study this amazing healing art with Saul David Raye. This therapy aims at stimulating the flow of energy within the body, by working the sen lines (energy channels) to open the places which are blocked. Since health is a state of balance or harmony between these energies and dis-ease us seen as imbalance in this flow of energy, Thai Yoga Therapy is powerfully healing for mind and body.
　
What is the last book you read?
The last book I read was The Encyclopedia of Thai Massage by Pierce Salguero. I recently traveled to D.C. to the Thai Institute to study with Pierce. This has deepened my understanding of this healing work, even more that I could have imagined!

What is the last yoga book you read?
My favorite yoga book is Moving Into Stillness by Erich Schiffman. It was the first yoga book I read and I one I can read over and over again! all the way through or just flip through when I need some inspiration or to re-connect with one of my teachers. “Yoga is a way of moving into stillness in order to experience the truth of who you are…an ancient process designed to help you discover your true nature so you can live daily life with that new awareness.” -E. Schiffman

What is Thai Yoga Therapy?
Thai Yoga Therapy (also known as Thai Massage and Nuat Boran) is a sacred and ancient system of healing. In this style of yoga therapy, a combination of Traditional Thai Massage techniques, acupressure, yogic stretching, energy work, and meditation are used to create healing, bring the body’s energies into balance, as well as restore and rejuvenate mind and body.

Who would benefit from a session and why?
Everyone! We all can have imbalances in energy or blocks in the body due to injury, chronic use, stress, tension, etc. Thai Yoga Therapy helps to release stress/tension, increase flexiblity/suppleness, increase vital energy, relieve pain/soreness, and promote healing.

Yoga doesn’t make running easier, but with yoga, I got easier with running…

Written by Jessica King . . .

One activity that I love just as much as yoga is running. This “love” has not always been in my life though. As an adolescent, I was an athlete, but I did not enjoy “exercise” exactly. I liked practices; I liked competition; I liked the social aspect of sports; and, I liked being active and healthy. But, to just step on a treadmill or hit the trail seemed like torture to me. In fact, we had to do land training at the beginning of a competitive swim season in high school, and I can remember literally needing to vomit after the first run. I hated it.

As I got older, I realized that without organized sports I would have to “exercise” to keep in shape. I tried a variety of aerobics classes and trainers, but nothing seemed easier and faster than running. So, my running experience started by getting out there and running as fast as I could just to burn as many calories as I could in the shortest amount of time. The whole time telling myself how much I hated it.

As I “grew up”, my priorities changed, my perception of the world changed, and my ideas about my body and my health also changed. I realized my mental health was as important as my physical health, and my physical health had more to do with a healthy body image than being my size 2 jeans. Just a side note – kids probably had much to do with this since they forced the size 2 jeans out the window!

I had started yoga about 10 years ago, but it was not until the last few years that my yoga practice moved out of the competitive arena. Yes, I said competitive. It sounds counter-intuitive that yoga could be competitive, but, it can be for many people. Not only do many people start out comparing themselves to other more advanced yogis, but they (me included) continuously are in comparison with what they think they “ought to be”. It was not until I embarked on a deeper yoga practice with my teacher training that I was able to find the beautiful, non-competitive, self-expressive form of yoga I practice today.

As my yoga became less competitive, my negative thoughts towards my body and practice seemed to disappear, and in the end my total attitude towards life began to change. I realized that I was more than enough in all circumstances. There was no need to be anything else or do any more. I realized that I was going to get to where I was going when I was supposed to get there, no matter how hard I pushed or tried make it happen. I realized being “here now” was so much better than living in the past or the future. I also took great satisfaction when I tried something new in yoga. Yoga made it easy for me to be proud of new accomplishments, but willing to let go self-defeating statements to myself if I was not able to do every single pose in a particular class. It was the “path without a goal” that yoga taught me.

So, it was with these realizations that I embarked into the world of running again. With the push of a few friends wanting to do a race, I started training and to my surprise this time it was not like running my head into a wall. I slowed down. I listened to my body and did what I could on that particular day. I enjoyed being outside in nature with my thoughts. Before I knew it, I was running 6 miles at a time and by the end of that year I completed my first half marathon.

Now, I am not saying that starting a running program is always this easy for everyone. But, I do believe that embarking on any new exercise program, activity, or adventure takes a yogi’s mind. Ever present; non-competitive, but ready to shine in accomplishment; willing to always give it shot, but even more willing to let go.

Now whether I am doing yoga or running or just maneuvering life’s path, I just put one foot in front of the other a enjoy the scenery. There is a famous quote that says, “Yoga doesn’t make life easier, but, with yoga, you get easier with life.” And, I think that is what yoga did for my running. Yoga made me easier with running.

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If you are interested in running and/or yoga, I am starting a Yoga and Running Group at the Bindu Yoga & Wellness on January 11, 2012. It will be held Wednesdays from 11-12:30pm. There is a 4 week option or an 8 week option. Click for full details and to register.

Interview with Memi Goings, Yoga Instructor

What draws you to teach at the Bindu?

The Bindu’s loving environment and positive energy draw’s me to want to be a part of their kula.  It is a place for me to grow as a teacher and student and continue to share what I love, YOGA.

What advice do you have for people just starting yoga?
My advice to anyone just starting yoga is to just show up!  Once you step onto the mat, take a DEEP breath and open your heart and mind. 

What is your favorite yoga posture?
My favorite posture is Mermaid.  I am a water kind of girl, so when I come to this posture I feel free, completely open, and expansive. 

What posture are you currently working on?
I am currently working on hand balances, since learning the principles of Anusara I am able to express my postures in a new light.  My favorite to work on when I am around the house and need a break from the real world is Pincha Mayurasana (forearm stand).  Every once in a while I ‘ll try Dragonfly II with hand to chin;-)

What is your favorite soapbox to get on?
What soapbox do I not like to get on!  I will talk to anyone about anything.  However, the one that everyone knows and they say, “here she goes” is Wellness and a Holistic lifestyle.  My Husband, Nick and I are both working toward a Nutrition Consultant certification and everything we learn we want to share with the world.  

What is the last book you read?
The last book I read was “A Better Way to Live” by Og Mandino. He is such an inspirational and loveable author who keeps it real.  His book gives you 17 basic rules to live by daily.  My favorite is #17  “Realize that true happiness lies within you.  Waste no time and effort searching for peace and contentment and joy in the world outside. Remember that there is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving.  Reach out. Share. Smile. Hug. Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself.”

What is the last yoga book you read?
The last yoga book I read was a life changer, “Anusura Yoga Teacher Training Manual”, by John Friend.  I will continue to read and re-read! 

Interview with Pam Kessinger Best, Yoga Instructor

What draws you to teach at the Bindu?

I have been practicing Yoga for thirteen years now.  I feel like I have learned more from being a student at the Bindu this year than I ever have in any other style of teaching.  I attribute this growth to the alignment principles of Anusara Yoga.  I have been able to explore my physical practice and open into postures in ways I never have before.   I am very excited to join the Bindu.  I look forward to be a part of this loving community of teachers, which can only help me become an even better Yoga student, and therefore a better teacher.

What advice do you have for people first starting yoga?

I enjoy sharing the following advice with beginning students:

1. Remember to breathe.  To me, breathing deeply in a Yoga posture means finding your truth.  If I cannot breathe deeply, I am not being true to my body, mind or spirit.  I encourage students to back out a little, breathe deeper to find you can expand in ways you never imagined.
2. We all have to start somewhere.  All Yoga students have been in your very same position at some point in their practice.  We have all experienced our first Yoga class.  Yoga can be whatever you want it to be.  However, at first, I encourage it to be about you learning to listen to your body.  Try not to compare yourself to the people around you.  It is your personal journey on and off your mat.
3. Everything in Yoga builds on one another.  Even if you think you already know a posture, explore it and trust that something new will build upon it.

What is your favorite yoga posture?

I love pigeon pose.  It stretches me in all the right places.  Early in my practice, it was my most dreaded pose.  Now, I have learned to respect pigeon and could hang out and enjoy the juiciness for days!

What posture are you currently working on?

I am currently working on Handstand.  It has been the hardest arm balance for me to master.  I am working on it and getting closer every day!

What is your favorite soapbox to get on?

I am extremely passionate about holistic nutrition.  Many people do not realize the impact food has on our entire lives.  I would love to single handedly take down artificial sweeteners, soda companies, and the concept of calories.  To me – it is not about how many calories are in our food, it is about the quality of our food.  Oh wait, I am on my soapbox!

What is the last book you read?

I am thrilled about my latest read, “Mutant Message Down Under” by Marlo Morgan.  It is an amazing tale about a woman who unexpectedly goes on a mystical journey with an Aborigines Tribe in Australia.  Definitely one of my top five books!

What is the last yoga book you read?
I am in the middle of re-reading the Bhagavad Gita.  I am in a different place in life now than I was when I first read it.  I am enjoying the lessons on a whole new spiritual level than before. 

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