Meet our newest teachers, Mary Jean Larson, CYT 200!

Mary Jean started practicing yoga in 1984 with Becky Love at the Lawson YMCA in Chicago. It was undoubtedly clear to her right then that yoga would be a life long practice because of the inner peace & better quality of life it gave her with the asanas being an added bonus.

Always knowing she would someday be a certified yoga instructor, MJ received her 200-hour yoga teacher training certification this past year with her dear friend and teacher LJ at YAF.

MJ has practiced yoga at YAF since 1998 when Laura Jane opened in Downers Grove. She also enjoys several workshops that YAF offers giving her the chance to practice with Rod Stryker and other world renowned teachers.

Here are some fun facts about Mary Jean in her own words:

If you could pick one song to play every time you entered a room it would be...
“Feel it still” but I’d probably get sick of it if it was played every time I walked into a room. Ha.Ha. Basically anything with a good up beat.

My favorite animal is.. a cat

Guilty Pleasure…Watching TV

Pigout food…Cheese & crackers

Last show I binge watched….Big Little Lies

Good book I’m reading…Educated

Best Movie I’ve seen lately…A Star is Born

Favorite place...The beach and mountains

If I could do anything for the next 30 minutes, I would ...Go for a walk

What would you like to do more of? Yoga

What would you like to do less of? Stress

Greatest inspiration…My family

In a perfect world, we would communicate via…Face to face

Who is/are your yoga role models? Laura Jane and many more

A pose I struggle with…The arms in Gomukhasana/Cow face - can’t get me hands clasped right now

A pose I love and why…Headstand, it has multiple benefits. My favorite is the feeling of the blood flowing to my head and face

What is the biggest reason you teach yoga? To deepen my practice and share what I believe will benefit any and everyone

I want my students to...Walk away from my class feeling their best mentally & physically, and I want them to tell their friends to come back with them because they loved it so much

What 3 words best describe you…optimistic, sociable & enthusiastic

Find Mary Jean on the drop-in schedule on Mondays at 4:30pm for Vinyasa Flow – starting Sept 9. All are welcome!