A strange thing has happened since my pilgrimage to Chartres Cathedral in France: the name Jess just doesn’t fit anymore. Since you likely know me as Jess, or Jess G, I thought I’d tell the origin story of that name and give a little glimpse into what’s happening now. (My mom is going to love this.)

Twenty years ago I got my first yoga teaching job at a big, beautiful studio here in Austin called Yoga Yoga. Mehtab was the beloved owner, along with his wife and a business partner, and he was the one who hired me. But before I signed the dotted line, there was one more thing, and I remember his words so clearly: 

“We already have a Jessica M on the schedule. Can you be Jess G?”

Yep! Sure! Sounds good!  And just like that, Jess G became my teaching name. And for fifteen years I taught at Yoga Yoga, my classes grew, and people came to really know me as Jess, or Jess G. My coworkers, friends, people at church and at the grocery...