HER | Woman starts business touting Christ-centered yoga

Jessica McCarty's goal is to use yoga to "help people heal."
Jessica McCarty's goal is to use yoga to "help people heal."

oga has helped provide therapy to Jessica McCarty's body and soul. Now she wants to help others by demonstrating the mental and physical benefits of Christ-centered mediation and yoga.

Prodigy Yoga is Jessica's new business that provides YogaFaith training.

The name "Prodigy" comes from the word "prodigal," as in the story of the prodigal son from Luke's Gospel. Jessica describes herself as a prodigal child, who is now focusing on her health and her spirituality.

The goal at Prodigy Yoga is to teach people how to manage stress and heal naturally and authentically through body movement and meditation.

Jessica is a 200-hour registered YogaFaith Trainer with the Christian Yoga Association.

A native of Texarkana, Jessica began her yoga journey about 20 years ago when she started college.

"I took yoga classes and loved them" she said.

Fast forward several years, and Jessica found herself living in San Antonio, Texas. Her marriage had just ended and she was preparing to move home to Texarkana. She felt like she had been neglecting herself.

"I had not exercised or taken care of myself," she said.

Struggling with anxiety and depression, she began to focus on her health and practicing yoga every day.

Jessica used her yoga not only as a time for body strengthening exercise, but as time with God. Her anxiety subsided and she felt better overall.

She remarried and had a son. Her doctor recommended yoga as exercise during her pregnancy.

"I started doing yoga every day. I was watching YouTube videos and was learning a lot about it," she said.

As her passion grew, she knew she wanted to help others find healing through Christ-centered body movement and meditation.

She began teaching informal yoga classes to friends and coworkers. She researched yoga schools and found one that aligned with her faith. After many hours of online modules and daily yoga practice, Jessica attended YogaFaith Miracle Immersion in Tacoma, Washington.

Her services include restorative yoga, chair yoga, pre-natal and post-natal yoga and yoga for children. Classes can be 30 minutes or an hour and she also offers private sessions.

Jessica said trauma-sensitive yoga is the type closest to her heart.

"I really want to help people heal," she said.

Her dream is to do retreats and workshops, and eventually have her own studio.

In the meantime, she will be holding yoga events at Church on the Rock, senior centers and other locations. Her first event at Church on the Rock was a free event to introduce YogaFaith to the community. More than 130 people registered for it.

The past couple of years have been a whirlwind with a marriage, a baby, earning a bachelor's degree and starting a business.

Jessica and her husband Kevin have a baby boy named Maxwell, and she also has a 6-year-old son Maddox.

"I'm on the go all of the time," she said.

But yoga helps keep Jessica balanced and she is devoted to sharing her passion for yoga with others. 

 

(For more information, contact [email protected] or call 210-860-3493.)

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