Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessie Sandoval. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Jessie Sandoval is originally from Minnesota and is the owner and founder of Shanti Yoga Center. Although Jessie has always been an athlete, her passion for wellness and helping others on their own health journey stems back to her career in higher education. After various administrative roles, spanning twelve years, Jessie noticed her overall health slowly deteriorating. Long hours, high stress, and time away from family were taking their toll. Ultimately, Jessie decided to pivot.
In 2013, Jessie took a leap of faith and started JS Wellness LLC, where she consulted with local businesses and organizations on their worksite wellness programs and provided yoga, meditation, and mindfulness classes. As her reputation grew, she expanded her yoga classes to gyms, churches, fitness facilities, yoga studios, and many other venues around Central Minnesota.
After teaching thousands of students in countless venues, Jessie felt called to create a different kind of space. A space that met every student, no matter where they were at in their yoga journey, and provided them with an opportunity to grow. She believed it was her purpose to foster a community where the mat could always be a place to call home, and anyone and everyone was always welcome. In 2019, Jessie opened the doors to Shanti Yoga Center.
At Shanti, Jessie aims to offer a robust class schedule, incorporating traditional, modern, hot, and aerial classes, suitable for both beginners and advanced yogis. In addition to her operation duties, Jessie teaches a handful of classes every week, leads specialty workshops, and hosts numerous community events year-round. Shanti employs 20 yoga instructors. Teachers are encouraged to connect and collaborate with each other and take part in the continuing education Shanti hosts in the space regularly.
Since Jessie first completed her 200-hr yoga teaching training in Houston, Texas, Jessie has accumulated more than 3,000 hours of teaching experience. She obtained her RYT500 certification with Yoga Alliance and completed her 500-hour training at Yoga North in Duluth, Minnesota, focusing on Therapeutic SomaYoga and Classic Hatha Yoga. In 2020, Jessie earned her E-RYT200 and joined the faculty team at Green Lotus Yoga and Healing Center, where she taught yoga philosophy and pranayama (breath work) in the 200-hour teacher training course. Most recently, Jessie completed her training in Unnata® Aerial Yoga.
A lifelong student, Jessie often spends her free time immersed in continuing education workshops, courses, or books—all of which she eagerly brings back to the mat to share with her fellow teachers and students. In addition to yoga, Jessie enjoys indoor cycling, hiking, biking, and staying active with her husband, three kids, and their energetic goldendoodle, Diego. Her favorite Friday nights usually include relaxing on the couch with her husband, a glass of wine, and maybe a piece or two of dark chocolate.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Not a smooth road…is anything in life that smooth?! We opened in August 2019 with over 40 classes/week and close to 20 teachers. Then boom, COVID hit 7 months later and we had to change lanes fast. We flip from in-person to FB live, virtual (via zoom), and recording for a video library on our website. We were blessed with a student community that had already started to bloom. They were dedicated to their yoga practice, they respected our teachers and really wanted to see us stay in the community. So despite the online operations for several months, we were able to survive (at least rent was paid and teachers were compensated, those were my main goals). Once we could be back in person, then it was setting guidelines and policies to keep our community safe and providing good communication. It is insane actually to think back on that time and how diligent we had to remain and yet how wonderful our community was in supporting us along the way.
At this point, 3 years into our work in St. Cloud, the struggles are still there but in different ways. Because our mission is grounded in providing education and experience around all the limbs of the yoga practice, we have to work hard at educating our community about what yoga is…beyond what they see other studios and gyms market(which is mostly the physical benefits of the practice). We are also grounded in providing a safe, inclusive space where all are welcome and accessibility is at the forefront of our work – it takes time to get the word out about what we do and how we can help with through trauma-informed teaching with elements of healing and support for mental health. Many of our collaborative efforts with local organizations are just starting to pick back up now that some of the COVID restrictions are lifted. More people are open to creating partnerships, and visualizing how we can be onsite providing yoga practices, or other opportunities.
These are small struggles compared to what maybe other studios or businesses have experiences in the last couple of years. We are hopeful we can continue to provide a space of healing and peace for our community.
As you know, we’re big fans of Shanti Yoga Center. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
What you should know is that we are a community space focused on helping support students on their path of yoga. No one person’s experience or even motivation to practice yoga is the same. Everyone comes to the practice for different reasons, and this is where our strength is…we are a studio that focuses on yoga as a practice beyond the physical benefits. We believe in the healing elements of yoga for the mind and body. We meet people where they are by providing one on one teaching and guidance leading into a group class. We adjust and adapt our class and workshop offerings according to the season (nature inspired as well!). We utilize the skills, wisdom and self-study of our teachers to grow and educate our community. Our classes are authentic and true to the teacher who guides the class (inspired by their study, their experience, the lineage of their yoga path, etc.). We offer opportunities for students to move and flow in our vinyasa classes, we encourage ease and relaxation in our yin-style classes and we explore new ways of being in the body and mind through aerial, acro and other class focuses. We specialize in offering Aerial yoga classes, Ayurveda workshops and classes, book studies with a focus on yoga philosophy, SomaYoga, Sound Baths, pre and post-natal to name a few… We host teacher training programs for other yoga studios, we provide CEU opportunities and workshops for our current teachers…(ask about this if you want studio names that we work with)
We also put a lot of time, effort and focus into our community connections. We offer free and donation-based classes throughout the summer, for example, utilizing outdoor venue and partnerships with other small, local businesses. An example would be our Connect to Community Classes that were featured at establishments in St. Joseph and Holdingford this summer (Milk and Honey Ciders, Bad Habit Brewery and Art in Motion were the location we taught at and then we collaborated with local bakeries and coffee shops for treats pre and post class). We are dedicated to making yoga accessible to all so we offer scholarships and financial assistance to any student…regardless of circumstance or capacity, our goal is to provide a healing and peaceful experience, and to meet students where they are.
You can read the official “about” and mission from our website below (we are currently working on a new website rolling out in 2023!)
SHANTI YOGA CENTER offers peace and practice for everyone, with a variety of group-style classes that meet you where you’re at in your experience. From modern to traditional, hot to aerial, beginners and advanced yogis alike will feel welcome and encouraged in our beautifully designed space in St. Cloud.
MISSION: To provide yoga that meets you where you are today, so you may experience peace within.
VISION: To grow together as a community in the universal and embracing language of yoga.
What does success mean to you?
Success for our work is hearing from a student how their practice of yoga is helping them navigate a tough time in life, or is helping them heal from a trauma, or providing them with the strength to pick up their grandkid, or teaching them how to manage stress and find more peace in their lives…the list could go on! Basically, we are successful when our students learn, realize and experience the benefit of the yoga practice well beyond the confines of a sticky yoga mat…then they start to see/feel/experience the trickling of energy, healing and light from their practice with us in their daily lives, then we know we have been successful in sharing the practice. When we hear how students have met their goals which could be getting stronger in the body, learning how to breathe or establishing a meditation practice, those are successes for us.
A few testimonials to share:
Anna –
“The reasons I enjoy Shanti are difficult to articulate. It is just a place I want to go. The world is busy, often has unrealistic expectations for us, and is just plain tough sometimes. Shanti provides the opportunity to step onto my mat and honor myself, my experiences, and my practice just as it is. In Shanti’s classes and studio rooms I can be on my mat to pray, to move, and to hold space for what Yoga is to me. Shanti and the teachers create a small retreat in my day – that I so much look forward to. Each time you go it is a guided class, however, each person’s experience is personal at the same time. Somehow Shanti has successfully provided a studio for our area that is both honoring to each person’s personal experience/practice and holds an absolutely wonderful space for community.”
Angie –
“It’s the perfect place to move your body, settle your mind, and brighten your soul.”
Elizabeth –
“I continue to be grateful for the gift of all this space and for the wonderful teachers who help populate the space—I know I’m supposed to claim a favorite, but I can’t 🙂 I so appreciate the opportunity to learn from such a great variety of teachers, each one with a different perspective, a different way of helping me see. So whether I’m hanging upside down, basking in the heat, or curling my toes into the grass, I continue to see the places/spaces where I can grow. And that’s what I love about Shanti. :)”
Mani –
“I practice at Shanti because it is a community and people who work and practice there are tolerant and kind.”
Angie & Mark –
“We love how it has connected us to such wonderful people in our community. There are so many words to describe the instructors and the studio: welcoming, centering, gentle, strengthening, beautifully designed. Shanti was incredibly nimble in the midst of a pandemic, continuing to find ways to connect and encourage the practice virtually, and continuing to offer the regular class schedule, as well as new practices.”
Jeanne –
“It doesn’t matter how I’m feeling that day; you (Shanti) always seem to touch on exactly what I need to be able to let go of my week and start the weekend with a renewed, calmed mind.”
Jeanne started attending aerial classes to experience something new, and she says our classes have not disappointed even though she was skeptical at first. She says, “After trying a new pose, I’ve found I need to trust my body, and its capabilities a bit more. I love all the teachers I’ve taken classes with – they all bring a different perspective and vibe to class. I love all the class varieties and that I can leave my expectations to myself – if I’m not feeling it, I can modify it. I love all the people that make up the Shanti community – the respect and kindness are felt every time I walk through the door. I love how I feel so much more flexible – mind, body, and spirit.”
Tes –
When asked what she loves about Shanti, Tes’s answer made us smile. She said, “Oh, so many things! It’s not just the warm welcome when I come in the door, the community in classes, the delicious tea, or the wicked awesome water heater that sings Vivaldi when it’s done. It’s just when class begins and I take that last breath, blow away the day, and let myself be there. I have a new focus. I am able to hear the teacher while listening to my body.”
Sucharita –
“All in all Shanti has been a blessing for me and I am so grateful for this awesome space dedicated to the most awesome thing anyone can do for themselves – Yoga.”
Pricing:
- Class Packages (5, 10 or 15)
- Unlimited Monthly Memberships
- Discounts for students, educators, medical works, seniors and veterans
- 16 yrs and under are always free, otherwise $5 to 25 drop in price depending on the class
- small groups/specialty events/corporate classes
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shantiyoga.center
- Instagram: @shantiyogacentermn
- Facebook: @shantiyogacentermn
