It was time. I’d been curious about yoga for years. My personal spiritual practice extols the benefits of moving from the head into the body, and besides, yoga is cool.

The intimidation factor, however, was intense. This middle-aged body was out of shape, tight from sitting at a desk all day, and frankly, not all that excited about sitting on a thin mat on a hard floor moving into postures (or “asanas”) that looked like they were designed for a lithe 20 year old with a BMI of 20.

So to say I was ambivalent about pursing yoga, and even more ambivalent about picking a studio would be an understatement.

There are many fine teachers of yoga in the Valley – I know this from hearing raves from my friends. But I thought I’d start my exploration by reviewing web sites to see if I could catch a vibe that would tilt my decision to one studio or teacher over another.

A Google search took me to Be The Change Yoga Studio. Curiously, the first thing I noticed about owner Jessi Smith’s web page was that the only photo was of her face. No glam shots of her doing exotic yoga poses, showing off headstands or other impossible positions that experienced yoga teachers tend to do with seeming ease.

No – Be The Change’s home page was of Jessi Smith smiling, with glasses on her face, her gaze focused on something just off the page. My kind of girl. She offered classes that were just an hour long. I could surely manage that. So off I went, without knowing the difference between vinyasa yoga (what Jessi teaches) and Bikram. Or hatha yoga. Or kundalini yoga. Whatever. I liked her smile. I was going.

The studio is small with high ceilings. Windows at the top of the ceiling with diffused glass let in the warm color of the sun, and the wood walls increased the feeling of being in a safe place. There was a faint scent of incense lingering in the air; rolled mats, straps and blocks for support were neatly stacked. I sat down and hoped I would live through the next 60 minutes without seriously injuring myself or my dignity.

What surprised me was that Jessie began the class not with a pose but with talking; in Buddhism it might be described as a “dharma talk.” All her words were about giving oneself permission to just “be” – be on the mat, be in the class, be in the world. That yoga practice allows us to deepen our hearts; strengthen the connection to our inner selves. That whatever comes up on the mat is likely to be coming up in our lives – things like judgment, impatience, criticism, comparing ourselves to others and coming up short. Was this woman reading my mind? And – was yoga really going to do all this?

From that point we moved into the first pose, and easy cat/cow movement. Jessi put on some groovy chant music and before long, my body was entered into poses that were challenging but not impossible. Her calm voice, encouraging, cajoling, supporting me and the rest of the students in an easy, steady cadence made a lot of the asanas easier to get into.

Too, her gentle approach made me feel that I didn’t have to be like a Bozeman version of Shiva Rea in order to belong in her class, though I was surrounded by plenty of women and men who seemed more familiar with and less befuddled by some of the asanas. There even were some awesome headstands and backbends done by my co-yogis I didn’t dare attempt but which inspired me nonetheless.

It was a great experience. At the end, we all lay down in shavasana, a pose that encourages deep relaxation and recovery. Jessi read from a book and I floated away… and decided that I was going to return.

My second class was just as wonderful as the first; there again was calm Jessi, offering challenging but doable poses, sweat but not “hot” yoga, great music and the peaceful silence in shavasana at the end. But an interesting thing happened after we were done; Jessi announced that from here on out, all the classes at Be The Change would be by donation only. No more set fees. I asked her about the decision.

“Yoga should be available to everyone” she stated. “It’s about living yoga, not just doing yoga.” Jessi came to the ancient practice while living in Texas, coming out of a deep funk and needing something to help her move on with her life. She started classes and within six months was asked by her teacher to become a teacher herself. Shortly thereafter she began studying with Baron Baptiste, one of today’s more renowned teachers, and then became a Senior Teacher with his business, traveling the country giving yoga workshops. A trip to Feathered Pipe Ranch outside Helena introduced her to her future husband. She married and moved to Bozeman, and opened Be The Change in 2008.

Jessi first charged typical rates for yoga classes. But she soon decided that to live close to her spiritual beliefs meant trusting that if she made her classes “donation only” that it would all work out. “And it has!” Jessi smiles. “It’s been successful beyond my expectations.” Students are asked to contribute what they can afford. That’s it. “There are so many ways to ‘be the change’ but one of them is that yoga practice should not be limited to people with means,” Jessi said. “Most people need yoga the most when they are having the hardest time. I didn’t want money to be a barrier.”

Jessi teaches 13 times a week; other teachers at the studio, all certified, offer classes throughout the week. The studio website www.bethechange-yogastudio.com lists the schedule and the teacher bios as well as a very cool remix song as a backdrop – be sure to have the volume turned up on your computer so you can hear it.

There is something refreshing about a spiritual teacher who walks her talk. Jessi Smith and Be The Change Yoga might just revolutionize the yoga business. I know I will support this new idea and hope to see you there, too. Namaste.

Liz Harrison is an alternative health and wellness junkie who lives in Bozeman. This column explores the many alternative wellness offerings and practitioners in the Gallatin Valley.  Suggestions, raves and rants may be sent to wellnessepicurean@gmail.com

Be The Change Yoga Studio
438 E. Mendenhall, Suite 2
Class Fee: By donation