Yoga Teacher Named Outstanding Citizen
BY SHEILA LANE, LEDGER CONTRIBUTING WRITER · SEPTEMBER 15, 2016
MID-WILSHIRE—The Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council bestowed their Outstanding Citizen Award to yoga teacher Jess Carter.
In a ceremony at the organization’s meeting on September 14th, Carter was recognized for her work as a volunteer yoga teacher who leads free classes seven days a week at Robert Burns Park. Carter has been teaching the classes, a program of the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council (GWNC), since May 1st.
Carter thanked the council for the award and invited them to try a class.
“We have this beautiful park,” said Carter. “Please feel free to join us…It’s great vibrations.”
According to Colette Amin who presented the award, Carter is a native Angeleno who, in the 1990s, began to explore many forms of yoga including Hatha, Yin, Kundalini, Restorative, Vinyasa Flow and Iyengar, but found her roots in Ashtanga-based yoga.
Carter studied with Jody Blumstein at YogaWorks in Larchmont Village and chose to take her teacher training through Ella Cojocaru, a prominent Romanian yogini.
In a written statement Carter submitted to the council, Carter wrote that she was motivated by the deaths of her mother and brother to do what she does.
“I can’t bring back my mom or my brother, but every woman I teach could be someone’s mom, every man could be someone’s brother, and being able to give Light and Strength to others through yoga is something I feel strongly called to do,” wrote Carter. “I have never received money for teaching yoga and this practice is known as Karma Yoga. The strongest calling in my heart is to bring this healing, life-changing practice to everyone, because everyone can find their way home through yoga.”
Joe Hoffman, chair of the GWNC Outreach Committee, said the award is a way to recognize the “unsung heroes” who have shown tremendous dedication to the community through the generous gift of their time, effort and skills.
“The award is a way to acknowledge and thank them,” said Hoffman, “and to share their efforts and accomplishments as a way to inspire others to get involved and make a difference”
Carter leads classes at Robert Burns Park at the corner of Van Ness Avenue and Beverly Boulevard every day at 10:00 a.m., except Friday, when class begins at 9:30 a.m.
