Jen Kraft: she/her
Teacher Lead & Teaching Crew
Jen identifies as a passionate yogi with a mission to dispel the myths that yoga is only for people with a certain body type and personality. Her intention is to teach inclusive classes to every body. She is also a mom, to two teens and a pup, wife, bookworm, beach lover and proud TV binger.
Jen found yoga to help remedy a knee injured from athletics. At first, she considered yoga only for the physical benefits, but soon discovered that yoga goes way beyond the physical and it gave her a new perspective on her body and life. She has completed over 500 hours of training focusing on vinyasa, hatha, yin, and restorative yoga. She has a B.A. in English and an MBA in Marketing, and is the founder and former Owner of Defiant Yoga in Upper Saddle River, and the Co-Founder and former Co-Owner of Body Positive Works in Saddle River.
In her classes, she encourages students to foster curiosity, rather than judgement, towards their bodies in an effort to develop body awareness and trust. She teaches with a functional approach, focusing on the purpose of poses rather than how the pose "should" look. Using non-judgmental, shame-free language is a crucial component to her teaching.
Jen facilitates yoga because she loves to help people, especially those who think yoga is not for them, develop a practice that addresses their unique needs, both on and off the mat.