New Jersey, nicknamed the Garden State, is surprisingly a very culturally diverse state and it’s home to iconic names like Frank Sinatra, Albert Einstein, and Thomas Edison. It is not only diverse culturally, it has undeniable differences in its landscape too. The northern New Jersey landscape is mountainous and rocky, while southern New Jersey has beautiful flat farmland. But what New Jersey is probably most known for is its famous beaches, which stretch for 130 miles along the Atlantic Ocean coast, from Sandy Hook to Cape May. It’s also the home of some of the best yoga teachers and studios in the nation, who like me, happen to call New Jersey home.

Paul and Shire Lopresti are the owners of Yoga Revive yoga studio as well as Revive Juice and Bowls vegan restaurant in Marlton, New Jersey. Paul is a truly rare teacher, and has been dedicated to health and fitness his whole life. As a young adult, due to some pretty serious health problems that left him in debilitating pain, he tried yoga as a means of healing himself. After taking just a few classes, he was hooked and knew that yoga had the power to be transformative. So, in 2014, he got his Bikram yoga certification, followed by Barkan Hot vinyasa in 2017, and most recently cYoga in 2020. As a teacher, he is extremely passionate about helping everyday people, as well as athletes, overcome their struggles through the act of movement and mindset. I’ve taken many of his classes, and although his style of teaching is tough, it’s also deeply caring and compassionate. He’s a teacher who is not only well-trained, rooted in years of knowledge and experience, but also comes from a genuine place of understanding.

Paul is married to Shire, whose curiosity and love for yoga is what lead her to practicing hot Bikram yoga and eventually even meeting Paul. She fell in love with yoga and Paul! She went on to get certified in various styles of yoga, as well as inferno hot Pilates, kettlebells, barre, and yin yoga. Shire’s goal is to not only focus on the physical aspects of yoga and wellness, but to also continue to build a genuine community of yogis at the studio. After all, what’s a yoga studio if not for its community? Because Shire has an incredible intuition and deep sense of caring for others, she’s able to bring support, harmony, and love to the yoga studio. Most students will say that the studio is their home away from home and their community because she is able to create that for everyone who comes there. Shire is a certified cYoga teacher, as well as a meditation and breathwork instructor. She is also a dedicated student, expanding her knowledge under Jimmy Barkan.

Our third featured yogi is also a lawyer. Meet Jennifer Mohamed, affectionately known as Jen the Yoga Lawyer. Yes, you read that right! Jen has been practicing law since 1998, and teaching yoga since 2011. Her journey into yoga began in college and law school to help her manage stress and build strength, but Jen also credits yoga for helping her heal, discover her voice, and embrace her life’s purpose. She holds a 500 hour certification in Hatha Yoga, certificates in Vinyasa Flow, meditation, and lifestyle coaching, and extensive training in Eastern philosophy, shamanic healing, and Pilates. Jen offers an online wellness membership community and teaches in person at HealthQuest in Flemington and Dig Yoga in Frenchtown. What is so refreshing about Jen is her authenticity and fearlessness in being herself. She is passionate about helping others harness the power of yoga, especially women in the demanding field of law, to effect positive change and transformation. Her mission to empower others to be their best self through yoga is inspiring and frankly contagious.

As part of the Celebrating Age issue, I asked these inspiring yogis to share here the advice they would give to their younger selves.

Wanting to go on a Yoga Retreat is easy, but actually committing is a whole other story. If you find it hard to make time for yourself in everyday life, then maybe you need to dedicate 6 whole days to yourself outside of your normal day-to-day. Without the never ending to-do list, bottomless pit of laundry to fold, and torturous news cycle, you can truly focus on reconnecting with yourself and deepening your yoga practice. Here are my top reasons I am finally finding the time, money, and energy to go on a yoga retreat.

Retreat:
I want to seriously retreat from my everyday life. Getting away and having time dedicated to just myself is the biggest luxury I can have right now, especially in today’s hustle culture. We are so plugged into everything going on around us, when do we take time to see what’s going on within us? I’m ready to put the phone away and unplug for six whole days. There’s a huge difference between putting my phone on DND and taking a 60 minute vinyasa class vs. flying to another country and immersing myself in yoga for six days. 

Realign:
I am ready to realign with what it means to be me. 

What is my purpose? 

What do I enjoy in life? 

How do I want to be spending my time? 

These are all questions I am ready to explore. We also find alignment in our physical yoga practice. Is my head over my shoulders? Where are my feet? Do I need to tuck my tailbone? Finding physical alignment can subconsciously help us find spiritual, emotional, and mental alignment as well. 

Restore:
I am looking forward to feeling restored after this retreat. I know I will come home feeling rejuvenated and with a new outlook on life. Retreats hosted by Sangha Retreats, will be a much needed break from the ice and snow in Upstate New York. The upcoming retreat to Tulum in March comes at the perfect time of year (especially if you like the idea that the new year actually starts at the start of spring and not in the dead of winter). After this week away, I will feel full of life and new energy as we approach a new season, a new beginning.

Deepening Yoga Practice:
This week in Tulum will give me more time than ever to practice yoga and deepen my practice. I know a lot of change can happen in six days, and I can’t wait to see how my practice and my relationship with yoga will evolve over that short amount of time. There’s nothing quite like gathering with others who want to better understand yoga, live by its philosophies, and practice together day in and day out. Now imagine that group of people on a beach or drinking cacao or sitting around a fire chanting. Pure magic. Studying the yogic texts and practicing on my own will never get me as far as learning and practicing in community. 

Community:
Practicing yoga with others is the whole point, right? Yoga means “union”. We are all united. Moving together, breathing together, chanting together…there’s so much power in doing it all together and knowing you’re not alone. I’m not going on this retreat to solely focus on myself and what’s best for me. I’m going to connect with the community around me, the locals, nature, and our teachers. Through this connection, I can have a better grasp of reality, learn things about myself by getting to know others, and build a community of people I can rely on. When we know other people on a similar path or wavelength as us, life seems less scary, the hard things seem more manageable. And when we are able to look those people in the eyes and say “I see you” we are able to love others and love ourselves so much deeper.

New places, new experiences and new food:
When I go on vacation, the number one thing that excites me is all the new food I get to eat! Good thing this retreat is hosted at a beach front resort with farm-to-table food made from locally sourced ingredients. Imagine eating your Huevos Rancheros with a beautiful view of the Caribbean Sea. Or drinking fresh squeezed pineapple juice poolside in the sun. Food is the best part of traveling, for me. 

We are also scheduled to explore historical sites around Tulum, participate in a cacao and sound healing journey, float the canals, and sweat it out in a temazcal. These new experiences are all included in the retreat, so there will be plenty of time for adventure in addition to eating nourishing meals and practicing yoga.

I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to go on an international yoga retreat with Sangha Retreats. Winter is the season for resting and taking it easy, so I know this retreat will help me warm up and get ready for spring! If you are also in need of some rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation, a yoga retreat might be the answer you’re searching for.