I am co-founder of Urban Yoga Chicago located in Evanston, IL. We are a membership-based Kundalini Yoga studio serving clients who wish to use yoga & meditaiton to achieve specific goals that relate to feeling good in one's body and in one's life. We work with our client's to elevate commitment to self-care & accountability.
Jodh Kaur is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who began practicing Kundalini Yoga in 2007 in an effort to manage the stress that came with being an on-call crisis counselor. It was in her first class that she knew she was home. The chanting, breathing and kriya resonated in her soul. She immediately connected with the discipline of yoga and began her own daily practice. It was because of her personal growth and transformation that she was inspired to teach others.
Jodh's teaching and counseling experience began when she was in high school and she spent summers working at her local pool teaching individual and group swimming lessons to children, lifeguarding and eventually managing & training the young lifeguarding team. Summer mornings were often spent playing with fun ways to encourage the kids to get into the chilly pool and get moving! While studying at Marquette University, Jodh volunteered at the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Day Program, where children with special medical needs spent the day using play to develop socialization and motor skills. After graduating from Marquette, Jodh spent the next 13 years working with children & adolescents, in a variety of settings: first in a group home and later as a crisis counselor where she learned to remain calm and patient during chaotic, emotionally charged situations. She enjoys building rapport with kids quickly and helping to draw out their unique strengths and abilities. Jodh loves to work with kids who are in transition - whether transitioning in and out of middle school or experiencing a life transition, it is amazing to witness the beauty and resilience that kids have during these pivotal times.
Since 2010, after her connection and commitment to the practice of kundalini yoga developed, she has been teaching and is committed to spreading awareness on the teachings of Kundalini Yoga. Jodh became a Certified Radiant Child Instructor in 2015 and as kids meditation became a high priority for Urban Yoga Chicago, she was well-suited and excited to bring her experience and commitment to the children.
As a Half-Marathon runner, Jodh incorporates chanting and pranayam into her runs to successfully manage her breath and focus. Jodh loves experimenting in the kitchen as well as exploring, traveling, learning and laughing with her husband, Terrance. They live in Chicago with their furballs, Ollie and Cody, Jodh's companions on her yoga mat.
Jodh was a featured presenter at the 2015 National Association of Social Workers Illinois Conference. In her presentation entitled Using Kundalini Yoga and Meditation for Self-Care and Management of Compassion Fatigue, she shared her own story of how Kundalini Yoga helped manage and heal compassion fatigue and secondary trauma resulting from years of crisis counseling and working with trauma survivors. During this workshop, participants had an opportunity to practice meditation and create a 40 day self-care practice.
