Jane Foody is an amazingly gifted teacher.  I first met Jane about a year ago.  It was at a time when I was suffering from several health issues, the most serious being a paralyzed vocal cord.  Speaking was extremely difficult, a critical problem – possibly career ending - for a middle school teacher.  Several specialists had told me that my options were limited – if the nerve didn’t spontaneously regenerate within three months, then I would have to have a prosthesis implanted, and even with that, there were no guarantees. They gave me a few vocal exercises that I could try, but very little hope that they would work.

I had also been having some problems with stress and so I decided to go back to yoga – a practice I had tried several years before.  Jane was my instructor and from the first session, I knew that I had found someone very special.  Jane is very knowledgeable about human anatomy as well as yoga.  She is very mindful of both when she designs her sessions, always putting safety first.  Her voice is very soothing, and stress seems to melt away during her classes. 

Of utmost importance to me was the emphasis Jane put on proper breathing, and she introduced me to a number of breathing techniques.  Over a period of several months, and with a guided practice several times a week, my voice gradually became stronger.  When I returned to my specialist for an appointment that was meant for planning a surgery, my doctor discovered that one vocal cord was still paralyzed, but the good vocal cord had strengthened and had grown over to meet the paralyzed cord.  That growth had closed the ‘gap’ and had restored my voice – all due to the breathing techniques that Jane had introduced to me!  Needless to say the specialist was amazed, and I was very pleased to avoid the surgery.

I continue to attend Jane’s classes and learn something from her every session.  I have gone on to become a yoga teacher, and I am now teaching yoga to learning disabled middle school students.  Jane is a wonderful teacher, and I am continually inspired by her knowledge and techniques, which I am now able to pass on to my own students.

Becky Jackson

November 11, 2007

Jane was so kind to volunteer her services at the Florida Feminist Equality Movement Summit I hosted at the University of Central Florida. After about 5 hours of activist discussion Jane reinvigorated even the most tense of us! The class added to our concentration levels in proceeding workshops and made us remember ourselves holistically. Her style is soothing in her tone and flow of class positions. Not only are we exercising but we are imagining ourselves as strong humans and meditating for stress reduction. Jane is both a skillful and compassionate teacher.

-       Stephanie Colombo, UCF Student

I have been doing yoga regularly for four years and it has had a very positive impact on my physical and mental well-being. Among the physical benefits, yoga has eliminated chronic muscle pain I had in my upper right back and shoulder.  Yoga has also helped improve my posture, which in turn has multiple health benefits.  In addition, each yoga practice leaves me with an overall feeling of balance and ease, which I do not get from any other activity.   Yoga has become an essential aspect of my  lifestyle. I have been attending Jane Foody's yoga classes for a year.  Jane is not only an excellent yoga instructor, she is also particularly conscious of preventing injuries, whether it is during or outside the yoga class.  She has helped me refine my yoga practice to support the weak links that my body has and keep it healthy.  I understand that Jane is considering a career in physical therapy, and I can think of no one better suited for that profession. 
- Humberto, 52, professor, Ph.D.