JAEL POLNAC- ERYT
Jael has practiced yoga for over 20 years, originally finding it to be a useful way to decompress from her career as an environmental attorney in Washington, DC. Upon moving to Saratoga Springs in 2010, she became a dedicated student at Yoga Mandali. In 2011, her yoga practice took on a whole new meaning after a serious skiing injury and difficult rehabilitation. Instead of being a fun workout and way to release stress, yoga became integral to healing both her body and her spirit; a process which led her to pursue her yoga teaching certification at Yoga Mandali in 2016.
Jael has continued to educate herself in the healing and therapeutic aspects of yoga by completing certifications in Yin Yoga with Keli Lalita Reddy; Traditional Chinese Medicine and Yin Yoga with Josh Summers; Yoga for Bone Health with Dr. Loren Fishman; Restorative Yoga (Levels 1 and 2) with Dr. Ann Saffi Biasetti; Yoga Sutra Study with Dr. Edwin Bryant; and Yoga for Posture Improvement with Julie Gudmestad, PT. In addition, she has studied Mindfulness Meditation, Ayurveda, Yoga Philosophy, Writing, and Mindfulness and Yin Yoga with Sarah and Ty Powers.
As a teacher, Jael approaches each class with awareness and sensitivity to the physical, energetic, and mental shifts that a thoughtfully crafted yoga sequence can bring to her students, and she uses her steady, centering energy to support them through any challenges in the practice. Jael has worked with beginners, athletes, experienced yogis, and individuals with significant health challenges and is open and responsive to the needs of her students.
She lives with her husband, Steve, with whom she shares three adult children and a house full of pets. When she’s not practicing yoga or teaching in person or online, she spends her time working on her historic home, gardening, reading, kayaking, and taking long walks.
