Midway through my weekly virtual yoga class last weekend, I sensed that I was being watched. I was belly-down, chest up doing the cobra on my mat in our backyard, and there, staring at me through the fronds of a spider plant, was an iguana. He was spring green, his spiky back like blades of grass, his neck a series of folds that could have been helped by a little yoga. I held my pose, he held his, and then we both slowly moved on.

Jade Light Yoga, Yoga 4 All

I’ve been taking Yoga 4 All with Jade Wonzo through the Palm Beach County Library for several months. Tired of a pandemic-full of ideal bodies showing us mere mortals how simple it is to do impossible things, I was intrigued by the inclusiveness of the class description.

Begin or continue your yoga journey with Jade Wonzo in an inclusive (online) space that recognizes the beauty in all shapes, sizes, colors, identities, and abilities.

The Palm Beach County Library

The instructor’s website, Jade Light Yoga, continues the theme, as she describes herself.

A curvy, short haired, biracial, brown skinned woman.

Jade Wonzo

Which she is.

She is also an insightful, calm, and light-hearted teacher who gives her students crystal clear, seamless instruction with options to take things up or down a notch along the way. I taught dance, fitness, and even a little yoga for many years, and I can say that you are in good hands with Jade.

Perfect for my phase of recovery

Letting myself be directed by Jade for an hour every Saturday has become a highlight of this phase of my recovery.

In 2019, just days after leaving my fitness teaching work, I survived a ruptured arterial aneurysm while on vacation in Amsterdam. Six weeks in an Amsterdam ICU sapped my body of the ability to move. Six more weeks in OLVG’s recovery ward, and I was strong enough to fly home.

One year later, I had recovered my ability to fully use my body.

Two years later, I am sturdy and working on becoming supple. Jade’s Yoga 4 All is exactly where I’m at.

Yoga 4 All is free of charge thanks to the Friends of the Palm Beach County Library and is held on Saturdays at 11. Register here . See you there?