Jonalyn is celebrating an incredible milestone this season—18 years of dedicated practice on June 30th and 17 years of teaching on July 1st.
To honor this journey, she will be sharing her personal story with us.
Jonalyn will also be holding two special celebratory classes:
- Tuesday, June 30th at 10:30am for her 18 Years of Bikram Yoga Practice Anniversary. BOOK HERE.
- Thursday, July 2nd at 10:30am for her 17 Years of Teaching Bikram Yoga Anniversary. BOOK HERE.
Read on to learn more about her path, her practice, and the experiences that have shaped her both on and off the mat.
My name is Jonalyn Henle.
When I first started yoga, I remember feeling uncomfortable all the time—not just physically, but mentally and emotionally too.
I was stressed out, my body felt tight, and it seemed like nothing in life made sense the way it used to.
Everything felt off-balance, like I couldn’t quite find my footing.
I had recently quit drinking and smoking, and I’d even had a mommy makeover—but I still felt uncomfortable in my own skin.
Yoga came into my life at a time when I really needed something to help me slow down and be still, even though that was one of the hardest things to do.
There was a moment I knew something had to change.
I’d been going to the gym for a couple of years and practicing a different type of yoga. I loved it, but I still wanted to lose about 20 or 30 pounds.
The truth was, everything I’d done up to that point had only gotten me where I already was—still 20 or 30 pounds overweight.
Then I read an article my yoga teacher gave me about Bikram Yoga.
I thought, “Anything done in a hot room has got to help shred fat—I’m giving this a try.”
I’ll never forget my first class. Other than feeling really hot, I don’t remember much emotionally because I was so focused on doing exactly what the teacher asked, in exactly the order she asked.
Coming from a background as a professional dancer, I didn’t know there was any other way.
I’ve done a lot of hard things in my life—I’ve even delivered two children with no painkillers—and that Bikram Yoga class was probably one of the hardest things I’d ever done.
But I did it.
And when I walked out of that room, I felt like a completely new human being.
I knew right then that this yoga was going to change my life.
I actually got in my car, called my friend, and said, “You know that thing you’ve been looking for your whole life? Well, I found it—and I’m going to teach it.”
One year and one day later, that’s exactly what I did.
Before yoga, the voice in my head said things like, you’re fat, you have cellulite, you never stick to working out.
That voice was relentless. But in that first 90-minute class, something miraculous happened—I had peace of mind.
For the first time, I was so busy following instructions that I got out of my own way.
It didn’t matter that I was sweating, struggling, or stretching. What mattered was the stillness of my mind.
I walked into that room with a thousand problems, and the teacher gave me 26 problems (aka postures) to solve—one at a time.
And somehow, solving those 26 problems seemed to solve all the rest.
Teaching, for me, has always been a calling. Whether it was dance or hair color, I’ve always been drawn to helping others grow. The hardest part wasn’t deciding to teach—it was figuring out how.
In 2009, in the midst of one of the worst economies we’d ever seen, I had to find a way to be gone for nine weeks and come up with $15,000 for training—with no job at the time.
But I knew I was meant to do it. So I trusted that if I took the leap, the universe would rise up to meet me—and it did.
Now, what I want my students to walk away with more than anything is a sense of empowerment.
I want you to walk out of that room with your head held high, feeling better than when you walked in.
I never want anyone to feel as alone as I did when I was struggling—feeling disconnected from my body and unsure of my worth.
My hope is that when you leave class, you feel whole again, connected, and strong. Because that feeling—that’s priceless.
And what I want you to know about me is that teaching yoga is my way of serving.
It’s how I care for the community that’s cared so well for us.
The city of Tracy is where we raised our children, where we’ve owned homes and businesses.
This yoga studio is our love letter and thank-you note to this town.
Every time you walk through those doors, my wish is that you feel the love and care that’s in my heart.
More than anything, when you show up to class, it’s more than just sweating in a hot room.
You show up—and we take care of the rest.
Your friends are there, it’s fun, it’s motivating, and it’s encouraging. It makes taking care of yourself just about as fun as it can possibly get.
So if you’ve ever felt like working out is boring or like taking care of yourself is just another chore, come see us.
You’ll sweat, you’ll laugh, you’ll grow—and you’ll leave a little stronger, a little lighter, and a whole lot more connected than when you walked in.
With love and gratitude,
Jonalyn
Looking for a way to stay consistent this summer? Join Carla Bacchetti for special pop-up Bikram Yoga classes every Monday and Wednesday at 2:00 PM throughout July.
As summer schedules shift and routines become more flexible, a midday practice can be the perfect way to recharge, reset, and fit movement into your day.
Whether you’re on a lunch break, working a flexible schedule, or simply looking for an extra class option, we hope to see you there!