Check Out Justin Anne Patterson’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Anne Patterson.

Hi Justin, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I was always curious about hot yoga. The idea of moving and sweating with a bunch of strangers both terrified me and intrigued me. It was 2008, and I wasn’t feeling totally comfortable in my body. I remember googling “Bikram yoga” one afternoon at work to make sure I could do the poses. I woke up at 6 a.m. the next morning for a 90-minute class, and that’s all it took. I was hooked. I was starting to feel like myself again! After a few years, I switched over to Vinyasa yoga and really hit my grove. I realized that yoga was so much more than “exercise.“ For me, it wasn’t about moving to change my body. It was about loving and feeling at home in the body I had. I knew this was a powerful thing. 

I took my first 200-hour teacher training in 2013 at Indigo Hot Yoga (where I currently teach). I also traveled to Florida and completed two advanced yoga courses at The Yoga Joint in Ft Lauderdale. Shortly after, I quit my retail job and started teaching full-time. Helping people of all sizes and abilities feel at home in their bodies has become my greatest passion. I want my students to feel empowered and confident. I hope that, in some way, I contribute to changing what a yogi looks like. I firmly believe that yoga can and should be assessable to all people. All sizes, ages, and abilities. 

In addition to teaching at Indigo, I teach a group of adults with Down Syndrome at Gigi’s Playhouse Raleigh. I also teach N.C.State’s football team and have been their official “yoga girl” since 2020. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Trying to balance self-care and rest with my teaching schedule is always a challenge. I teach 10 hot yoga classes a week and two unheated classes. I have learned the hard way that if I go over that number, I just don’t feel my best! 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I like to focus on accessible and creative sequencing. I want my students to feel accomplished and empowered at the end of class!

How do you define success?
To me, success is living a life that makes you happy. Helping people and having a job that you are passionate about. 

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @ja_yoga_girl