We’re looking forward to introducing you to Jill Fuleky. Check out our conversation below.
Good morning Jill , it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
Alarm has stayed set for 430-5 am for over 11 years. I like to take my time to wake up, drink tea, then make my way to my yoga mat. I chant vedic mantras, pray, put manifestations out into my universe; on my ‘best days’ im on my yoga mat nothing less than an hour. I meditate. Read a bit. Write in my journal. Then wake my kids up.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My Name is Jill Fuleky. Im a licensed massage therapist; owner of Jamhands Bodywork; Authorized level 2 Ashtanga Yoga teacher- authorized to teach ashtanga yoga in India by Sharath Jois. Ive owned my own business for over 12 years, and had a daily yoga practice for just over 11 years. Ive made 6 trips to India to study ashtanga yoga under my beloved Guru, Sharath Jois. He recently passed at the age of 53, and that has been my latest challenge to move through. Im also a single mom of 2 girls!
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
I believe My Guru saw me clearly before i really could start to see myself. Maybe it wasnt that he just saw me, he believed in me.
My yogic studies and practice have come from the Ashtanga Yoga lineage tradition held at KPJAYI, in Mysore India. Thousands of students every year would apply to study with my Guru Sharath Jois. Every year he would announce the dates he’d be running classes in India. While only a fraction of those people got in, those that got in, alone felt honored to be able to study with him.
The process of getting into the school was so intense; it would be announced days before the application would be open, at a specific Indian day and time. And at that day and time, anyone applying to get in worlds stopped to wait and hope their application got through and accepted. thousands of humans from all over the world would type as fast as they could to try to get their application submitted. If you managed to actually submit your application without the system crashing or the limit of applicants had being reached, you then actually had to get accepted to study under him. It wasnt uncommon for him to ‘turn down’ students based on something wrong in their application, Even if you had studied under him before.
So i got accepted… jumped through all the hoops of the application process. Flew to India, and met practiced and studied under him. In ashtanga yoga tradition, you are taught one yoga posture at a time. He kept giving me posture after posture and before i knew it, i was invited to practice with his advanced students in his led intermediate class. Which is easily the hardest class I’ve ever been to; and i had to attend it weekly upon my Mysore trips.
I spent 3 months with him that trip. Many laughs. Upon my next trip, he immediately presented me with his ‘level 2’ ashtanga yoga authorization. Nothing to me else mattered besides him validating me and giving me permission to teach this amazing practice. In a sense, his opinion is really the only person Ive truly cared about and believed throughout my life.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
I’d say the MOST defining wounds of my life have been literal physical and mental wounds caused by people(men) I’ve chosed to love. Abuse. Physical abuse by an older sibling; black eyes from men who told me they loved me; broken noses from fiancés. Verbal abuse from husbands. Sexual assaults more times i can count.
Feeling like an object as a woman in this world has been a deep wound that is still healing, and taking its time to process. Im in no hurry.
Im healing through single mothering it with my daughters, knowing that they deserve to see a happy mother respected by those around her.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Where are smart people getting it totally wrong today?
Smart people are getting it all wrong with the lack of self work and self study not happening. Theres a lack of not only pure consciousness; theres a lack of self awareness. I truly believe if everyone did yoga, meditate, reflected, got a massage, spent a little time with themselves daily, some level of higher consciousness can be reached. And that, in my humble opinion, will save the world.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
Im following the path that keeps leading me I’m my direction. I think I’m meant to do many things with my life, which i intend to. no. This certainty wasn’t what i was told to do. I was told not to do drugs and go to a school i didn’t believe in. I felt discouraged for any of my Big dreams i had
Growing up. Which never felt right. I followed my heart each step through each chapter. Although i do like to set goals and plan for the future, i do think i am fulfilling my dharma.
Contact Info:
- Website: Jamhandsbodywork
- Instagram: Jillashtangayogabodywork
- Facebook: Jamhands Bodywork
