Voices of Discover Yoga: Jill, Student

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT SERIES

From Nervous Newcomer to Community Anchor: Meet Jill Khan

Four years ago, Jill Khan almost talked herself out of ever setting foot in a yoga studio. Today, she's one of the warm, familiar faces that makes Discover Yoga feel like home.

The Fear That Almost Stopped Her

Jill had been curious about yoga for a long time — but curiosity and confidence aren't always the same thing. "I always felt like I'd walk in and they'd be all pretty skinny girls wearing Lululemon, and I'd just be so out of place," she admits. That fear of not belonging kept her on the sidelines for years.

It was her friend Stephanie and a coworker Chelsea who finally changed her mind. They raved about a class at Two Toms and convinced Jill to give it a shot. She went — and she never looked back. "It didn't feel like I was out of place. It's just such a wonderful variety of people. Really welcoming."

A Practice That Grew With Her

Four years in, the biggest shift Jill notices isn't physical — it's mental. When she first started, she'd scan the room, watching other students to figure out what a pose was "supposed" to look like. Now, she's fully in her own body.

"I'm a lot less self-conscious and a lot more confident — more aware of what I'm doing as opposed to what the people around me are doing in a pose." That kind of internal shift is exactly what yoga is meant to cultivate, and Jill has earned it.

She'll also be the first to make you laugh about where she still struggles. Crow Pose, after four years, remains her "white whale." Her words, not ours.

Yoga Off the Mat

One of the most powerful things Jill shares is how her practice has followed her into everyday life — especially through breathwork. She describes a moment on a bridge with her husband: heights are a serious fear for her, and the anxiety started to creep in.

"I started doing the breathe in for 4, breathe out for 4, pause in between for 4 — and it really calmed me down. I was able to go across the bridge and be all right."

Beyond that moment, she says yoga has simply helped her learn to pause — to come back to herself when life feels rushed or overwhelming. "The opportunity to get an hour to me has been real good as well."

The Community Is the Whole Point

Ask Jill what her favorite part of practice is and she doesn't hesitate. It's the people. "We have such an amazing community — all kinds of people from all different walks of life who come in and support each other. Good times, bad times. It really is just a little family here."

She talks about teachers with different styles, deep conversations, and hysterical moments she can't pick just one of. "There's not one thing," she says. "Just a million little events that made it such a great place."

A Little More About Jill

When she's not on the mat, Jill works from home for a trucking company, and has been happily married to her husband Jason for 24 years. She's a mom of two and a grandmother of two — and yes, building Legos with the grandkids has become a real hobby. She holds season tickets to the Embassy theatre and is a proud Broadway nerd (Rent, Wicked, all of it). She's also a morning-flow person who freely admits she can talk herself out of an evening class too easily.

Her Advice If You're on the Fence

Jill's message to anyone who's nervous about their first class is simple and generous: "Come out to the parks class, come out to Two Toms. It's not at all intimidating — everybody's kind of new there, and it's a good starting level to give you an idea of what's here. Just come give it a shot."

Oh, and the parks class is free. So really — what are you waiting for?

— Discover Yoga Community Spotlight Series