Yoga is the study of you, A deep-dive with Jess Rose on Movement Wisdom, and the power of practice

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Interview by YOGI Times Editorial Team

Meet Jess Rose: A yoga educator whose Movement Wisdom School has quietly become one of the most sought-after online yoga teacher training platforms in the world.

With over a decade of immersive study, eight YTT certifications, and a passion for making ancient yogic philosophy relevant today, Jess is known for her grounded approach, disarming honesty, and a style of teaching that combines precision in movement with radical inner transformation.

We sat down with Jess to talk about the unexpected ways yoga has shown up in her life, the evolution of her teaching journey, and why “wisdom” is the missing piece in many modern yoga practices.

Advanced yoga balancing pose practiced outdoors showing strength, flexibility, and control — *A yogi practices an advanced balancing pose outdoors, combining strength, flexibility, and focus.*

Curious how Jess applies this mindset in specific poses?
In this article on Bhujapidasana, Jess shares how learning to trust herself—and her hands—became a powerful turning point in both her physical and emotional practice.

YOGI Times: Jess, can you share a moment where yoga helped you unexpectedly?

Jess Rose: Absolutely. One of the most intense moments was on a flight back from India, just after completing my first 200-hour yoga teacher training.

The plane was old, like ashtrays-in-the-armrests old, and somewhere over Turkey, we were struck by lightning. The plane started to drop fast. People were screaming, the lights went out, it was chaos.

And somehow, I found myself holding my mala beads and chanting my mantra aloud. I wasn’t at peace, but I wasn’t panicking either. That training, what I call “yogic life coaching”, gave me tools I didn’t know I’d need. A year earlier, I would’ve been losing it. But yoga gave me this calm anchor.

Curious about Jess Rose’s unique teaching journey?
Read our full review on Jess Rose Yoga and discover how she blends authenticity, accessibility, and ancient philosophy to reach over a million students online.

YT: Did you always want to be a yoga teacher?

Yoga teacher presenting a restorative yoga sequence focused on relaxation and nervous system support — *A yoga teacher presents a restorative yoga sequence focused on rest, support, and relaxation.*

Jess: No, not at all. I took the training to deepen my own practice. I had a job I liked and no plans to teach. But when I came back, friends noticed something had changed. They said, “You’re happier. Teach us.” So I started small, just a few friends in a school dance room after hours. And it grew.

Then one day, a woman I didn’t know showed up. Turns out, she worked for an online yoga platform and asked me to film a 30-day challenge. I laughed, I was in my pajamas. I thought, “I’m not the glossy yoga teacher type.”

But she saw something in me. Eventually, I said yes. That challenge went live and 1,000 people took the first class on day one. Then 10,000. Then 100,000. It exploded.

Want a deeper look at how Jess teaches foundational poses?
Read her guide to practicing Downward-Facing Dog safely where she explains how anatomy-aware cueing transforms even the most familiar asanas.

YT: What shifted for you after that?

Jess: I realized I could still be myself, raw, real, not flashy, and make a difference. I didn’t need perfect leggings or a big Instagram following. I just needed to teach from the heart. And soon, I went from teaching 12 people to reaching over a million.

I also started getting messages like, “I was too shy to go to a yoga studio, but your online class changed my life.” That’s when I knew I was doing something that mattered.

YT: Your school is called Movement Wisdom. Why that name?

Group yoga class practicing a standing pose sequence in a light-filled yoga studio — *A group yoga class practicing a standing sequence together in a bright, open studio.*

Jess: It took me over a year to come up with that name. I’ve always been fascinated by both the physical and philosophical sides of yoga. As a kid, I was super sporty, obsessed with technique and strategy in sports, but I also hosted seances with my friends and played around with breathwork before I knew that was a thing.

That duality, body and spirit,, was always in me. And I think it’s essential in yoga too. Most yoga today leans heavily into movement and technique, but we’re losing the wisdom part. I wanted to bring them back into balance.

Movement Wisdom means practicing with both intention in the body and depth in the mind. That’s what makes yoga different from fitness.

YT: You talk a lot about unique anatomy. Why is that important?

Yoga teacher explaining anatomy using a human skeleton model for alignment and movement education — *A yoga teacher stands beside an anatomical skeleton model to explain alignment and movement principles.*

Jess: For years, I tried to fit my body into alignment cues that just didn’t work for me. I thought something was wrong with me. But the truth is, my bones are shaped differently. My proportions are unique.

Once I understood that, everything changed. I realized: it’s not about “perfect” poses. It’s about finding your version of a pose that feels right in your body. That’s why I spend so much time teaching this in my YTTs, it gives people emotional breakthroughs. They realize: “Oh, I’m not broken. I’m just built differently.”

Want to understand what makes her training method so unique?
Check out our Movement Wisdom Yoga review and see how Jess blends physical practice with deep yogic wisdom in her online teacher training.

YT: And the wisdom side, how does that show up?

Jess: Wisdom is what makes yoga a transformational practice. It’s not dogma. It’s self-study. When you learn yogic philosophy in a way that’s relevant, you start to question your identity, your choices, your values.

One of my students, Diane, was working at a university where dozens of coworkers were falling ill. Through the training, she found her voice, advocated for testing, and uncovered environmental toxins in the building.

She ended up quitting that job, changing her life, and she told me she never would’ve done that before. That’s the power of yoga wisdom.

Lightning Round with Jess Rose

YT: Coffee before practice, sacrilege or sacred?
Jess: Totally sacred. I drank a ton of coffee in India. If my teachers were cool with it, I’m cool with it.

YT: A pose that still humbles you?
Jess: Standing split, hands down. I just can’t lift that back leg. No clue why!

YT: One asana and one breath practice you’d keep forever?
Jess: Legs up the wall for asana. And for pranayama, not traditional, but heart-centered breath for brain-heart coherence.

YT: A non-yoga habit that secretly supports your yoga?
Jess: Going on walks while imagining I’m as expansive as the sky.

YT: What’s one question you wish students asked more?
Jess: “Which yoga philosophy book should I read next?”

YT: When you’re 90, what do you hope your students remember about you?
Jess: That I helped them believe they were full of potential and possibility.

Thinking about joining a yoga teacher training?
Discover how Movement Wisdom has helped hundreds of students find personal transformation through a truly balanced curriculum, focused on anatomy and ancient insight.

Final thoughts

Jess Rose’s journey from a small dance room to millions of global students is rooted in humility, authenticity, and a deep reverence for the full spectrum of yoga. She’s not trying to sell a lifestyle, she’s inviting people to come home to themselves.

For those seeking a yoga practice that’s not just about performance, but about presence, Movement Wisdom is a welcome path forward.