Meet Jenn Bodnar | Yoga Digest Owner & Studio Manager

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jenn Bodnar and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jenn, what inspires you?
Inspiration shows up for me at the most unforeseen times, in the most unexpected situations and with some of the most “regular” everday people. I love when the underdog wins, that’s inspiring. When I hear a story of someone who faced adversity, challenge and setbacks, yet they still chose to somehow win the day, it inspires me. Recently, I have been following an athlete with the Adaptive Training Foundation who lost her leg while assisting a stalled car on the highway. She also happens to be a beauty pageant queen and shares how appearance has been such a big part of her existence for so long. Yet dealing with emotional and physical trauma, she has managed to acheive things she never even attempted prior to her accident. Super inspiring. But I also get inspired when I see my boys in their element; be it playing sports, singing in the choir or making friends. When they achieve milestones, make plans to do something they always wanted, create relationships, travel and just act like good humans, it is inspiring and makes me want to be a better mom to them. Seeing people thrive at something they enjoy inspires me to do the same. Courage inspires the heck out of me, because it’s a tough one for me a lot of the time.

When I see a strong person stand up for someone who needs help it reminds me that we all have the ability to be inspiring. Integrity is inspiring. When someone can make any choice but they do the right thing it give me hope.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Yoga Digest is a wellness platform that welcomes insight from passionate experts on yoga, nutrition, exercise, relationships and living a healthy and balanced lifestyle. The difference between Yoga Digest and some other platforms is it’s accessibilty to all. We really like to incorporate a nice blend of contributors from all spaces in the wellness industry and with different backgrounds. I”m most proud of the fact that we are still going strong and just celebrated 7 years! Any business will have it’s challenges, but the key is to be adaptable, humble and keep showing up. I have learned that you get out of it what you put into it. I want the world to know that Yoga Digest is here to stay and great things are coming. The podcast is being revamped and exciting collaborations are in the works. Most importantly, I’m grateful for our community that has stuck with us through thick and thin. I”m also grateful that there is a space to help support other start ups, wellness enthusiasts and conscious consumerism. We are here to inspire, educate and connect. Think you would like to be a part of it? Reach out to see how you can join us!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Dallas is full of endless options. I think I have answered this before and not too much has changed. However, Grandscape is a whole vibe and definitely worth checking out and all it’s surroundings. They have a great open space with tribute bands on the weekends and great restaurants and some boutique shopping. Can’t miss Scheels, the most amazing sporting good store I have ever seen. The Star and Legacy West are great for dining and people-watching. Depending on the time of year, sporting events are always fun and always going on. Right now, you can go to a professiona basketball, hockey or baseball game! Favorite restaurants are Mi Cocina, Gloria’s, Anamias, Eddie V’s, True Food Kitchen, Seven Doors and Union Bear. We also get every major concert and musical come through town. The Winspear Opera House or Dallas Music Hall is great place to catch a broadway show.. We have great historical town squares in Grapevine and McKinney. Southlake is great for shopping and dining. Check out the area lakes for boating and stand-up paddleboarding. White Rock lake is great for biking and of course the arboretum! I love to check out some of the vegan restaurants about town like Spiral Diner. Don’t dismiss Fort Worth, they have the best zoo and great cowtown vibe with the Stockyards, Billy Bobs, and Joe T. Garcias. Be sure to check the festival schedule too. Some of my favorites are Taste of Addison, Grapefest, Lewisville Western Days.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Around the time Yoga Digest was created, I was reading a book called the Desire Map by Danielle LaPorte. Not only was it full of witty humor on dealing with obstacles and opinions of others, but it was very interactive. There were numerous activities and exercises throughout to help retrain your brain to focus on what you want and basically forget the rest. I still use my deck of inspirational cards with messages of encouragement and reminders to simply be the greatest version of myself. We all need that!

Website: https://yogadigest.com/

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/yogadigest

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Image Credits
Inmotion Imagery