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

Hi Jenny, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
This is the million dollar question of my life! Work life balance is incredibly important to me. When I first graduated from college, I took a corporate job where I had an extremely long commute and worked a lot of hours which left little time for family much less anything else that wasn’t work-related. It was an incredible experience and I learned a lot, but it wasn’t in alignment with my higher purpose, so it left me drained. Fast forward a few years: I decided to leave my corporate job for a low-paying job doing something I was really passionate about that was much closer to home. Outwardly, it didn’t make a lot of sense, but I was so happy! This was the point in my life where I made the promise to choose the path that is in support of my happiness instead of following someone else’s plan for my life. Success to me is being deeply fulfilled and happy in what I do – not the amount on my paycheck. Almost four years ago, I made another career transition and also welcomed a beautiful baby boy into the world. The idea of work life balance was now more complex than anything I had experienced before. My path has led me to this beautiful place where I teach yoga and manage a studio which allows me to also be with my son on a full-time basis. My goal in finding the work life balance is really being present in whatever it is I’m doing at the moment. If I’m in “mom” mode, I want to be fully present as a mom. If I am in “studio manager” mode, I want to be fully present for that. To the degree that I’m able, I try not to do both at the same time (of course there are occasional exceptions). The transition from role to role is key and one that I am continuously working on. Above all, I try to reside in a space of gratitude and trust which allows me to be really connected to each moment – grateful for the experiences presented and trusting that all is perfectly orchestrated for my highest good.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
In addition to being a full-time mom, my day-to-day job is teaching yoga at and managing Indra’s Grace: A Yoga and Meditation Studio in Weatherford, Texas and online. Teaching yoga is a very right-brained activity requiring lots of creativity and abstract thinking. I come from a left-brained, corporate, business background. So, I feel like my background is a perfect compliment to what I’m doing now. By no fault of their own, many yoga teachers go into running a studio without any business background – they just know that they love yoga and want to share it, but they don’t have any experience with running a business. I have the advantage of a business degree and experience as an entrepreneur that I’m bringing to my role as a studio manager for Indra’s Grace. In my opinion, this is what sets me (and Indra’s Grace) apart from others. The studio owner, Sandra, and I play really well off of each other because she is a very right-brained thinker. It’s a perfect union. I’m so very proud of the way we as a studio have been able to continue to serve our community – both locally and beyond – through our transition to offering online classes. It’s something we’ve been wanting to do for a long time and COVID pushed us to make the leap. It has been incredible to be able to connect with people all around the world and share our unique and therapeutic style of yoga with more and more people. Certainly, there have been growing pains and lessons along the way, but when we view them as opportunities for growth and expansion, it helps us take our offerings to a whole new level!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Of course we would go to as many yoga classes as we could! I am a homebody, so many of my favorite things are in and around my house. It brings me great joy to share nourishing, home cooked meals, so we would definitely indulge in that. We would spend time outside enjoying the garden and nature. In Weatherford, I’m a big fan of the patio at Shep’s – a locally-owned burger joint. Blu Jasmine in Hudson Oaks has some excellent asian cuisine. We could go for an afternoon walk and hang out at Holland Lake Park. Mineral Wells State Park is only a 15 minute drive, so that would be an awesome day-trip. In nearby Granbury, we could visit Zen Den Wellness Center for some crystal shopping and yoga classes. Finally, we could visit Dr. Hood for a chiropractic adjustment, Remi Kaniatobe for an incredible medical massage and Wholistic Body Solutions for every kind of energy work you can think of. There are so many gems in Weatherford and the surrounding areas. We would have plenty to do and plenty of time to just BE.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
No one exists in isolation. We are all connected to one another on a cosmic level. So, in my mind, everyone I’ve ever come into contact with (even if only momentarily) has been part of my journey and success. Every book I’ve read, every business I’ve frequented, every training I’ve taken, every teacher I’ve had… every single moment has been orchestrated for my highest good and, in turn, the good of all humanity. With that being said, I would love to give a shoutout to my life partner, Wes; my sweet baby boy, Eli; my amazing family and my dear friend and studio owner, Sandra Vanatko. I offer a deep bow of gratitude to all of my teachers and guides – there are too many to list. Ralph Waldo Emerson says, “Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”

Website: indrasgrace.com
Instagram: jenny_reitz
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.a.reitz/

Image Credits
Heather Bush – Chunky Monkey Photography

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutDFW is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.