Off and on the beaten path: An elevated view
"Remember that old TV show – “What’s My Line?” Each contestant would whisper their work into the moderator’s ear and the panel would try to guess what it was."
This column was written by Virginia Maddocks
Remember that old TV show – “What’s My Line?” Each contestant would whisper their work into the moderator’s ear and the panel would try to guess what it was.
Let’s play. I’ll give you some hints taken from the interview with this month’s entrepreneur:
Q: What inspired your career path?
A: “It began at age 4 by a show on TV that I watched with my mother. I was mesmerized and became further dedicated about 25 years ago when I started watching videos in the evening as a way to work out. It quickly became something more. I began noticing subtle shifts in other areas of my life and wondered if it was the cause.”
Q: Why did you create this business in Oxford?
A: “When I moved back home from Florida to Oxford in 2020, I really missed having a place … and I wanted to be part of a community. Oxford has a vibrant, curious, and open-minded population – students and community members alike – who are interested in healthy and mindful living.”
Q: Who benefits from your business?
A: “Everyone – regardless of experience, flexibility, or background.”
Q: Where is it located?
A: There are two locations now. The Oxford location is three blocks from High Street, located just across the railroad tracks at 507 College Ave., on the second floor – perched among the trees in the same building as Dave Zipko and Prime Fitness. The second location is in Hamilton with handicap accessibility.
Can you guess the business yet?
Hint: It does not involve twisting like a pretzel. Instead, our entrepreneur said it is about “cultivating awareness, compassion and balance in every aspect of life.”
Did you guess, Yoga?
Oxford Community Yoga and Hamilton Community Yoga grew from Jessica Lohrey’s deep-dive into Sivananda Yoga and from there, she became a voracious learner and practitioner.
“My hunger for a deeper experience of yoga has never faded. It still amazes me how effective yoga can be – not just for the body, but for discovering more about ourselves and understanding how we fit into the bigger picture,” Lohrey said.
She continued, “I decided to create spaces where people could come together, move, breathe and connect – where people of all levels could experience the transformative power of yoga. Running a yoga business allows me to share practices that restore balance, encourage self-discovery and build community – things that are deeply needed in our world today.”
The TV show that Lohrey watched with her mother was “Lilias, Yoga and You,” which ran on PBS between the 1970s and 1999. It was hosted by Lilias Folan, who recently passed away in Cincinnati at age 90. She was instrumental in yoga’s emergence into the mainstream. For me, it was a personal victory when I realized through her classes, polio had not crippled me as much as I previously thought. Yoga helped me identify my weaknesses and discover how strong everything else was! It was a life-changer.
Nearly 60 years later, we find ourselves enjoying the efforts of people like Lilias who took the mystery out of approaching yoga and passed the torch to teachers like Jessica Lohrey who have passion and vision.
Lohrey said, “The rewards are immeasurable – seeing people grow in confidence, health and self-awareness, as well as being part of a community that truly supports one another and is deeply fulfilling. Every class is an opportunity to witness transformation which keeps me motivated and inspired to continue sharing yoga with others.”
One last question for Lohrey: What is the most important aspect of Yoga to you?
A: “Connection – to oneself, to others, and to the greater whole. Yoga is not just about bending and stretching into poses. It’s about cultivating awareness, compassion and balance in every aspect of life.”
