Meet Jenny Robberson

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jenny Robberson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jenny below.

Hi Jenny, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

I have always felt compelled to be a “helper.” Someone who supported other people. I have imagined a variety of iterations of what that looked like, particularly from a professional perspective, but I ended up finding my way to doing that through yoga.

I took my first yoga class at about 22 years old, soon after graduating from college. I was hooked pretty quickly and practiced for many years after that first class. Over time, my love for yoga came less from it being a “cool or trendy” thing to do, but a place to find community and a practice that touched and opened my heart.

I became pregnant for the first time during my yoga teacher training in 2016. Unable to find a prenatal yoga class in my area, I became committed to doing a prenatal yoga training after having my first baby and went on to teach for the couple of years until the arrival of my second.

My teaching career took a 5 year (!!) halt after my second daughter was born. She had a difficult entry into this world, I had a difficult transition going from mom of 1 to 2, and soon enough after our world fell apart with during the pandemic.

The experiences I had with pregnancy and birth with both kids, the experiences I had postpartum with my second child, and the experiences I lived through as a mom with two young children, one with a disability, really re-ignited my passion to become that “helper” – a support person for mothers, particularly as they moved out of those early postpartum years and less structured supports exist.

Freckle Face Yoga became my way to pursue my passion – providing support for moms & their families through yoga and community.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

Freckle Face Yoga supports moms & their families through yoga and community.

What I envisioned when I started was the opportunity to use yoga to bring moms (and their kids) together in a variety of ways. And how fitting because the word “yoga” translates roughly as “to unite.”

For kids – the practice of yoga and mindfulness so beautifully complements the social emotional learning I believe is SO incredibly important for our young people today. In my kid’s classes, we learn about how deep belly breathing can help calm our “monkey” minds and get us ready to be active listeners. We learn about moving in mindful ways through yoga poses as well as lots of “start/stop” games that help us to self-regulate. And we also learn about loving-kindness and how important it is to be inclusive and kind to all beings in this world.

For moms – many of us have taken a yoga class, whether we go regularly or just here and there. I want everyone that comes to my class to leave feeling that yoga is for EVERY BODY. While the physical benefits, particularly the strengthening, are important, there is so much more beyond that that I hope to share with students. I find that gathering for yoga and mindfulness is also a healthy vehicle to more deeply explore modern motherhood. What can we NOTICE that is happening in our society and culture that perhaps isn’t serving us? How can we move out negative emotions? How can we find more self-compassion and loving-kindness? Those are all things I hope to be able to offer, along with the sacred space of being in a non-judgmental place with like-minded mothers.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

1. Persistence – Throughout my almost 8 years as a mother, I’ve been through a lot. And my innate persistence and drive for things to be better and more aligned with my own values is what has brought me to where I am.

2. Advocacy – I will advocate the sh*t out of whatever needs it to get my kids (and myself!) the best care possible. I will not back down if I truly believe in what I’m advocating for.

3. Empathy – I am a deep feeler. And that can be tiring:) But I love being able to connect with people in an authentic, deep, and tangible way.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I love, LOVE, collaborating with other women who are working hard to support fellow female business owners. I also love to support social justice causes, particularly in the realm of women’s healthcare, birthing care, and childcare.

Sometimes these are very straight lines and other times, we just “gel.”

Connection with other like-minded humans is one of my favorite things to do & feel, so if you are compelled to reach out, please do!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frecklefaceyoga
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frecklefaceyoga