Meet Kiarra Jones & Ajna Kairos Yoga Dance

 

Dallas Yoga Magazine is elated to introduce you to Kiarra Jones. Her unique journey as a dancer to finding yoga is not only intriguing but has played a significant piece in her style of unique teaching. Kiarra’s upbeat fun dance style of yoga called Anja Kairos is an experience you don’t want to miss. She encourages everyone to find their purpose, balance their chakras and connect their mind, body and soul. Kiarra will be teaching at the Cosmic Yogi Festival  so this is a great opportunity to try Anja Kairos Dance Yoga!

 DYM: How long have you lived in the DFW area?

Kiarra: Originally, I’m from the Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia area and moved to Dallas from California.

DYM: Tell us about yourself.

Kiarra: Even at a young age I have been known for being energetic and bold. At the age of 5, I became a cheerleader which eventually lead me to my extraordinary journey of dance. In 2010, I moved to California to pursue my nursing degree and acting/modeling career. While I was working at a holistic medicine office (Moss Center for Integrative Medicine) dealing with acupuncture, nutritional/environmental, infusions, supplements and much more…yoga entered my life. Who knew yoga was the beginning of building something to fit my passions: health and happiness from the inside out. It was a true eye opener.  A few years later, pursuing my desire I moved to Texas to continue in medicine. I quickly noticed the plethora of opportunities and diversity. That’s when I realized everything I dreamed of was coming together. Right now, I’m still pursuing my acting career and I am part of a dance team at Niaps Spain Dance Studio. I’m also working at Baylor, getting fit and teaching.

DYM: What was your first yoga experience like?

Kiarra: I was being competitive with myself. Taking it as a race and I couldn’t get the breathing down because I was so used to moving fast, being in a rush for no reason. Once I was able to center myself and get grounded it allowed me to get in alignment.

DYM: When did you decide to become a yoga instructor?

Kiarra: After going to multiple classes, I wanted to learn more about what yoga actually meant. I did it for my own practice and wanted to create my own thing out of it.

DYM: What kind of training have you had?

Kiarra: I have my 200 hour certification from Dallas Yoga Center with Billy Banks Jr., the creator of Dance it Out.  I was able to learn about the philosophy, ayurveda, pranayama, mediation, anatomy and asana. There was so much I didn’t know.

DYM: Do you have a favorite style of yoga?

Kiarra: Yes, Vinyasa and Buti Yoga!

DYM: Tell us about your full-time job.

Kiarra: My full-time position is at Baylor in the Mammogram department. I consider myself a full-time yoga teacher also because I use the techniques throughout my day such as talking someone through difficult times in life or doing certain poses at the desk or on break. I offer the knowledge of the poses to my coworkers who think yoga is all about being flexible.

DYM: Other than yoga, what do you enjoy in your spare time?

Kiarra: In my spare time I love dancing, traveling, styling, reading, going to museums and connecting with others.

DYM: Tell us a little about your classes?

Kiarra: I add my own energy to my classes. I encourage my students and keep instructions clear and simple, so everyone can follow. I make sure I’m connecting with the class and that my mind and soul are present, so I can observe and assist when necessary. I create moments, so the students can find their purpose. I teach various skill levels and my commitment is to help all interested to balance chakras through a combination of dancing and yoga poses. This means, I help each student to create a space on their mats that allows for alignment of the mind, body, and soul. My motto, everyone belongs where they find themselves and I welcome everyone to find themselves with, Ajna Kairos.

DYM: Can you explain Ajna Kairos?

Kiarra: Ajna Kairos means creating moments to find your purpose. It like a yoga dance class combined. The class balances chakras through a combination of dancing and yoga poses.

DYM: What makes this kind of class unique?

Kiarra: I use GoGo music which is from DC.  Gogo is a bunch of instruments all together and the music has a bit of bounce to it. The Godfather of GoGo is Chuck Brown. Dances incorporated are African, Salsa, Bollywood and a dance in DC called “beat your feet.”

DYM: What has surprised you the most about being a yoga instructor?

Kiarra: Classes don’t go as planned, no matter how many times I practice it!

DYM: What do you find most challenging about what you do?

Kiarra: I am a perfectionist, so I have to keep an open mind.

DYM: What do you find most rewarding?

Kiarra: Surrendering, being authentic and seeing my clients enjoy opening up to what’s really going on with themselves. I love to hear when they come to me and share they’ve been making positive changes from things I’ve said or done to help them in their journey.

DYM: What mistakes do you see a lot in yoga that people should be aware of?

Kiarra: I see people over pushing themselves into the poses. Just do what you can do with the poses and overtime they get better.

DYM: What part of the body do you find people have issues with the most? What do you recommend for them?

Kiarra: Many people have issues with their shoulders and hips. I tell them to take a moment to breathe and allow their bodies to relax. For shoulders, I suggest a seated twist, arms behind your back and hands clasped.

DYM:  Yogis need a sense of humor, are there any humorous situations that stand out to you in class?

Kiarra: I bring laughter into all my classes. They are all full of laughter.

DYM: There has been a lot of controversy about yoga in the news lately, what do you wish everyone knew about yoga?

Kiarra: It’s literally a connection with yourself as one. The mind, body and soul, you become aware of all areas of your life. Also, it is a way to release anything that no longer serves you and it heals wounds.

DYM: Tell us about someone who has influenced you on your path?

Kiarra: Everyone I have crossed paths with, but mostly my mother. She’s always reminding me to keep committed and keep striving towards my goals. Never give up… “Success is never final, and failure is never fatal.”

DYM: Thank you Kiarra for taking the time to answer our questions and letting our readers get to you. We are so excited to have you teaching at our upcoming Cosmic Yogi Festival.

You can find Kiarra teaching at the Duncanville Fieldhouse every 4^th Tuesday.

Contact Information:

Social Media: @Kiarrasglobe

Email: [email protected]