Jessamyn Stanley

Illustration by Kia-Patra Allen

Revolutionary yoga guru, author and entrepreneur, Jessamyn Stanley, chatted with us. Pre-order her book Yoke now.

You broke multiple glass ceilings for humans of all walks of life. You are a hero to many. Do you feel like one?

No. I’m just trying to be myself and that feels like enough work.

Yoga, meditation and_______?

And water. And sleep.

You could live anywhere in the world and yet you chose Durham, why?

I feel like Durham chose me in a lot of ways. I had no intention of living here, I did not know anyone in Durham. I had never lived outside of the NC triad, and I literally just moved here on a whim, and Durham accepted me and all of my complications and sadness and confusion, and it really nurtured me, and I’ve grown up a lot here, and I’ve learned a lot about myself and what I want in this world. Greensboro will always be my home, but Durham is also my home.

Cons of being famous?

Not being able to trust people.

Aphrodisiac yoga pose?

Bound Angle Pose.