This Encinitas Teen Might Be One of the State’s Youngest Yoga Instructors

She’s also the youngest certified stand-up paddle-board instructor.

While most eighth graders are juggling homework, activities and crushes, 13-year old Jaysea DeVoe is finding her zen on a yoga mat in front of her class of students. Not that she doesn’t deal with the same ups and downs as her peers, she just found that mediation before a big exam does wonders for her stress. And since starting yoga at age 8, she’s now helping others with her practice at a local studio in her home town of Encinitas.

According to the website MindBodyGreen, “DeVoe teaches donation-based Vinyasa classes that she calls Sea Vibes Yoga, at a small studio inside Bergamot Spa where her students range anywhere from age 4 to 60. Upbeat, energetic and full of positive vibes, the bubbly teen is wise beyond her years both on and off the mat. She’s also one of the youngest yoga teachers in the world.”

“Some of my friends say that they want to come to yoga so they can get skinny. But it’s not about that. The spiritual part of yoga is not about looking a certain way; it’s about honoring yourself and telling yourself you’re beautiful.”

Read Jaysea’s entire interview here.