Two years ago I experienced serious complications as a result of knee replacement surgery.  The procedure left my lower leg paralyzed.  I required a walker and a brace to be ambulatory. After more procedures, including peripheral nerve decompression surgery, I had intensive physical therapy—THEN; I discovered Jaya Gupta’s “Gentle Yoga” class at Fair Oaks Hospital.  With her guidance and encouragement, I made steady progress.  It has been a long haul, but I have gained complete feeling in my leg and I no longer need a brace, walker or cane.  In fact, every morning I’m out walking my dogs for at least two miles, and I’m back salsa dancing, too.It’s an ongoing process, and I will continue to take Jaya’s classes for my well being.  She’s more than an instructor, she’s my friend.    -       MT
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After my back injury, I have been suffering a chronic lower back, neck and shoulder pain for years.  I had been trying different therapies including physical therapy, massage, tai chi but nothing really worked.  I finally had to learn to live with the pain until the day I took my very first yoga class at Inova Fair Oaks hospital.  After three months practicing integral yoga and meditation, my back pain gradually subsided and one morning, surprisingly, I woke up pain free!  Thank you Jaya for introducing yoga with your unique holistic approach into my life.  You are a very knowledgeable, caring and patient teacher.  For me now, yoga is my lifetime commitment, and I enjoy practicing it everyday. -    L. Tran
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I have taken yoga classes from Jaya for approximately 2 years.  At that time I had just finished a course of physical therapy for a painful hip condition. Though I had completed physical therapy, I still experienced stiffness and discomfort. Jaya infuses each class with understanding the influences of the body, mind and spirit.  Her yoga classes are designed to work all muscles in the body, in conjunction with proper breathing techniques, in a gentle way that improves strength, balance and flexibility.  I am happy to say that I am now much stronger, more flexible and my balance is greatly improved.  And the best news is that my hip continues to show progress.  Jaya's gentle teachings have had an effect not only on my body, but also on my outlook on life!  -  Sally
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Jaya Gupta gave me hope. Hope was something that I hadn't had for a very long time. I have suffered from fibromyalgia for twenty-one years. I have unbelievable chronic fatigue and most recently developed neuropathy in my legs. The illness has robbed me of everything that I ever wanted to do or hoped to do in this life. Doctors, even when empathetic, simply prescribed new medications on top of new medications to no avail. I had given up.Then I enrolled in Jaya's class at Fair Oaks hospital. I could tell immediately that Jaya knew her stuff. She didn't just teach yoga, she truly lived yoga. She spoke of wholeness of mind, body, and soul. She spoke of taking control of your life and health. I later took classes in Jaya's studio. She carefully measured the strength of every muscle and each joint's range of motion. A specific yoga plan was designed for me. I learned meditation and methods of dealing with the pain.For the first time in a long time, I felt in control of my own health and life. I had hope for the future. As many know, there is no cure for fibromyalgia, it can only be managed. With the help of Jaya and yoga therapy, I have gone off some medications, managing the pain with meditation and relaxation. I have gained strength and greater range of motion which continue to improve. An unexpected effect is that I now know how to deal with stress in every aspect of my life. I now have hope and have re-claimed control in my life. God bless Jaya! -     VJW
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Lotus

I signed up for my first group yoga class over a year ago and am so grateful for all that I learned from Jaya since then.  Each week I enjoyed how she would artfully weave her unique blend of yoga instruction with stories of personal inspiration.  Because of her deep concern for the health and progress of her students, Jaya always tailored her instruction to meet the individual needs and requests of everyone.  I greatly miss Jaya’s classes now that she has moved to New Jersey, but I know her new students of all ages and skill levels will enjoy learning from Jaya as I most certainly did.    -            W. Andrews
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I am 85 years old and I live at Sunrise Assisted Living of Fair Oaks in Fairfax, VA. Jaya held our first yoga class in January 2004 and has continued once a week class to this day. She is a good teacher, soft spoken, very patient and covers every person who attends with helpful understanding. As for myself, I have learned the value of meditation, complete relaxation, breathing correctly and stretching.” - Betty Seymour
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My name is Ria I was introduced to Jaya Gupta by my mom. When I first came to see her, I was suffering from intense anxiety. Everything from my shallow breathing to my bad posture was physical indicators of how I was feeling inside. With in few minutes talking to her, I felt like calling her Jaya Aunty. She took a lot of time to understand where I was coming from and compassionately guided me in the right direction. She changed my outlook on yoga, which I previously thought of as a form of exercise, to something much deeper and more fulfilling. She taught me to breathe in love, and breathe out fear. I use her breathing exercises throughout the day for dealing with everything from anxiety relief to headaches. She also taught me how to meditate with intent, calm my mind and look inward. During our sessions together, I really felt like I was healing. She helped me truly understand myself by building on my strengths and working on my weaknesses. I am much stronger, more positive and confident today and from the bottom of my heart, I am grateful to Jaya Aunty for shaping me into the person I am. Health-wise, I am doing better than I have in a long time. I am completely off the Lexapro and although I still feel anxious, it is very rare. This is good because I will be attending Columbia University for my masters in public health starting in August and I am engaged to the person I love. Thanks again for transforming my life aunty. Love,       Ria

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When I got in contact with Jaya, I needed a lot of help managing my chronic pain and headaches. I was looking for a way to battle different specific symptoms, hopefully build flexibility and strength, and also gain some peace in my life. I was not strong enough to join a class setting immediately, so I went to Jaya for private sessions for about the first six months. During this time, she taught me different breathing exercises, how to meditate, and how to do deep relaxation. These three practices alone have been invaluable to me already, and I draw upon them in different situations as a carpenter would draw from a toolkit. It's not so much that my pain and headaches have miraculously disappeared, but I am better armed to deal with them when they flare. For me, learning from Jaya was as much about the spiritual and mental side of yoga as it was about the exercise and strength. Learning to calm my mind, learning to regain mental focus, learning to quiet emotional upset - these were all peripheral skills that were a bonus to learning the physical poses! She also taught me modifications to poses to suit my own situation, which shows how flexible and accessible yoga practice is for all ages and skill levels. I feel confident that I will be using what Jaya has taught me far into the future, some of it even for the rest of my years. That's priceless.

It reminds me how much I have learned from you. I hope that you are able to make that positive impact on many more people's lives up there in NJ. Thank you for what you have done in mine!  Blessings…..Christina
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YOGA Studio

Thanks to all my students from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to be a part of your lives and journey. The following testimonials show students dedication and motivation to feel good and live a pain free life. – Jaya
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Dear Jaya, thank you so much for teaching me Yoga and showing me the importance of practice to get full benefits from it. I just went to the Dr Today and my blood pressure was 116over 80. The girl was shaking her head. I just turned 69 years old and taking no medications. Also, had my bone scan and my hips have increased on density by almost a full point! My spine, however, went down but only slightly. What a big difference would be if I hadn't started taking Yoga. thank you, thank you. Love,   Nidia
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Dear Jaya Auntie, Just want to say how much your lessons have helped me these past few years.  It's been one of the best ways for me to manage my stress at both work and school and has helped give me a more positive outlook on life.  As you might remember, I first came to you when I was in high school and going through some pretty bad chronic stomach problems.  But in these past few years, with the help of yoga, I've been able to reduce the dosage and frequency of the medication I take while also feeling in better shape than I ever have.  It really is amazing what a few exercises each day can do for a person's overall mental and physical well-being.  Just wanted to say thanks for how much you've helped me and I hope the lessons you taught me will continue to help me in the years ahead. Regards,        Akhil

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My name is Ida Galvani and I am now 95 years old. I live at Sunrise Assisted Living of Fair Oaks in Fairfax, VA. I am doing yoga with Jaya for past 2 years. She is very friendly, helpful and caring teacher. It is pleasurable and enjoyable, which is very important in this environment. I always look forward to coming to yoga. Because we forget, she makes sure to get us from breakfast area, we will miss her because video is not the same.    -     Ida Galvani
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Jaya is a very good teacher. Her attention to the individual needs of each student is remarkable, always challenging us to try something new or go just a little further, but never pushing us to go past what we can do safely and painlessly. I have now followed her classes fairly regularly for about a year, both at Fair Oaks Hospital and as a private student, and I feel a noticeable improvement in flexibility and general well being. I am looking forward to her new series of classes at Fair Oaks Hospital in January 2009.  -          M. Monseu
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I have enrolled in Yoga class since 2008. It is wonderful experience; it not only reduces my stress level but also helps me maintain a positive attitude in dealing with day to day activities. Ms. Jaya Gupta is a very good teacher, her professionalism and passion for Yoga makes every class very pleasant and joyful. She does not push us to learn difficult Yoga techniques, but instead teaches us how to exercise our joints/muscles to function in the proper way.  Moreover, she is also constantly sending us spiritual articles which help us keep a peaceful mind. Thank you for offering this class and I hope to continue learning Yoga in the future. Thanks,           Pei-Lin H.
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Dear Jaya, as we draw near to the end of this group of Yoga Stress Relief classes at INOVA at Fair Oaks, I would like to thank you for always making this a special time of relaxation, refreshment and renewal. Your love and light provides an oasis in the desert.  Not only do we receive traditional yoga poses for the physical health of our bodies but also the nourishment of spiritual approaches to everyday life.  You tune in to the spiritual, mental, and physical needs of our class members and address any issues that are of concern in a holistic manner.  You comfortably adapt the content of each class in manner that lifts our spirits and relaxes our bodies.Thank you, thank you.  May you have a wonderful July break and return to us refreshed and uplifted.  Blessings,         Peggy        

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