Bridging East and West Through Breath: A Conversation with Yoga Instructor Jana Collins at Aum Studio
Yoga, India’s timeless gift to the world, is much more than a form of physical exercise. It is a science of self-realization—a path of breath, balance, and stillness. And while the practice has evolved globally in many forms, what remains profoundly moving is when someone embraces yoga not just in form, but in spirit.
Jana Collins, Yoga instructor at Aum Studio in Alpharetta, is one such individual. Her journey is one of rediscovery and resilience. From personal training to physical trauma, and eventually to inner peace, Jana’s story is a tribute to yoga as a healing art—and a spiritual compass.
We at Indian.Community are honored to present this intimate and inspiring conversation, where Jana shares how yoga transformed her body, mind, and soul—and how she now channels that wisdom to guide others on their path.
A Journey from Strength to Surrender
Jana’s professional path began in personal training in 2008. She developed physical strength, but she began to sense that something essential was missing—balance. “My body was getting tight and strong from lifting weights,” she reflects, “but I wanted to feel different—more open, more fluid.”
Her early experiences with ballet as a child had left her with a love for flexibility and grace, which she longed to rediscover. That longing led her to yoga. In 2015, she began taking hot yoga classes at Lifetime alongside her sister. It quickly became a cherished ritual of connection, challenge, and catharsis.
“The heat made me feel like I sweated out my heavy emotions. It helped me forget the stress I walked in with. We bonded, we laughed—and I started to feel lighter inside.”
But in 2017, everything came to a halt. A devastating car accident left her with five herniated discs, a blackout concussion, and debilitating pain that robbed her of even the simplest movement. “I couldn’t touch my toes without immense pain,” she shares.
It would be three long years before she could even consider stepping onto a yoga mat again.
Resurrected by Breath and Belief
Her eventual return to yoga was not just a physical milestone—it was a spiritual homecoming.
In 2020, during the uncertainty of the pandemic, she found her way to Oya Yoga Studio in downtown Alpharetta. They were offering small group classes, and there, under the guidance of Carolyn Petramale, she encountered Universal Yoga—a complete practice that emphasized body, breath, mind, and soul.
“The first class didn’t hurt. That alone was a miracle. And in savasana, I had the deepest sense of peace I’d felt in years. It was like being reunited with my soul.”
Yoga gave her not only her body back—it gave her her faith back. The trauma, the pain, the disconnection—began to melt away under the warmth of this ancient tradition.
Several women were instrumental in this rebirth. Carolyn, for her gentle and intelligent instruction. Marie Anne Casse, the owner of Oya, who saw in Jana what she hadn’t yet seen in herself. “She told me not to delay. That I had a natural gift. She believed in me before I believed in myself.”
Marie didn’t just encourage her—she hired her. “She gave me a teaching position right after my graduation. To go from healing in that very space to teaching in it—it felt like a full circle moment. A rebirth.”
And then there was Megan Freeman, Jana’s Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) instructor. “She was the best teacher I could have ever hoped for. Megan took us beyond the poses—into the sutras, chakras, Ayurveda, the 8-limbed path of yoga, and more. It was soul work. It changed me forever.”
Beyond the Poses: What Yoga Truly Means
Ask Jana what yoga means to her, and her answer unfolds like a meditation.
“Yoga on the mat gives me the space to become fully present. To be in my body. To breathe with awareness. To let go of mental clutter and experience peace radiating through me. It’s a sanctuary of stillness where I don’t need to take care of anything else but myself.”
But yoga, she emphasizes, doesn’t stop at the mat.
“Off the mat, yoga becomes a practice of consciousness. I meditate. I listen to my inner guidance. I notice when I judge myself or others. I pause. I shift into compassion. That’s the deeper yoga—living in alignment.”
Her teaching is infused with this mindfulness.
At Aum Studio: Intuitive, Accessible, Empowering
Jana teaches at Aum Studio in Alpharetta, where her classes are intuitive and deeply personal. Each session begins with intention-setting and an invitation to connect within. While she often arrives with a flow sequence, she allows the energy in the room to shape the practice.
“I let my higher self guide me. Sometimes the flow changes completely, based on what the students need. I trust that.”
She is passionate about accessibility—offering modifications, prop support, step-by-step variations for every asana, and above all, empowering students to trust their own bodies.
“You are the authority of your body. My guidance is only a suggestion. Your breath, your intuition—they know best.”
This philosophy stems from her own growth, where great teachers helped her understand that every posture can evolve—from basic form to advanced shapes, when the student is ready.
For the Hesitant Beginner: A Story of Breath
To those nervous about trying yoga, Jana doesn’t offer textbook advice. She offers a story—raw, real, and deeply human.
In her 20s, she was addicted to cigarettes. “I was a personal trainer, hiding a habit that didn’t fit the lifestyle I was preaching. I smoked because it was the only time I allowed myself to breathe.”
One day, during a particularly anxious moment, she lit a cigarette and took a deep inhale—and something clicked. “I realized I wasn’t addicted to smoking. I was addicted to deep breathing. That was the moment I quit, for good.”
Yoga entered her life soon after.
“If you’ve ever felt stressed, anxious, depressed, or just lost—try yoga. Just one hour of conscious breathing can shift everything.”
Yoga as a Mirror, and a Message to the World
Yoga, for Jana, is both a mirror and a bridge. It has helped her face her own shadows and meet herself with love. It’s helped her see others—not as separate—but as reflections of the same divine spark.
“It taught me to love myself in all my imperfections. To soften the voice of criticism. And that has allowed me to see others with more compassion too.”
So what would she say to those seeking reconnection with yoga’s roots?
“Come with an open heart, and then an open mind. You are right where you are meant to be. You are accepted. You are loved. What is meant for you will always find its way to you. Let yoga light up your heart—and then, let that light guide your path.”
Meet Jana Collins
Jana Collins teaches yoga at Aum Studio in Alpharetta, GA, where her classes blend Universal Yoga philosophy, intuitive movement, and the gentle power of breathwork and healing. She is a living example of yoga as a tool for resilience, transformation, and reconnection—with oneself and the world.
To learn more about Aum Studio or attend one of Jana’s classes, visit Aum Studio’s website
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