about Jen
Jen Nigro
i’ve been teaching some form of movement for 30 (!!!) years + have served as teacher, student, + mentor to dozens of other movement professionals. alongside yoga teacher + doula Janel Feliz Martir, i created The Joy Project in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn in 2018 after leaving a nearby studio.
prior to Joy’s creation, i served as talent + training manager with Crank Cycling NYC on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, + as creative director for Flow Factor, also on the Upper East Side. i recently finished 2 years as director of movement for Sacred Space Astoria in Queens. outside of Joy, i offer vinyasa + workshops alongside an incredible team at Brooklyn Yoga Project.
in addition to open class, i facilitate healing through yoga, somatics + Reiki practices for those with PTSD + C-PTSD.
my training:
i completed my RYT-200 with Yoga Vida NYC in 2016 + went on to mentor with Christine Chen (Spellbound Yoga) + Dennis Teston. i later completed my trauma training certificate with Exhale to Inhale, led by trauma specialist + Reiki Master Tara Tonini, which led me to pursue additional studies in somatics.
i completed my 3-tier trauma + somatics training with Peter A. Levine’s Somatics Experiencing International in 2020 + went on to study Dr. Levine’s work through Professional Education Systems Institute + the Kripalu Center. later, i studied trauma therapeutics with The Embody Lab, allowing me to employ additional therapeutic techniques like visual aids in my work with survivors. most recently, i’ve finished the Somatic EMDR Practitioner pilot program with The Embody Lab, merging traditional somatic therapies with EMDR techniques for a whole body and brain approach to helping those with long-range trauma.
i am also a Usui Reiki Master Teacher (attuned through Reiki Masters Gina Cunningham + Kim Alexandrescu) + often incorporate somatic healing into my energy work where appropriate.
i am an upcoming guest on The Unlearning Podcast with Leslie Cottle, have been previously featured in Yoga Love Magazine, + have facilitated numerous trainings throughout the US for school teachers, healthcare professionals, + administrators with the aim of creating safer spaces for all survivors of trauma. i remain a DOE-approved trauma educator in NY, NJ, CT, AZ + UT.