why J O Y ?
kindness counts.
we’re J O Y. + while we teach a mean vinyasa flow + we’ll make you dance, sing + sweat with some cardio, we’re really here for one reason: Y O U.
every teacher here has a background in trauma training. when we step onto our mats, we lead a practice steeped in kindness + compassion. we’ll get out of our heads + back into our bodies.
+ we’ll remind you every step of the way that the KIND choice is the right choice—not just in your body, but in your mind, too.
as we practice regularly with kindness + compassion, we start choosing it off the mat, too. + that makes our whole lives a better place to call:
h [ o m ] e.
people count.
because teachers create the vibe in our spaces, every teacher on The Joy Project team retains 87% of their own profits.
this means our teachers are better supported so they can give back to their communities.
community counts.
we're committed to keeping community at the forefront of everything we do.
since going digital in April 2020, JOY teachers + students have given back over $2500 to charities that support social justice, education, + the fight for racial equality.
in September alone, we raised over $1300 for PS/IS-30, the Mary White Ovington School in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, so that teachers could purchase PPE for returning students. we also donated a trauma-informed class to teachers who were returning to in-person instruction.
in addition, for every subscription purchased by a JOY student, we’ll give back a subscription to an essential worker or a healthcare warrior in need.
who we are.
Jen Nigro
originally hailing from Philadelphia, PA, i spent over a decade in corporate America before breaking my golden handcuffs + returning to my teaching roots. a dancer since age 2 + teacher since age 14, i found yoga as a "stretch after spin class" in 2015. i quickly noticed a stillness growing out of the practice + felt a calling to dive deeper in.
i completed teacher training at Yoga Vida NYC + went on to mentor under Christine Chen, then delved into the world of healing through trauma training with Exhale to Inhale in 2018. since then, i have continued to study ancestral trauma, meditation + philosophy.
after teaching for a million studios all over the city + living that 5a to 9p life, i founded the joy project in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn in 2019, to better serve my students + provide a safe space for all to practice.
in addition to joy, i currently serve as creative director of Flow Factor on the UES + as a permanent teacher at One Yoga House, opening in Brooklyn soon.
Katie Arpin
If you told me I would be teaching yoga 4 years ago, I would have laughed. But when life throws you lemons, or in my case a broken bone on a work trip, you make lemonade.
I was reluctant walking into a studio on doctor’s order, but the first time I teared up in savasana, found strength in my teacher’s words, + eventually, my own practice, I couldn’t stop.
Did my physical strength grow? Sure. But the spiritual, the mental, that’s where I found home. We must look inward to move forward with intention; it’s something I have talked about with my middle school students for years, but truly coming to terms with it on your own is life changing.
This is where my yoga practice began. This is where it grows. Let’s move, let’s breathe, let’s talk and find joy together. Can’t wait to practice with you.
Xoxo,
Katie
Rianna Moustapha
my yoga practice originally began as a way to stretch + breathe, but over the years it’s become an essential part of my life.
as a public school teacher, yoga teacher training has allowed me to strengthen the connection between my passion for public education + yoga. yoga continuously reminds me to take up space + play + laugh + fall.
this practice is a promise that we can move beyond sending ‘love + light’ to actively challenging --+ rebuilding--the patterns that don’t serve ourselves or our communities (both on + off the mat).
let's cultivate dynamic change, together...one breath at a time.
Rianna completed her 200-hour training with ‘Breathe for Change’ + her 100-hour mentorship with be(YOU)nd YTT in 2020.
Jess Goudreault
when I was 3, my mom put me in a dance class—a first test of what she expected would be a handful of athletic activities to try out before seeing what stuck. but i took one look at those mirrors + tutus + all the kids hopping around to music, + i was hooked. i continued dancing throughout high school, then majored in Dance Studies in college. While there, she was able to work with choreographers such as Chris Aiken, Angie Hauser, Nancy Stark Smith, Sean Dorsey, Ellie Grace, Barbie Diewald, Joy Davis, + many others. i also produced my own choreography + was Artistic Director of the student-run dance company. the major itself introduced me to physical anatomy, music theory, movement history, + a love for teaching dance.
as much as i loved dance, physical limitations became an impediment to pursuing the art as a career. i made the radical choice to attend law school, + now practice full time as a corporate litigator.
BUT—i never lost my love of movement, + i enjoy finding new opportunities for exercise + expression wherever i can. when i was introduced to The Joy Project, i knew i had found a home for all of of my movement needs, alongside a community of talented, passionate humans.
Clinton Edward
Clinton has been teaching some form of movement for the past 15 years, from dance to fitness + everything in between. He is a co-founder and resident artist of M:NUTEZERO, an immersive events company based in NYC as well as choreographer + collaborator for up-and-coming pop artist Primme.
Clinton’s class has a focus on intentional moving, breath, + letting go of judgment while building a stronger body (+ dropping it low in the process).