MY Professional STORY
Jessica Martinez, M.A. , RYT 500, Embodiment Teacher for Pain and Trauma Recovery
About Me – A Life of Service and Healing
I have been working and volunteering in behavioral health, education and
advocacy for over 30 years. I have had various careers, professional roles, and responsibilities.
I began my career studying urban planning and economic development. I did architecture internships.
I also worked for a commercial and residential real estate
appraiser and helped him with demographic research and building reports.
As I reflected on difficulties I experienced as a child and adolescent I decided to become a
Court Designated Child Advocate in the Juvenile Court Dependency System.
I designed a pilot program for youth under the supervision of a
Superior Court Judge in a District Attorney’s Office. The program's goal was to focus on
the educational needs of youth and help them regulate their
emotions and decrease their anxiety when they gave court testimony.
Then I worked for two school districts as an adult school educator teaching
English as a Second Language, Citizenship Exam requirements, taught
High School equivalency courses to adults struggling with substance use disorders,
and designed an educational program in nursing homes. I also helped
immigrants with job resumes and counseled them in transitioning into new careers.
Following this I worked as a Patient's Rights Advocate representing psychiatric patients in
inpatient legal hearings and responded to grievances in inpatient and outpatient
psychiatric hospitals and residential living communities.
I educated clients about their legal rights and self-advocacy. I also lectured on the
subject of mental health recovery and alternatives to the traditional psychiatric medical model.
After retiring from my work in Patient's Rights, I volunteered and did fundraising
for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. I worked as a Board member for the Durham County Affiliate.
As a NAMI Durham Board member I organized panel discussions. I put together a group of
Duke Neuroscience Professors to discuss what I entitled, “You have the Power to Change Your Brain”.
I designed the format and questions for the professors which revolved around a discussion of neuroplasticity and neurogenesis. I also put together panel discussions with other mental health clinics.
I was appointed to the Human Rights Committee at Butner State Psychiatric Hospital by the
North Carolina Director of Health and Human Services. I also worked with the NAMI
Peer Leadership Council, a group of mental health clients organized
to voice their advocacy interests.
In 2012, I completed my yoga teacher training and began teaching at the
Village Integrated Services Agency, an internationally acclaimed alternative outpatient
community mental health center in Long Beach, California.
I have taught in a variety of medical settings.
The Durham VA Medical Center, University of North Carolina Family Medical Clinic,
Triangle Springs Psychiatric Hospital, Pruitt Health Rehabilitation Center and
The Farm at Penny Lane (affiliated with the University of North Carolina
Center for Excellence in Community Mental Healthcare) where I have taught since 2019.
In 2021, I earned a 300-hour Yoga Wellness Educator Certification specializing in Yoga for
Older Adults, allowing me to teach in 55+ communities, assisted living facilities, and
to individuals with dementia and Alzheimer’s. I deepened my expertise with certifications
in Brain Longevity from the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation.
In 2022, I began studying Nondualism with Richard Miller, whose teachings deeply shaped
my personal healing. I also drew inspiration from Rupert Spira’s contemporary approach,
and from classical Indian teachers like Ramana Maharshi, who taught Self-Inquiry,
and Nisargadatta Maharaj, who revealed the “I Am” as pure awareness.
In 2024, I started studying neuroscience at the Brain Academy to become a Certified Brain Coach.
My studies have focused on preventing Alzheimer's and Dementia and early cognitive
disorders for aging adults and using a healthy diet, various forms of exercise and other lifestyle
factors to protect the brain and enhance brain functioning throughout a person's lifetime.
Over the past couple of years I began a deeper self inquiry with my mentor and yoga therapist, Goran Boll. He
founded Medi-Yoga, now an international program. He is responsible for bringing yoga into 30% of Swedish hospitals.
Goran challenged me in radical ways that inspired me to reinvent myself. Af a result of my work with him I created Mind Health Embodiment and healed myself from chronic pain and trauma.
Professional experience and education
TEACHING EXPERIENCE, TRAINING AND EDUCATION
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Mind Health Embodiment™ Studio, Chapel Hill, 2026
Currently working with former private Mind Health Yoga students and new students who are interested in learning and practicing Mind Health Embodiment™ as it is currently being designed with a focus on applying it as a transformational and healing tool for mental health recovery, empowerment, and creating a cultural shift in society, public health and higher education.
Created a Meet Up Group: Healing Chronic Pain and Illness together. This is a peer run support group.
University of North Carolina Psychiatry (The Farm at Penny Lane with the Center for Excellence in Mental Healthcare), Pittsboro 2019 - present
Currently designing and implementing a Leadership Program for Self Discovery and Trauma Recovery©. Teach trauma-informed Mind Health Embodiment™ to individuals living with serious psychiatric diagnoses, offering gentle, accessible practices tailored to each participant’s mental, emotional, and physical needs. Lead both mat and chair-based classes integrating Hatha and Kundalini yoga, Yoga Nidra, sound healing, and guided self-inquiry.
Design practices that addressed specific symptoms such as anxiety, depression, developmental trauma, and emotional dysregulation, supporting nervous system regulation, self-compassion, and resilience. Classes encourage deep personal reflection on the nature of Self, human suffering, joy, and the conditions for self-love and healing.
Promote recovery-oriented care that moved beyond the medical model, decentering diagnoses and affirming each person’s potential for growth, agency, and full recovery. Foster group cohesion, trust, and shared identity rooted in dignity and possibility.
Developing original practices and philosophical frameworks for Mind Health Embodiment™️ as a path of self-discovery, leadership, and collective healing for people with serious trauma and psychiatric diagnoses.
Mind Health Yoga Studio, Chapel Hill, 2013 - 2025
Focus on Stress Relief for Professionals
Yoga and Meditation for Stress Relief and Executive Performance. Designed and delivered private yoga and meditation programs for professionals in high-pressure roles seeking stress relief, improved focus, and better communication in the workplace. Helped clients release physical tension from sedentary work, especially tight muscles from prolonged sitting, and supported mental clarity and emotional balance.
Integrated breathwork, movement, and mindfulness techniques to enhance performance, support nervous system regulation, and promote inner calm. Emphasized career sustainability, personal well-being, and deeper meaning through embodied practices that helped clients thrive both professionally and personally.
Private and Group Sessions (Online & In-Person)
Provided personalized yoga and meditation instruction to individuals and groups from diverse professional backgrounds, including business, government, healthcare, education, and law. Specialized in adapting Hatha and Kundalini-based practices to meet each client’s physical, emotional, and neurological needs, including those managing chronic pain, injuries, aging, and trauma histories.
Taught mat and chair-based yoga, Yoga Nidra, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), and Kundalini meditations. Sessions were trauma-informed and focused on nervous system regulation, emotional resilience, and physical recovery. Designed customized programs for individuals and couples seeking long-term wellness routines tailored to their unique life circumstances.
Pruitt Health Rehabilitation Center, Raleigh 2021 - 2025
Led trauma-informed chair yoga sessions for middle-aged and older adults in full-time care, many of whom were living with advanced physical, cognitive, or psychiatric diagnoses. Designed gentle, adaptive practices for individuals with limited mobility, including those using wheelchairs, and those with dementia, Alzheimer’s, or nonverbal communication.
Incorporated era-specific music to support memory recall and cognitive stimulation, while encouraging gentle stretching, breath awareness, and somatic engagement. Classes fostered dignity, presence, and connection for participants facing complex health challenges.
Triangle Springs Psychiatric Hospital, Raleigh 2018
Led yoga and meditation sessions for individuals admitted to a locked inpatient facility for acute psychiatric care. Taught accessible physical postures, breathwork, and meditation techniques alongside the deeper philosophy, history, and purpose of yoga as a path to self-awareness and empowerment.
Focused on recovery-oriented practices that fostered hope, resilience, and self-advocacy. Supported patients in developing tools to better communicate with providers, advocate for their needs, and take active roles in their healing journey.
Durham Veterans Administration Medical Center, Durham 2017 - 2019
Taught trauma-informed yoga and meditation to Veterans in inpatient psychiatric care and rehabilitation units, many of whom experienced severe physical and psychological trauma from combat deployments. Sessions were adapted for mats, chairs, and wheelchairs to meet the diverse needs of Veterans with mobility challenges, including amputations and chronic pain.
Designed practices to support nervous system regulation, emotional resilience, and physical healing, creating a safe, respectful space for Veterans to reconnect with their bodies and inner strength.
University of North Carolina Family Medicine, Chapel Hill 2016-2019
Taught chair-based yoga and meditation as part of a mindfulness research program led by a University of North Carolina Psychology Professor. Worked with a diverse outpatient population, including working professionals, retirees, and individuals with physical limitations or health conditions.
Integrated trauma-informed practices and Kundalini-based techniques, including the Kirtan Kriya meditation, to support mood regulation, brain longevity, and emotional well-being. Helped participants develop accessible tools for stress reduction, cognitive resilience, and inner awareness.
Orange County Middle Schools, Chapel Hill 2013 - 2016
Taught yoga and meditation to middle school students (ages 11–13), with a focus on addressing behavioral and emotional needs. Designed developmentally appropriate practices to help students strengthen their bodies, improve mental focus, and cultivate calm and emotional regulation in their daily lives.
Introduced foundational yogic values, such as compassion, self-compassion, lovingkindness, and peace, through movement, breathwork, and somatic awareness. Encouraged students to explore deeper self-understanding and presence through accessible, embodied mindfulness practices.
The Village (Alternative Mental Health) Integrated Service Agency, Long Beach 2012
Facilitated trauma-informed yoga and meditation for individuals with serious trauma and psychiatric diagnoses, including those experiencing homelessness and long-term institutionalization. Participants were at diverse levels of physical and mental functioning, many with histories of complex trauma, psychiatric hospitalization, and incarceration.
The program embraced a non-hierarchical, recovery-oriented model that de-emphasized psychiatric labels and the medical model, focusing instead on empowerment, healing, and self-determination. Taught accessible practices that promoted nervous system regulation, body awareness, emotional resilience, and self-agency, supporting participants in reclaiming their autonomy and sense of inner stability.
YOGA AND OTHER TEACHER TRAINING CERTIFICATES
Brain Coaching (Neuroscience) Certificate, Present
Brain Academy
Brain Longevity Therapy Certificate 2022
National Alzheimer's Research and Prevention Foundation
Yoga Wellness Educator Certificate 2021
Yoga University
Integrative Restoration iRest Yoga Nidra Certificate 2020
iRest Institute
Warriors At Ease Trauma Conscious Teaching Certificate 2018
Warriors At Ease
Connected Warriors Trauma Conscious Certificate 2016
Yoga Connection Studio
Hatha Yoga Teaching Certificate 2016
Lovingkindness Yoga Studio
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Certificate of Completion 2015
Duke Integrative Medicine
Y.O.G.A. for Youth Certificate 2013
Duke University Dance Studio
Applying Mind/Body Interventions to People with Anxiety and Depression 2012
Ram Dass Center for Humanology
Kundalini Yoga and Meditation Teaching Certificate 2011
Golden Bridge Yoga Studio
GRADUATE EDUCATION
MASTER OF ARTS, EDUCATIONAL STUDIES
Claremont Graduate University, Claremont 2003
PROFESSIONAL ACADEMIC TEACHER TRAINING
CALIFORNIA STATE ADULT EDUCATION TEACHING CREDENTIALS
University of California, Los Angeles 1993
- Basic Academic Skills
- English as a Second Language
- Social Sciences
UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION
BACHELOR OF ARTS, SOCIAL ETHICS AND MODERN INSTITUTIONS
University of Calfiornia, Santa Cruz, 1991
- PRE-LAW
Designed an individual major focused on human rights and social justice in government institutions, exploring how public policy, legal theory, and social movements promote democracy and civil liberties. Studied Western Ancient Philosophy, Existentialism, Critical Theory, Postmodernism. Studied the role of courts in social change. Engaged in advanced research, academic reading and independent study with professors, beyond standard undergraduate study.
