About YogaJen

Jen Damaska, aka YogaJen, is the Founder & Owner of Elite Mind and Body, Inc.

Jen is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio and began her study of body awareness as a young child in the dance studio. This study began at the age of 5 with training in Classical ballet and eventually adding Modern Dance. Her studies at Cincinnati Conservatory of Music's prep department and the Cincinnati Dance Theater sparked an interest in how movement affects the physical structure as well as the therapeutic effect it has on the mental and emotional person. While attending college at University of Cincinnati's College Conservatory of Music and Northern Kentucky University, this interest was heightened while pursuing studies in the performance arts. This pursuit culminated in a degree in Acting/Directing and a Minor in Dance. Among the obvious training grounds within the theater of movement, vocal training, stage combat and dance, she began to observe what each of these pursuits evoked physically and emotionally within both the audience and participant. Here is where she was introduced to the study of Yoga and Meditation.

After having studied Yoga for several years, the opportunity came where she was asked to become a Certified Yoga Instructor and teach at a local Country Club. The program was extremely well received and the business has continued to grow. Relatively quickly a second Country Club wanted to offer its membership Jen's services. Individuals began to request private classes in their homes and are still a large population of her clientele.

One Sunday afternoon in the fall of 2003 while watching the Cincinnati Bengals, there was a play where the Quarterback got sacked and his legs stretched over his head. Jen thought that Yoga would be something that would hugely benefit the professional athlete and decided to write a letter to the Strength and Conditioning Coach. The letter was sent and a few months later Jen became the Yoga Instructor for the Cincinnati Bengals Organization. While developing the program for the Bengals, she began to see the necessity to become very specific to the needs of the professional athlete. Professional athlete's strengths and weakness' differ greatly from those of her other clients, therefore, the second program of instruction began to develop, Yoga for the Competitive Athlete. After developing this program she received interest from the Miami University Hockey School to teach their Bantam and Collegiate aged players. This instruction is still offered each summer at the University of Miami Hockey school.

Currently, Jen is working with private clients as well as at the Cincinnati Country Club, the Indian Hill Winter Club, Indian Hill Middle School and with competitive athletes.. Jen offers instruction in a variety of forms of Yoga including fitness, power, hot, gentle and instruction personalized to fit the clients needs.

Jen resides in Kenwood, Ohio with her husband Dave and their three children.

Our Mission

The Mission of Elite Mind and Body, Inc. is to provide clients with the instruction to improve their body's' condition while sharpening mental focus, generating stress relief and guidance to lead a more productive and fulfilling life.