Yogis Uncovered | Meet Jared
In this edition of Yogis Uncovered, we sit down with Jared, a Detroit native now in San Diego whose path has moved from being a professional dancer to wildlife conservationist. He shares how yoga helps him protect his mobility, steady his breath, and feel at home in his skin. Hear how caring for endangered species reshaped his sense of purpose, and why “the only constant is change” guides his life. Catch the full conversation in his interview.
“… day to day we forget to take breaths. Yoga has taught me to breathe. I think that’s the most important thing.”
Hi, my name is Jared. I live in San Diego.
Where are you from originally and what was it like growing up there?
I’m from Detroit originally in Michigan. It was great growing up there. We have all four seasons, a million cousins, the whole family lived on one street and it was great. I have no complaints.
What inspired you to move to the west coast?
Southern California was just something that you see on TV, and I think that’s what initially led me here, and the entertainment industry. I’m no longer in the entertainment industry, but I originally came for dance, and it’s evolved into other things.
What do you do for work?
I work in wildlife care, so I take care of endangered species and other wildlife, and advocate in public education to preserve these species and make sure that we’re doing things around the world to make sure that their habitats are protected.
What inspired you to segue into that career?
Good question. I loved my previous career. I was a dancer, I was doing modeling, I was acting, it was really great, but there was just a point where I wanted something else. It wasn’t giving me meaning as much anymore and I wanted something where it was gonna feel a little more fulfilling and it definitely is.
What is your favorite thing about working with animals?
My favorite thing about working with animals is how different every single day is and learning how animals communicate, because we expect them to communicate the way we would. It’s so different but it’s no less than our communication, it’s just different and it’s really cool to see that every day.
What is like the most unexpected species that you’ve ever bonded with?
It’s a Burmese Python. It’s 13 feet 2 inches exactly. It’s an incredible animal and I never realized reptiles had so much expression, and this one specifically, you can kind of read its subtle cues and it has opened up my mind to like how snakes think and move and just obtain resources and it’s incredible.
How did you get into yoga?
I got into yoga because I was a dancer for a long time. I still dance, but I was a professional dancer for almost 15 to 20 years. And when I stopped dancing as much, I wanted to keep my mobility, and yoga was kind of the next step for me. And it was just a great way to make sure that I kept my flexibility and make sure that this body doesn’t fail me.
How has yoga impacted your life off the mat?
Yoga has taught me to breathe. I think that’s the most important thing. I think day to day we forget to take breaths. I literally think that that’s a thing we do and we have so much anxiety because of that. And yoga has taught me to do that in and out of class.
Have you always been this comfortable being nude or was it a process?
It was not a process for me. I’ve always been very comfortable being nude. I get this question often and I think it’s because growing up as a dancer, you’re in front of a mirror all the time and you know your body so well and it’s not necessarily that you always love your body, but you are so comfortable in your skin. And I think that kind of migrates to other areas in life. And going back to the science and the biology of us, like, it’s so strange to me that we wear clothes ’cause you know, we’re literally primates. So being naked just feels more natural for me.
What advice would you have for others who maybe aren’t as comfortable in their own skin yet?
I think positive affirmations are a thing. That’s something I’ve learned through therapy as well, is waking up in the morning, looking at yourself, and telling yourself that you are enough. And then getting moving in yoga or dance, or taking a class, and feeling sexy, feeling confident, I think is a huge confidence booster that people don’t realize works often.
What’s your favorite yoga pose and why?
My favorite yoga pose would be dancer pose. It is extremely challenging and it does not matter if you were a dancer before, it does not make it any easier. There’s something about that hip extended upward and stretching forward that is kind of the epitome of the challenge of yoga for me and sustaining that. And I love the challenge of that move.
If money was no object, what would you do with your life?
If money was no object, I would probably have some sort of sanctuary where there was a place for animals to go get treated, rehabbed, released, or just a place for them to live out their years. Oftentimes there’s a lot of animals that are kind of older that people give up on that need a place and it would be amazing to have a property that was just like you spent your morning doing that. A little sustainable garden, your little fruits and veggies, the whole thing.
What motto or philosophy do you live by?
A quote that is really important to me is “the only constant is change”. I think it goes from a scientific level to just life in general every day. Nothing is going to be permanent and I think when we understand that, it’s easier to get through day to day and that’s something that helps me.
Where can our viewers see more of your work online?
If you want to see what I get up to with wildlife and my conservation work and some modeling stuff, my Instagram is @jarednorth_wildlife!
*this interview has been edited for brevity and clarity