Meet Jared Pelton | Yoga Teacher and Student

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jared Pelton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jared, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
FoCo Yoga’s mission is to support those seeking to begin, strengthen, or reconnect with their yoga practice and journey. Whether a beginner looking to feel better in their bodies and their day-to-day lives, or someone who maybe said “yoga isn’t for me” and put it aside. Yoga is for everyone and it truly supports a healthy mind and body. 

Currently, FoCo Yoga is supporting the local community with yoga classes, support of non-profits like Comeback Yoga that offers free yoga to veterans along the Front Range, and connecting with the Fort Collins yoga community. Furthermore, FoCo Yoga has expanded to YouTube videos, to support yoga beginners locally and worldwide. 

The Fort Collins yoga community is large and multifaceted, offering something for everyone. In the future, I’d love to provide more awareness to the Fort Collins yoga community with FoCo Yoga videos on YouTube. 

Yoga matters and the results and research on what it does for an individual are clear. The benefits are innumerable and as with many things that are new, finding a starting point is tough. FoCo Yoga works to make yoga an accessible practice that is available to everyone.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Yoga began as something I knew very little about. At first, it was simply a way to work out. Over time, and with a consistent practice, yoga became something much deeper; a moving meditation that profoundly changed my life. Yoga became my way to connect more fully with my breath, body, and mind.

As my practice continued to grow and after completion of yoga teacher training, opportunities to teach naturally followed. I felt called to support others in their yoga journeys, whether they were complete beginners or more experienced practitioners. I knew firsthand how impactful yoga had been in my own life, and I was fortunate to have teachers along the way who supported and guided my practice. Offering that same support to others felt like the next meaningful step.

Over the past three years, I’ve had the opportunity to support many students through weekly in-person classes, helping them build and deepen their practices. I continue to enjoy teaching both in person and online, and more recently, I’ve enjoyed creating yoga videos. While the format may differ, the mission remains the same: to support others with their yoga practice and journey. Through video, I’m able to focus on a wide range of areas, from beginner-friendly yoga practices to educational “how/why yoga” supports daily life. My intention is to offer quality, grounded content that becomes a trusted at home resource for beginner and returning yogis.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Fort Collins offers a wide range of experiences, and a week here would likely include the following:

-Hiking and outdoor activities for sure! Whether the many beautiful local natural areas/trailheads, or short trip to Horsetooth, Lory State Park, or even Estes Park/Rocky Mountains.
-Old Town visit! There is much to see, lots of great shops and restaurants to check out. Offers a good vibe!
-Definitely a few visits to local yoga studios, if its winter add in some heated yoga!
-Cycling adventure is always a great option as well with a multitude of paved bike paths throughout the city. 
-Checking out the Fort Collins Weekly Happenings; there is always something fun going on!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My yoga journey and practice truly began to take shape at a Fort Collins yoga studio named Meraki Yoga. With the in-person classes and extraordinary teachers there, I was able to explore my yoga practice more fully and experienced profound breakthroughs with a consistent practice. In addition, I was fortunate enough to have an opportunity to attend their exceptional yoga teacher training as well. I feel I’ve been a successful yoga teacher because of their yoga teacher training and gained immense depth and clarity for my yoga practice too.

Furthermore, the yoga studios and teachers of the Fort Collins community are wonderful and multifaceted. I’ve been able to explore and deepen my practice with the variety of yoga styles and workshops offered here; ranging from beginner yoga, Vinyasa, Hatha, heated yoga, Iyengar style, Yin, Restorative, and many others. Being part of and connecting with the Fort Collins yoga community has been a powerful source of learning, inspiration, and growth in both my yoga practice and teaching.

Website: https://www.foco.yoga

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foco.yoga/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@FoCoYoga