Today we’d like to introduce you to Cornelius Jones.
Cornelius, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My background is in the performing arts. Acting, singing, dancing and my innate gift of movement is what inspired me to move beyond any societal limitations that have negatively attempted to hold me back in life.
I was born in Richmond, VA and grew up playing little league sports (football, basketball, and track & field) as most kids of my generation did but it was my deep love for theater that motivated me into pursuing a profession in the Performing Arts. I received a BFA in Musical Theater from The University of the Arts and two years post-college graduation I landed the professional job of a lifetime that most theater actors would die for. I was cast in the Broadway musical The Lion King. During my Lion King journey, I had an itch to return back to school. So I did and enrolled in a Masters Program at New York University and graduated with a Masters of Arts in Educational Theater & Performance.
When asked how Yoga came into my life, I playfully share a story of how I was initially introduced to yoga in undergrad as a course requirement and how my classmates and I innocently made fun of it; butchering the poses and sanskrit. And then, I gently share how I reunited with yoga shortly after suffering a painful injury while dancing in The Lion King but only to abandon yoga after gaining full physical recovery. At the point of completing my master’s program at NYU, I was burned out emotionally, to add I was suffering in an emotionally and physically abusive relationship. Yoga found me again and I knew the relationship I needed to focus on and cultivate was my relationship with yoga. So I rededicated my body and my mind back to the physical practice. With this new sense of self, I was given an opportunity to move to the west coast. I accepted and this is where the seeds planted in my yoga life begin to flourish.
Currently, I am an ERYT 200 (Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher) with over 3,500 teaching hours. I’ve been featured in Cosmopolitan and OK Magazines alongside my student, actress & businesswoman Jessica Alba (co-founder of The Honest Company). Pre-COVID I was seen dancing with Oprah Winfrey on her 2020 Vision Tour in partnership with WW and balancing my life as a performer pre-COVID. I wrapped up a limited engagement as Lola in 3D Theatricals production of Kinky Boots the Musical. When I am offstage and out of the yoga studio, I work independently for a variety of small businesses & sober living facilities providing the services of yoga, meditation, movement, vocal coaching, improv, and creative writing.
During the COVID pandemic, I transitioned live yoga classes to my online platform. A short term goal of mine was to launch an On Demand virtual yoga studio integrated into my website www.corneliusyogaburn.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The road has not been smooth. And that’s ok. Life breaks us to make us and with every breakdown there is a breakthrough. I’ve been breaking through barriers my whole life. I’ve navigated a great deal of my professional life through white spaces academically at the Universities I attended, professionally within the Broadway theater community, and in the wellness and yoga spaces in our western society. On top of that, I have the intersectionalities of me being black, male, and gay. So my struggles have been the body I was born into and unfortunately that results into being treated unfairly, not being seen, not being heard, not having the best resources all based on the intersectionalities that are me. But I don’t give up though. I keep living and I keep the faith.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
ww.CorneliusYogaBurn.com is my website and YOGABURN ELITE is my on Demand virtual yoga studio. I offer live yoga classes via the Zoom platform Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
CorneliusYogaBurn is a community of healthy living and like-minded individuals who come together to share the space of body, mind, and soul integration through Yoga, Dance, & Fitness layered with spoken word and inspiring music. A challenging and invigorating movement in the wellness space. YogaBurn ELITE is authentic, activating, and achievable. YogaBurn ElITE gives you access to a full catalog of yoga classes and tutorials with me and is accessible for all levels & ages.
I am known for “Mind Right, Body Tight”
I specialize in Power Yoga and Barre Fitness. I am also a continuing education provider and I guide and certify new yoga teachers to teach yoga. I’ve also built a course workshop called “VOCAL CARE FOR YOGA TEACHERS AND FITNESS INSTRUCTORS” which is designed to help Yoga Teachers & Fitness Instructors preserve their voice over the course of their teaching careers. And yearly, I host and lead yoga retreats called S.O.C.H.A. (School of Creative Healing and Arts) in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
What sets me apart is my authenticity in the experience I provide. Whether you’re with me live in real-time or watching from YogaBurn ELITE on Demand your experience will feel as if I’m there in the room with you. I don’t make it perfect. I give you authenticity. You’ll see me sweat with you, you’ll see me struggle with you, and You’ll definitely see me overcome the challenge with you.
This is a quote from the lovely Jessica Alba who has been a huge support of mine: “I appreciate the authenticity and relatability Cornelius brings to the CorneliusYogaBurn method. As a student in his group classes and when training with him privately, I’m always challenged to not just dig deeper physically but emotionally. He creates a safe environment for you to let it out and let go. Cornelius’s Mindfulness in his approach as an instructor creates the space for everyone to benefit from his practice. No matter your body type, age or skill level.”
What were you like growing up?
Always active. A go-getter. Always creating. Resourceful. Always the first on the dance floor to dance. I was a daredevil and explorer. Growing up in my neighborhood, we were very active and would get creative just to get all of that crazy male energy out. I loved gymnastics but my family didn’t have the financial means to enroll me into a tumbling school so my friends and I would collect mattresses that people threw out, place them in the alleyway and we would teach ourselves how to backflip and tumble on old mattresses.
I loved cooking as a kid and was fascinated by easy bake ovens but two things stood in the way: 1. Money and 2. Easy bake ovens were for “girls”. Well, my childhood best friend and I would gather old pots, pans, and spatulas thrown out by our parents and we would use the dirt from the ground and water from the hose and make easy bake mud pies.
I remember my mom asking me when I was 8 or 9 to write a simple skit for my Grandmother’s Father’s day event at her nursing home. I wrote and entire 30-minute program: a play where I cast myself as the father and my brother and best friend as my sons, I sang two solos and even played a piano solo. The piano solo was so awful but they loved it.
I remember, in Marching Band, being called a fag in front of a crowd of people while marching in the Christmas Parade. I was called a fag because I was a flag twirler. 98% of the flag twirlers were girls. It was super humiliating but I marched even higher with knees raised because I was quite proud of my flag twirling. Like I mentioned earlier: “I’ve been breaking through barriers my whole life.” Keep the faith. Keep living. Keep Moving and find a tribe that supports you. Finally, I invite you to join me in a CorneliusYogaBurn experience.
Pricing:
- YogaBurn and BarreBurn Live Class via Zoom are $15 per class
- YogaBurn Elite On Demand with Live Classes (Tier 1) – $47/month
- YogaBurn Elite On Demand (Tier 2) – $19.99/month
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.corneliusyogaburn.com/
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/corneliusjonesjr/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cornelius-Jones-Jr-Actor-Fitness-Entrepreneur-243493783623/
Image Credit:
Shelly Perry Photography, Matteo Photographs
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