“I was a young girl who never felt comfortable in her skin or content in my body,” Jesse Bennett says. “I was good at being positive and caring to others, but I wasn’t kind to myself.”
“When I started practicing Pilates and yoga in college, it was a gamechanger,” she continues. “I fell in love with how the practices changed how I felt in my skin. I want to give that gift to other people, to empower women to love who they are and where they’re at.”
Bennett looks content these days. A mother of two, she teaches yoga and Pilates at Roseville’s Life Time health and fitness club, hosts monthly movement sessions on KMAX 31’s “Good Day Sacramento” and just published her fifth book for children.
Bennett’s love of movement started in college at USC and carried her around the country while her husband completed training as an orthopedic surgeon. When she was pregnant with their first child, she discovered the wonders of prenatal yoga and incorporated it into her practice.
“Pregnancy makes you realize being a woman is so powerful. We’re connected to ourselves in a way that is so special and such a miracle,” she says.
Personal experiences inspired her work as a children’s author. When her daughter was having trouble sleeping, Bennett wrote a meditation for the youngster based around breathwork at bedtime. It worked wonders.
Bennett began to think about how she could share these lessons with a wider audience. The result was her first book, “The Yoga House.”
“For ‘The Yoga House,’ I used my kid’s colored markers and pencils (to illustrate the book). I want other people to know that if I can write and illustrate a book, they can too,” she says. “When I read to schools in the area, one of my messages is, if there’s something you’re compelled to put out into the world, do it. The world needs your voice.”
Bennett published four more books through Archway Publishing, an arm of Simon & Schuster. Each book deals with a different theme, but the power of kindness is a common thread.
Her second book, “Sunshine,” brought an opportunity to reach more people. To promote the book, she appeared on “Good Day Sacramento” and made friends with anchor Cody Stark. This connection led to the TV team calling on Bennett for regular yoga segments, especially during the pandemic. Five years on, she has a monthly slot on the show.
“I’m so grateful to be affiliated with them and be part of their community,” Bennett says.
When she’s not writing, illustrating or teaching, Bennett travels the region for book talks at schools.
She encourages young readers to make their own books, which is why she’s adamant about using only accessible materials to illustrate. Proceeds from book sales go to the schools or other causes close to Bennett’s heart.
“I want my books to feel like a hug, for kids to feel loved for who they are,” Bennett says. “If I can do it, they can do it.”
For information, find Bennett on Instagram @jesse.bennett. Her books are available on Amazon.
Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento.
