With almost half a million Instagram followers, Jessamyn is a leading voice in wellness, busting outdated beliefs that yoga is just for thin, able-bodied people. Here are the essential oils, chafe-banishing buys and luxury cleansers she always treats herself to
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Jessamyn Stanley, 34, has many jobs to juggle. She's a yoga teacher, a body positivity advocate, an author and podcaster. She's known for blasting fat-phobia on Instagram via internet-breaking selfies and proving that yoga is for every single body. She lives in a camper trailer with her partner Ashe and her chihuahua Babyshark.
Via her wellness app, The Underbelly , Jessamyn's 472,000 followers can practice yoga with her, while in her latest book of autobiographical essays, Yoke: My Yoga of Self Acceptance, £10.56, Jessamyn writes humorously on everything from imposter syndrome to cannabis to why loving yourself is a full-time job.
Here she tells us the wellbeing and beauty essentials she buys on repeat and shares how she stays so positive and chilled out at all times.
My typical workday
With so many jobs to juggle, Jessamyn's days can vary wildly, but always start with a dose of wellness, be it yoga, meditation and breathwork , writing in her journal , pulling tarot cards, or reading her astrology or numerology. "If I don't start my day this way it's going to be really f**ked up," she says.
After her morning practice, Jessamyn heads to her office in North Carolina for midday and works until around eight PM. “During the day I might be teaching yoga classes on my wellness app, The Underbelly , which includes being on camera for multiple hours of the day, or I might be working on the infrastructure of my businesses, such as The Underbelly, cannabis justice initiative We Go High , and my Dear Jessamyn podcast about relationships.
My weekend
Jessamyn starts her Saturday by going to therapy, then it's a mixture of rest and work tasks "Saturday includes some amount of vegetation, such as sitting on the couch or the bed and watching TV or taking a nap and just trying to relax, but I often end up needing to work on Saturday, either teaching a class or working on a project.
"Right now, we are renovating our camper trailer home, so that is taking up a lot of my weekends. In the best-case scenario on a Saturday, I love to get a facial or a massage, but that has not been a priority recently, especially not since the pandemic.”
Jessamyn’s beauty routine
“I have a very specific skincare routine that I do every morning and I am really loving Keys Soul Care to start. I use the brand’s Golden Cleanser , £20, then I put TW Dickinson's Witch Hazel , £3.20, on a washable cotton makeup pad and drop any kind of 100 per cent tea tree oil on top of it on the pad. The tea tree oil and witch hazel cleanse and tone my skin.
“After that, I spray my face with a rosewater toner and lock that in with a serum. I've bounced between several serums, but right now I'm using Farmacy’s Filling Good , £42. I also love Drops of Youth Concentate by The Body Shop, £38.
“My favourite eye cream comes next; Kiehl's' Creamy Avocado Eye Treatment , £26.50. I seal all of that in with a moisturiser. Right now it’s Shea Moisture's Manuka Honey and Yogurt Glow Getter Pressed Serum Moisturiser , $12.99
“I’m really bad at remembering to wear sunblock, so that's not one of the steps that I'm saying, but it should come next. Finally, I like Robin's Nest Seattle Lip Balm , the big jumbo tube in Lavender Lemongrass, £10.85. For bathtime, I like soaps and bath bombs from Lush .”
“I also love Dr Bronner's Organic Peppermint Castile Soap , £8.49. I feel like anyone who has met a hippie knows about Dr Bronner’s soap.”
“Lastly I use Mega Babe Thigh Rescue , $14, which I found through Instagram. I have never turned back or let my eyes stray away since first trying. If you don't jump to put jeans on, you may not know about the next part, but thigh chafing is so real. This product puts all of that all the way out of your mind.”
Wellness from the inside
“There are several things I value above all else; I make sure to stay hydrated and try not to worry about what other people are doing. I masturbate and also try to sleep as much as possible. Literally, anytime that there's an opportunity to nap, take it. I'm always trying to rest and value quiet time for myself."
The best advice I’ve been given
"The best tip I've ever received is to get colonics; cleaning out your small intestine is so important and we don’t talk about it enough."
Jessamyn’s wellness essentials
Lakewood Organic Lemon Juice, $60 for a pack of six
“This is the lemon juice jar that is most available at grocery stores and I am so grateful. Sometimes you can’t always access a fresh lemon and this makes [drinking lemon water] so much easier.”
Saje Brainstorm essential oil, $16
“There are two kinds of people; those who swear by oil diffusion and everyone else. I am the former and Saje makes my lifestyle possible.”
Apple AirPods Pro, £195
“Someone got me some AirPods as a gift and I have been a convert ever since. I am always listening to music while practising yoga, editing a social media video, staying in touch with my community or on a phone call. The Airpods Pro stays in my ears and sync to my devices so easily. I love them.”
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, £5.30
“To say this book has changed my life is an understatement. I listen to it on audiobook frequently and generally use it as a touchstone to keep myself spiritually attuned and never far from valuable lessons that keep me on my path.”
Nalgene water bottle, from £12
“I drink water all day and this bottle doesn’t dent or break, or get lost (it has a convenient strap so I can hold or attach it to something). I have one that my friends at 8 Limbs Yoga in Seattle gave me as a gift and I use it every day. Mine is the 32-ounce size with a narrow mouth for easy drinking and less spilling. It’s durable, BPA free, lightweight and is perfect to take with me everywhere.”
Yeti drinks bottle, £29.99
“My tea stays piping hot all day long, my iced coffee stays iced and doesn’t sweat. I like to sip, not chug, and the Yeti makes that pleasant no matter when I get to it.”
Berkey Water System, £129.99
“This is a really intense carbon gravity water filter and it is not your mom’s Brita. There is no way to value clean drinking water enough, especially when you live all over the place. The simple technology of running water through pure carbon cylinders before taking a sip leaves you refreshed, without a host of unknown contaminants. It’s delicious water and offers me so much peace of mind.”
My We Go High Clipper Lighter, $6
“The clipper lighter is brilliant because it is compact and lightweight, but refillable. On a desert island, I would want to be able to spark a bonfire or light my S.O.S. logs for planes that are flying overhead, while also being reminded that no one should be in jail for weed.”