Jen Kagan
Healthy Lifestyle and Yoga Coach for Sign Language Interpreters
The ONLY program of its kind that offers solutions for career sustainability, designed for sign language interpreters by a sign language interpreter
So you can be healthy, injury- free
and
UNSTOPPABLE
​As a sign language interpreter, you have found THE place dedicated to your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. A home to learn proven, do-able strategies and tools to relieve stress tension, and increase energy and confidence feel better and have a happy and healthy career as a sign language interpreter.
The work you do is demanding, challenging, and important but you are often overlooked.
Look, in our field, prioritizing your physical and mental well-being remains a secondary consideration. I’m seeing this over and over again in companies, in agencies, and even amongst ourselves. We have learned to not prioritize our health until a crisis hits and this is not sustainable.
Your health and well-being deserve to be a priority.
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I understand what an interpreter goes through which means you don’t have to spend hours explaining what you do and answering all of “those” questions. I get you. Here, you are seen, heard, and understood.
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There is no one else in the interpreting field addressing your needs in this way.
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There is no one in the yoga world who understands the complexity of interpreting.
This program puts you first and offers proven, doable solutions to relieve and prevent the tension interpreters are experiencing TODAY and prevent the suffering of tomorrow.
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Unstoppable sees the entirety of you and customizes it to your needs.
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Solutions to relieve and prevent tension and pain.
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Mindset for increased confidence.
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Tools to overcome obstacles and build resilience.
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Cultivate awareness, consistency and create lasting transformation
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Embrace and implement self-care as a habit.
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Sustainable solutions are not...
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Expensive band-aid solutions.
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Discomfort that keeps coming back.
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Dependency on others for solutions.
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Programs and classes that make you feel like you might injure yourself.
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I want to share with you the strategies and tools I have been doing for the past 30 years that have built resiliency and have taken me from the edge of burnout to feeling confident and secure.
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These strategies have been implemented by many interpreters who
were empowered with tools to
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overcome pain and fear
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develop a positive mindset
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beat burnout
It is my passion to focus on interpreters empowering you with tools to take charge of your own health and wellness
It is possible to feel better, have less tension, and have more confidence. And I’m here to tell you that without a healthy mind and body, you are doing yourself AND your community a disservice. When an interpreter feels centered, grounded, present, and pain-free they do their job better, enjoy their job better, and stay longer.
Our industry tries to spotlight this issue but doesn’t provide long-term solutions.
This is the void I aim to fill
87.5% report symptoms of RSI
A reality check
Prevalence of injury due to interpreting
A never-ending cycle
Interpreting is challenging and wonderful but it's taxing on the body and mind.
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Isn't this just part of the job and you either can hack it or not? That's what I thought.
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Doing nothing and letting the stress and tension cumulate will come to haunt you later. Building up a thick skin can be helpful for those of us who are sensitive but too much and you disconnect from yourself and others or you just burn out.
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You have to break that cycle of working to the point of unbearable discomfort and then seeking a solution that works in the moment but then the cycle starts all over again.
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Who is prioritizing your mental or physical health and providing strategies? Your employer? The client? The student? The agency?
An Unstoppable Interpreter
my step-by-step method to get out of and prevent pain, establish a sustainable career and a more balanced life
Evaluation
First step is to evaluate all areas of your life including physical, emotional and life work balance.
Awareness
Once you have an awareness of areas that need support, we set your goals and an individualized plan is created.
Adaptation
Because life changes, you learn how to adapt to your current and future needs.
Integration
You are now empowered with tools and knowledge you are able to stay consistent and experience to make changes last.
Preventative medicine
Prevention before rehabilitation!
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Interpreters need to be seen as complete beings because the cumulative effects of interpreting can't be solved with salves or by just spotlighting a shoulder or wrist but instead focusing on all that goes into being an interpreter including mindset, ergonomics, daily habits, family responsibilities, or working conditions. All of these contribute to career sustainability.
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Most instructors, coaches, and therapists don't have an understanding of the real life of an Interpreter but I do.
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There is no other modality that integrates the body and mind like yoga. This is because in yoga we are attending to so much more than the body. You can start because you want relief from physical pain and then experience more resilience, confidence, and peace of mind.
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I have experienced this transformation for myself and help others so they don't have to live in pain or have fear of career-stopping pain.
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Preventative measures are the difference between surviving and thriving...in your career and life.
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Not all methods of yoga are helpful for us.​ How do I know that?
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I tore my rotator cuff trying to keep up in class.
Ouch. I couldn't work for a while.
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And there is research -
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Yoga, if expertly modified for the person's injury, can be enormously helpful for people with RSI; however, the wrong asana practice can make matters significantly worse.
Yoga for People with Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI): Deborah Quilter Int J Yoga Therapy (2007) 17 (1): 89–94.
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I know what we, interpreters need and how to adapt. Interpreters might need to learn at a different pace or way but all the actions and postures of yoga are so healing and helpful for us! After more than 20 years of studying yoga, I know how what and when to teach interpreters.
When we work together, sessions are customized for individual needs and abilities and you are guided with personalized instruction. Because I have been teaching for so long and have thousands of hours of training, I can cross the virtual barrier and be "in the room" with you.
My students are empowered with practical tools to take charge of their own well-being.
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3 ways we can work together so you can start feeling good today!
Private Coaching
Retreats - Live Events
Self-Paced Programs
Hear what other interpreters are saying
Emma's debilitating back pain was gone in 3-months
Jennifer hated any kind of exercise but knew she had to start something. Now, she looks for times to do her practice which is no longer a chore but an essential part of her healthcare.
Brenda thought she was never going to run again. 1 month later, she returned to her love of running
Hi, I'm Jen
I've been an interpreter for close to 30 years! I suffered from repetitive strain and all sorts of aches and pains. I struggled with confidence and perfectionism and being flexible to the point of not believing I could have my own personal boundaries.
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I have been teaching yoga for more than 15 years and hold a level 3 certification in Iyengar yoga as well as certified by the International Association of Yoga Therapists. I have 1000's hours of study and practice. I am also a student of Ayurveda and an Ayurvedic Health Coach.
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Now, I'm bringing all this to my interpreter community. There is no one else bringing the level of my knowledge and training to the interpreter community.
I want you to feel great and have a healthy happy career. It is possible! I do not want you just to survive. I want you to THRIVE in your health, life, and career.
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I have called this program Unstoppable because I know you love what you do and who you serve and you want to continue interpreting for a long time. There are many things that can stop us whether it's physical like carpal tunnel or mental like burnout or situational like scarcity of work.
There are things we can do as interpreters that no one else is teaching you to become resilient and Unstoppable.
Sustainability comes when your mind and body are consistently nourished, balanced, and healthy.
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I share with you practical grounded practices from my personal experience with Iyengar yoga, a classical form that focuses on precision and progressive learning to build strength and stamina–balance and flexibility and a new sense of well-being to learn to exist fully and vibrantly in the present moment as well as time-honored and proven practices for holistic health and positive mindset. Unstoppable is a holistic program that takes the entirety of you into care and consideration
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I'm a certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher CIYT Level 3 and a Certified Yoga Therapist C-IAYT, with 1000's of hours studying and teaching. Ayurveda Therapist Level 1 from Ayushkama Ayurveda Institute, Vedic Counseling with Dr. Frawley, and cranial sacral therapy.
3 R's for Interpreter Health
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Resilient
Interpreters have to be flexible, able to think quickly, adapt and bounce back. To do this, an interpreter needs a balanced state of mind and body which prevents injury and pain.
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Restore
The work of an interpreter is physically and mentally taxing and to combat the cumulative effects of stress, the nervous system needs proper rest and relaxation
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Recover
It's essential to learn how to recover in order to prevent cumulative injury from stress or burnout and integrate habits that reduce stress.
How can classes be effective on zoom?
I know! We are on the computer so much! I get it. There are some overruling benefits that come from being able to connect virtually.
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A skilled teacher who totally understands your work and is highly trained in yoga and healthy lifestyle coaching guiding you to live in your home.
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Convenient to your schedule.
You might ask, "How can you teach on Zoom?"
This is NOT your follow-along free youtube video where you don't get any feedback. I've been teaching live for over 25 years and I use the skills and expertise of precise verbal instructions, an eagle eye for observation, and clear demonstration skills. One student commented that she felt I was in the room with her.​
I do not follow a cookie-cutter script but instead, plan classes specifically for my students. I teach in stages so all levels are addressed and each class builds on the previous class steadily increasing your skills and ability.
To get started, I guide you on how to optimally set up your device so we can both see one another.
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While it is virtual, it is not the same as sitting in front of a screen all day. And with time, the benefits of your own personal coach who understands you and the convenience of at-home guidance overshadow any concern of technology.
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Everyone learns differently, book a call with me to discuss where to start whether that be one-on-one, self-paced or in a group
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My Mission
Whether you are here to heal, learn or elevate, you are someone who shares a desire to look deep within yourself and uncover the beautiful complexities of your body, mind, and heart and be aligned in all aspects of your life, I welcome you here.
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You love to learn and explore every corner of your body and mind.
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Your personal growth is directly related to the caliber of your work.
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You seek an instructor and coach who can see you and guide you and help you move forward​
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You see tumbles in life or on your mat as places for growth.
I want my students to gain strength and flexibility, healthy habits and a compassionate, deeper understanding of themselves. And in doing so, create a different paradigm for working as a sign language interpreter.
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“Body is the Bow, Asana is the Arrow and the Soul is the Target.” BKS Iyengar
Common Questions
Why would I consider working 1:1
You have tried it all, youtube, free videos even your local studio and you want someone who can guide and coach you. You want someone who understands you completely and knows exatly how to create a program customized for you.
How this program can help you earn more money
When you feel better, more grounded, peaceful you are able move away from scarcity and fear based decisions to clearer boundaries and and abundant mindset.
How to best serve the Deaf Commuity
I wholeheartedly believe that the better you feel, teh less pain you are in, the more clear-minded you are helps you be a better interpreter and serve the commuity. Less burnout means more experienced, profesional interpeters for the Deaf community
How does it work on Zoom?
One student said it's like I'm in the room with you. I have so many hours experience teaching, I have an eagle eye and able to direct you verbally and/or demonstrate
Do you teach in person?
I teach retreats and can be invited to your local area.
I'm a beginner or I have an injury
While the foundtaion of yoga heal many ailments, working 1:1 allows me to see you and guide you. Schedule a call to discuss how yoga can help and map a direction forward.