STUDENT TESTIMONIALS

Yoga Otzma has been truly life-changing for me. If you had told me at the very start of quarantine that I would find a new passion, gain a ton of physical strength, find a new sense of calm, connect with my inner self, and make new friends from my bedroom, I would have never believed you. But here we are eight months later and all of that has come true. I will be forever grateful to Evan and Yoga Otzma for giving students like me a community to constantly come back to and that always feels like home. 
Leah Thomas


Emerson College, Class of '22
Yoga Otzma has given me a space to reflect on my personal wellness through a spiritual Jewish lens. I never thought that these two parts of my life could be so well integrated and connected, but I have thoroughly enjoyed the journey that Evan has taken us on and am excited to continue to grow in this way. 
Shaina Morrel

George Washington University, Class of '21
Yoga Otzma has been a wonderful opportunity to get to connect with people during covid while learning how to stay in shape. I have made so many wonderful friends and I now love yoga! Evan has made yoga both a supportive, fun experience, and also a strength building, energizing experience.
Jordana Meltzer

Emerson College, Class of '23
Yoga Otzma has been both the comfort and the challenge that my yoga practice needed. I was starting to fall out of my routine before I found this community, and now it offers me communal motivation, structure and dependability, and a sense of accountability to show up more, still with a relaxed, flexible, and judgment-free vibe. Thanks for everything! .
Mel Friedel

American University, Class of '19
Yoga Otzma was easily the best thing that happened to me during the summer of 2020. I was stuck inside in a small condo living with my parents for about 7 months, and had nothing to do and nowhere to focus my energy.  I would feel stressed, trapped, and guilty for trying to leave and see other humans. Yoga Otzma gave me a community that I desperately needed, and a community that was so loving and supportive too! Doing yoga for an hour and half 3 or 4 times a week gave me more energy. It helped my body grow stronger, more flexible, and healthier in a time where gyms were closed, and a happier body led to a more relaxed mind. The meditation and breathing techniques I learned a year ago I still use today, and it's hard to imagine where my mental health would have been, and would be now, without Yoga Otzma. I'm so grateful to everything Evan has done and offered.
Andrew Ark

Ohio State University, Class of '23

MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR

Evan Joblin

Evan Joblin brings 20+ years of eclectic personal, professional, and educational experience to Yoga Otzma. Having earned his B.A. in English at the University of Southern California and an interdisciplinary Master’s degree at the University of Pennsylvania, Evan went on to study herbal medicine in Israel, complete yoga teacher trainings in both the United States and Kenya (with Africa Yoga Project), and participate in facilitator trainings in Five Element Dance and Breathwork modalities on a tropical Thai island. He was recently selected as a fellow in the START “Spiritual Entrepreneurship” incubator, a collaboration between the Glean Network and Columbia Business School.

Over the years, Evan has worked extensively in experiential Jewish educational settings, including five years on staff at Eden Village Camp and Eden Village West, and– in collaboration with Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston and a number of local Hillel Centers– he has brought Yoga Otzma wellness programming to university students and recent grads all across the Boston Metro and beyond. In addition to his endeavors in the wellness realm, Evan is a working freelance artist and an avid world traveler. Having explored over 40 countries in the past several years, Evan has been preparing a large-scale painting project based on his adventures. You can see his work in progress at www.evanjoblin.com.