A Unique Trio
Jess, Valerie, and Meg have not only been trained under the same yoga mentors and have the same meditation teacher, but at the end of their first co-lead retreat together, they realized that each of them are one of the three of Ayurvedic doshas. Jess is Pitta (fire/ water), Val is Vata (space/ air), and Meg is Kapha (earth/ water). The three of them make a synergistic trio of transformation, groundedness, and inspiration, and offer unique and balanced ways of teaching and supporting each other and participants on each retreat, as well.
What is Ayurveda?
According to Ayurveda, yoga's 5,000-year-old sister science, each of us were born with a particular dosha that was cemented at birth.
And each Ayurvedic dosha (or constitution) is related to the elements:
Vata: Air / Ether
Pitta: Fire / Little Water
Kapha: Earth / Water
Once we know our individual dosha (see Dosha Quiz link in bio ;), we know what foods, herbs, breath techniques, yoga postures, and lifestyle routines best support balance for our Mind-Body type, the season, and time of life. Ayurveda is vast in what it can offer in terms of self discovery!
Along with yoga and meditation practices, Val, Jess, and Meg weave in Ayurvedic tools into all retreats to make them each unique and rich in offerings, based on the season and group. Participants walk away with practical tips they can bring into their life to support a greater sense of purpose, health, and wellbeing with the tools of yoga and Ayurveda.
Meghan Leighton
Meghan Leighton, M.A.T., is founder of Awake Minds: Yoga +Conscious Living and is a Live Love Teach 800-hour EYT yoga instructor, certified mindfulness educator, 200-hour yoga teacher trainer, retreat leader, and student of Ayurveda. She spent fifteen years working in school systems throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island implementing groundbreaking mindfulness & yoga programs for young people, teens, and staff before starting Awake Minds Yoga.
Meg’s journey began twenty years ago when she started practicing meditation with absolutely no idea of the impact it would have on her life. As the benefits and shifts showed up, Meg’s enthusiasm for the practice grew immensely leading her to her purpose to share the teachings of yoga and meditation with others now through yoga teacher trainings, classes in studios, hospitals, and for corporations, private meditation offerings (for all levels and abilities), Inward Bound teen retreats, and facilitating Awake Minds yoga & meditation retreats in Costa Rica, Hawaii, RI & MA with Valerie Griffiths and Jess Gumkowski.
Meghan’s additional trainings include: HeartMath resilient educator, Kripalu Ayurveda & Yoga, Yoga Therapy for Depression & Anxiety, E-Cornell Plant-Based Nutrition certificate and more.
Meg lives in Newburyport, MA with her husband Asa and their dog Bella. She loves to hike, explore vegan recipes in the kitchen, dance, write, and eat dark chocolate.
Valerie Griffiths, Breathing Barn Yoga
Valerie Griffiths is a Vinyasa yoga instructor at Newport Power Yoga and owner of The Breathing Barn yoga studio in Portsmouth, RI. A yoga enthusiast for twenty years, Valerie completed over five hundred training hours through Live Love Teach in 2014 and has been teaching yoga and meditation ever since. She is certified to lead Sound Healing sessions and guides Yoga Nidra practices and meditation.
In the fall of 2023, Valerie completed her certification in Somatic Breathwork, through Soma+IQ™, deepening her ability to guide others in embodied healing through conscious, connected breath. She now integrates this powerful modality into her offerings, helping individuals move through stored emotional energy and return to a state of grounded presence and inner clarity.She has co-hosted both national and international yoga retreats, holding space for others to respite from worldly demands, renew, unfold, and return back to nature. She leads individuals and groups in matching their breath to movement and developing consciousness. Valerie is a believer in showing up for each session with no expectation, meeting and welcoming yourself exactly as you are in that moment. Her mantra is, “Each one of us is so much more than our thoughts,” a saying that guides her practice. She believes that in stillness and quiet, we find our true selves. We are here to learn the beauty and love within each of us and share it with the collective.
Valerie is motivated by compassion and kindness. She is passionate about helping others bridge the gap between the world of space and time, where we use our senses to navigate, and the world of higher consciousness, which is seated in the depth of our soul.
Jess Gumkowski, YogiTriathlete
Jess Gumkowski is a mindset coach, author, yoga instructor, retreat leader, and co-founder of YogiTriathlete, a holistic performance coaching company. With over two decades of experience in yoga, Ayurveda, and endurance sports, Jess integrates ancient wisdom with modern insights to guide individuals toward greater ease, resilience, and self-mastery.
From dynamic flows to deep relaxation, from exploring wild landscapes to embracing the unknown, her guidance calms the nervous system and awakens the soul. Whether on the mat, on the trail, or mid-air over turquoise waters, Jess inspires others to live with purpose, awareness, and an open heart.
Jess is the author of the YogiTriathlete Cookbook: High Vibe Recipes for the Athlete Appetite and High Vibe Pie: Pizza Night Finally Done Right. She lives in Carlsbad, California, with the love of her life, BJ, and their golden retriever, Clark.