Marcus J. Carbo
Veterans Services Outreach Officer, Taijifit International, LLC / Tai Chi for Veterans Program – Philadelphia, PA
Jessica and I became friends through our work together during the natal stages of the Tai Chi for Veterans Program. I enjoy her classes tremendously…her teaching style is so warm, authentic, and personable it's like coming home to a wonderful hot meal.
Megan Schiff
Education Coordinator, Mt. Cuba Center – Hockessin, DE
"Thanks for another great summer of T'ai Chi Chih classes...your students love you and you are such a pleasure to work with!"
Lisa Straughn
Owner, Hands for Heart Healing Massage Therapy – Toughkenamon, PA
"Jessica I bless you every time I pull up your silent T'ai Chi Chih practice and move right along with you! It has saved me many a day during this challenging time [the COVID19 lockdown] and I count on it continuing to do so every day going forward!"
Beth J. Keil, RN
Board Certified Hypnotist, Sole Proprietor of Hypnosis Services of Delaware - Tucson, AZ
Jessica and I met in September of 2006 when I was still living in Delaware and she became my client…at that time I learned she was a Personal Trainer with additional expertise in nutrition and relaxation techniques.
In the back of my mind I knew I needed to make changes in my life especially around physical fitness: I had the relaxation piece covered but I was overweight, a couch potato, and my nutrition was only OK. But another whole year went by before I called her and became her client as well. I still recall my first training session with her when I couldn't do a single squat…now all these years later I’m still her client (although now she trains me virtually) and have been in the best physical shape of my life ever since we began working together! In addition to her professional expertise, I’m aware that her personal commitment to living a healthy lifestyle has also played a large role in my transformation, plus her constant support of me and my commitment to being and doing my best has been so integral to the permanent changes I've made!
Even if you're just considering making healthy lifestyle changes speak with Jessica to learn more…she can help no matter where you are on the road towards better health. And if you really are ready to make those changes, be ready for your life to change for the better (or even the best!)
Bill Wheeler
Wilmington, DE
"Learning and practicing at your Tai Chi for Veterans classes has substantially aided me with my major depression plus a few other physical problems. Thank you for teaching me!"
Carol Drew
Arvada, CO
"It's been a difficult winter with serious ups and downs in my health including a seizure from the Clinical Trial medication. The results of the most recent scans show that the cancer is still growing but the doctor said that I'm in much better health than others with Stage 4 Ovarian Cancer. Because of your suggestions and encouragement I'm eating well, exercising and hiking, practicing T'ai Chi Chih, and I'm really feeling quite good. Your suggestions have been a blessing and you've made a real difference in the quality of my life. Thank you, dear Jessica, for your most helpful & generous support and knowledge!"
Rena Geckle
Wilmington, DE
"It is difficult to find the words to best explain the sense of well-being I derive from your T'ai Chi Chih classes. After missing a couple because of house guests I regained perspective and felt rejuvenated upon my return this week. Thanks so much for bringing your skill to this practice, Jessica!"
Monica HiIl
Wilmington, DE
Jessica is amazing at the way in which she encourages while she coaches. She’s not judgmental but is, instead, so supportive of her clients. Anyone looking for nutritional counseling should look no further... they should just CALL JESSICA!
Dean Colletta
Personal Trainer - Media, PA
When a dear friend with RA asked if I could refer her to a coach who'd be able to provide not just personal training, but nutritional, and perhaps even metaphysical support, one and only one name came to mind…Jessica Lewis. I have the utmost respect for Jessica and her extraordinary skill set!
Rev. Tom Davis
Founder & Director, Interfaith Veterans Workgroup - Wilmington, DE
Jessica is so very enthusiastic about helping veterans in the Tai Chi for Veterans program. She is a well trained, patient, and encouraging teacher.
Walt Marks
Software Engineer, eLearning Training Developer - Newark, DE
I first met Jessica when I stopped at her booth in the 2016 Arden Fair. All I thought I wanted was more information on her "Smoothie 101" class but found SO MUCH MORE! I shared that I was dealing with being overweight, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, gout, and a boatload of stress. To top it all off, I’d just recently lost my sister very suddenly, leaving me as the last leaf on that branch of our family tree (if that wasn’t a wakeup call, I don’t know what is.) I knew that I needed to do something, I just didn’t know what to do. She took the time to listen to my concerns, and to find out what I was doing to get healthy.
She suggested that I consider her Paleo cooking class so I could easily start eating healthier plus try her T’ai Chi Chih class to reduce my stress. Something told me that this might actually be what I needed, so I signed up for both. It was the best thing I could have done for myself! In her Paleo class, she went over not just healthy foods but also the reasons why how food is grown or raised plus how it’s prepared also really affect your health. On the first night of class I decided to begin her “30-day Elimination Challenge;” Jessica made it very easy to follow by encouraging me and providing all the resources that I needed to be successful.
Next came T'ai Chi Chih: a totally new concept for me when dealing with stress. In the past I tried meditation and self hypnosis to no avail. Jessica’s calm and gentle teaching approach made it easy for the class to follow, especially for someone with two left feet. Each subsequent class built on what was taught in the previous one and she always took the time to make sure that we were comfortable with all the moves before moving to the next one. “Soft and Effortless” were her constant reminders as we practiced our moves.
As a result of working with Jessica I’m now 25 pounds lighter, and my blood pressure, high cholesterol, gout, and stress are all on their way down. Jessica is someone who truly cares about your well being and I am grateful for all of her guidance and support. Without it, I could not have achieved these results. She has helped me realize that through relatively simple lifestyle changes we can accomplish anything and I look forward to continuing to work with her.
Nancy Hellebrand Blood
"I’m beyond grateful. Now to make time to practice more than three days a week as I've found that T'ai Chi Chih & Seijaku EASILY interrupt this world's craziness. I need this...THANK YOU JESSICA!"
Kathy Wayne
GM, Scientific Games, Delaware Lottery Project - New Castle, DE
Jessica is one of the most talented teachers I know. She really cares about your health, nutrition, fitness, and overall well-being. I’ve attended seminars and trainings with her on subjects like diet, workouts, and most recently, T'ai Chi Chih. She NEVER preaches, she educates. She gives you the information but she makes it clear it’s always up to you to decide what to do with it. She NEVER admonishes when you do something different than the way it was presented, she encourages and supports. She fully researches any topic she is presenting and is fully engaged in the subject matter.
She is passionate about learning, teaching, and helping others. I thought she’d lost her marbles when she started talking to me about the Paleo Diet/Lifestyle but I did my research and set a date to begin thinking “I’ll be lucky if I last 3 days”…I woke up one morning about 6 months later and discovered she was absolutely correct: this is a sustainable lifestyle that’s made a HUGE difference in my life! So I’ve learned to listen to her and rely on what she says. She even has a workout program that works in hotel rooms with no equipment (other than your body!) I can go anywhere and practice T'ai Chi Chih and be energized and relaxed all at the same time. And with just a bit of planning I can eat and be healthy anywhere…who wouldn’t listen to her with benefits like these?!
John Clancy
Rehoboth, DE
I find each Tai Chi for Veterans session welcoming and informative…always includes proper forms/techniques and helpful suggestions for improvement leaving me calm, relaxed, and with more energy than when I arrived! I hope many Veterans give these free classes a try!
Kathleen McAllister
Broomall, PA
"Your energy is contagious!"
Tim Bonis
Elsmere, DE
"You always keep me and everybody around you uplifted!"
Dr. David Parrish
Licensed Psychologist - Media, PA
"In my view what you manifest in your classroom goes right to the heart of the matter as far as being a teacher of T'ai Chi Chih…with your open-hearted kindness, welcoming way, and sincere interest in what we are there for I think you’re GREAT!"
Kerry Orr, LMT
Kerry Orr Integrative Massage & Bodywork - New Orleans, LA
What I appreciate most about working with Jessica is that she takes a truly holistic approach to fitness and diet. Yes, she has the knowledge, science and technique.
More importantly, however, she has an intuitive sense of how to work with me as a whole person – my emotions, rhythms, healing and personal growth processes – that enables me to integrate and benefit from her guidance in every area of my life.
Mike Bream
Wellness Director, Rocky Run YMCA & Personal Trainer - Media, PA
I’ve been a fitness professional for over 35 years. I've been on the leaner side all my life partly because (I guess) I also have an intense passion for nutrition. Then a few years ago Jessica told me about the Whole 30 so I decided to try it knowing she’d been trained by the people who created the program (you can’t do better than that!) I have suffered with ulcerative colitis for 25 years; I also have pretty severe hayfever, plus have been taking blood pressure meds for over 10 years.
I wondered what effect (if any) the Whole 30 would have on my body and if my physical ailments would improve? Suffice it so say I was FASCINATED AND AMAZED at how much my body changed! It was something I never could have imagined and I lost about 25 lbs without even really trying. My snoring at night also went away so I feel more rested in general all the time and all my other symptoms have improved.
Melissa Sage
Information Systems Specialist - Landenberg, PA
I was referred to Jessica by Hockessin Chiropractic Centre. I thought I was doing things “right” to lose weight and feel better overall but I was stuck.
My first meeting with Jessica was by phone and lasted over an hour. She understood where I was coming from and offered suggestions on how I could make some adjustments immediately. Next she had me keep track of my eating habits on a comprehensive lifestyle diary that we used to create a food plan that would work for me. Jessica realized that running is very important to me so that was worked into my plan. It was tough at first and I had tons of questions which Jessica patiently answered and her answers made sense.
After a few weeks I realized working with Jessica was the best thing I’ve done for my body and mind! I feel great both physically and mentally. Within 3 months of meeting Jessica, I have lost over 15 pounds and my body fat has dropped over 10 points. I just ran my 7th half marathon and it was my best one yet! Jessica is supportive, knowledgeable, and encouraging. Sure there are challenges along the way but I feel empowered to tackle them.
Leon Wilson
Wilmington, DE
I'm having a great time taking Jessica's Tai Chi for Veterans classes. I value the messages and am enjoying learning the moves. It's helping me with my diabetic neuropathy and balance. The pace is good and she has a very pleasant and relaxing manner with her students and other instructors.
Amanda Trosten-Bloom
Principal, Corporation for Positive Change/Principal, Rocky Mountain Center for Positive Change - Golden, CO
From frumpy to fit!
As an adult, I have always considered myself reasonably health-conscious and active. Imagine my dismay when, at the age of 35, I started a long, downward-spiraling journey towards high cholesterol. My father had it, and his father and brother before him. But my lifestyle was really different from theirs, and I couldn’t understand it. Still, I launched a 20-year battle against genetics, trying what I thought to be everything: low-fat diet, regular exercise, medicinal garlic, increasing doses of niacin, red yeast rice and more. And still it rose, step by step and year by year.
Soon after my 54th birthday, I had my annual physical. My LDL cholesterol was high enough that – despite my good HDL’s – the doctor began questioning the need for statins. We chose, instead, a logical next step: an ultrasound of my carotid arteries. If there was plaque, we’d know we had a problem. If not, I’d continue to “wait and see.” Horrors! The ultrasound results returned with the following summary statement: “This is a 54 year old woman with the arteries of a 63 year old.” There was a slight hardening of the arteries, accompanied by a growing accumulation of plaque. Though I was in no immediate danger, it was clearly time to do something more drastic.
Jessica Lewis had been talking to me for years about her training and nutritional work. She offered me a multi-page “Nutritional Bottom Line,” outlining what and how much I should be eating. At the same time, she prescribed a rigorous exercise regimen that included weights and interval training, along with hour-long walks on my “off” days. Wanting all my advisors on the same team, I took her recommendations to my MD and Naturopath. They agreed that it was an exceptional protocol, and that I should begin following it immediately.
First my weight began dropping, then inches. My strength dramatically increased. Six months into the program, I had dropped two dress and three pants sizes, and my cholesterol numbers had fallen to levels I hadn’t seen for years. Jessica and others encouraged me to stay the course, saying that reversing the plaque would be a long-term challenge. So I continued the work, maintaining the practice for the two years’ grace period to which my MD and I had agreed.
When the results of the second ultrasound came back, I was incredulous. The plaque accumulation had significantly decreased. I had dropped from the 75th percentile of risk (in my age group) for heart attack or stroke to the 25th percentile. And though my cholesterol remained on the high side, my ratios were so spectacular that – even by conservative medical calculations – I had little to no risk. My doctor sent me home with instructions to “keep doing what you’re doing.” He even told my husband to be nice to me, because “she’s going to be around for a long, long time!”
I can’t say this has been an easy transition – but it was certainly both effective and worthwhile. Now, three years later, I look and feel better than I felt in my early- to mid-40’s. The diet and exercise regimen has become largely habitual. And I will admit, it feels great to be able to share clothing with my 20 year old daughter.
Work with Jessica…she’s GREAT! And if you do, you too can make the shift from frumpy to fit.
Maria G.
Wilmington, DE
I like Tai Chi for Veterans classes because I often worry a lot and feel unsafe but Jessica creates a safe space. I always relax a little and feel less tense during and after class.
Siemens Solutions Engineer
Newark, DE
As a result of attending the Green Smoothie Wellness event on August 21, 2014, I began the next day making and drinking Jessica’s green vegetable recipe. Over the past several years some not-so-good indicators had begun showing up on my blood-test results, so I decided to make the “smoothie change.”
For the next six months I drank two 10 oz cups a day: one at breakfast, and the second at lunch. I also made a sincere effort to reduce my intake of refined sugars. After six months, I had scheduled blood tests with two different doctors. They were both surprised: the not-so-good blood markers had returned to NORMAL levels! As a result, I no longer have to take one of my prescribed medications, and now I only need follow-up blood tests once a year, not every six months. Both doctors said they don’t know if there’s a correlation between the smoothies and my improved health but both also said to keep on doing what I’m doing! Regardless, I FEEL GREAT and I definitely have more energy throughout the day after drinking smoothies!
Barbara Bason
Homeopath & Bowen Therapist - New Castle, DE
Jessica was my first teacher of T'ai Chi Chih. I was so favorably impressed with Jessica's knowledge of T'ai Chi Chih, her teaching skills and her delightful way of relating to people that I am planning on continuing to deepen and refine my T'ai Chi Chih practice with her. T'ai Chi Chih is often described as Joy through Movement – it truly is that, for me. I would also include the word 'flowing', as it relates to my experience of how the class information was given and received. For many years I have been looking for a form of 'moving mediation' – I have found Joy through Movement.
N. Pulizzi
Media, PA
I'm in my mid 40's and have always been a relatively fit woman. I've worked with several excellent Personal Trainers in the past but my strength and conditioning took a huge leap when I began training with Jessica close to a decade ago. She's even helped me tone up and trim down those stubborn little areas…Jessica really is a Master Personal Trainer!
Ted Garrison
Wilmington, DE
I’ve recently taken Jessica Lewis’ basic T'ai Chi Chih course. I easily learned the complete set of 20 movements over eight sessions. The movements can be done either while standing or sitting and we practiced both ways in Jessica’s classes. The T'ai Chi Chih movements are exercises but don’t require strength, speed, agility, rigorous movement, or endurance. Rather, they are slow, graceful movements which engage your entire body and mind. Each movement is different than the next, which kept my interest.
I found that practicing the movements was calming at times, relaxing at others, and resulted in my having a sense of inner peace by the time we finished. While not physically demanding, the learned movements definitely improved my balance, even though balance has never been a problem for me. Practicing provides an awareness of your body bringing you mentally and emotionally into the present. I always feel quiet, meditative at the end of our sessions.
Jessica Lewis is an excellent teacher. She has lived T'ai Chi Chih. She has taught T'ai Chi Chih extensively. In teaching persons new to T'ai Chi Chih, she typically explains each movement patiently and in a variety of ways, and one of those ways will certainly resonate with each person. She meets each person wherever they are in starting to learn T'ai Chi Chih and she brings them along at their own pace – she’s tuned into her students. She is a very positive person and her classes are very upbeat. She is an excellent guide as you explore and work to understand T'ai Chi Chih and an excellent ambassador for the Tai Chi for Veterans program.
Nona Josten
Wellsboro, PA
I’m a 63-year-old woman who had decided that I needed to loose weight and get my blood counts back in order. My doctor had wanted to start me on several different types of medication. I asked her to give me 3 to 6 months to see if I could change the numbers. She agreed as long as I worked with someone who was certified and licensed to counsel nutrition.
I had been working out at Rocky Run YMCA for 12 months but had not had any success in losing weight (which is why I had joined a gym to begin with.) So I inquired about a nutritionist and they referred me to Jessica Lewis. When she called me the next evening to introduce herself, she explained she was also a personal trainer at the Y and I realized I’d seen her there before working with several of her clients. Her tactics and focus with her clients always caught my attention.
Jessica and I sat down and agreed to work together both as my nutritional counselor and as a personal trainer. Jessica has been VERY helpful in showing me how I had not been eating enough(!) in order to loose weight. Her knowledge of healthy food choices was impressive. She also helped direct me to the right kinds of foods to eat to lower my triglycerides and glucose. I've really learned from Jessica that “we are what we eat” and how important it is to eat only foods that support my body...that's what I've been trying to do ever since.
Just as exercise alone did not accomplish what I needed, neither would diet alone. Jessica designed a customized workout program to help me rebuild my core strength, to build my balance and to gain upper body strength. For each of the 5 sessions we met she helped me to learn new things about workouts and to become more aware of where I needed to focus. And several of the programs I was able to take on the road if I needed to travel.
Jessica is very knowledgeable and knows how to transfer that information in a productive manner. She is motivating and relatable. And she helps you to see that you can improve yourself. I am thankful, daily, to have worked with Jessica. My blood counts are in the good range again. I’ve lost 25 pounds and I look forward to continue working with Jessica.
Judy Maguire
Wilmington, DE
I just completed a beginner's class in T'ai Chi Chih with Jessica. She is an enthusiastic and gifted instructor. I plan to further my T'ai Chi Chih experience, as it is having a positive effect on my energy level and has helped with stress reduction. Jessica's passion and commitment to health and teaching are contagious. I am looking forward to another class with her.
Shelley Robyn
Teacher, Wilmington Montessori School - Wilmington, DE
We all have very relaxed, productive, and content school days after our early morning T'ai Chi Chih classes. Jessica has a wonderful, easy way of being with anyone (especially the kids.) She invites them with just the right amount of assertiveness that doesn't feel demanding and as a result they have no need to resist. We’re all really enjoying our classes on many levels!
