Megan McCall has been teaching yoga for a year now, but just opened her own studio, Divine Light Yoga with Megan, in the past few weeks. She teaches six classes a week, including one hot yoga session, and also offers private Reiki sessions. She plans to add Pilates classes in the near future.
Christopher Borro ~ cborro@semissourian.com
Megan McCall, Owner Divine Light Yoga with Megan The resident of 1335 Old Cape Road in Jackson became fascinated with yoga at an early age, watching VHS tapes in her family’s living room.
“I’ve always been drawn to yoga and the way it makes me feel after,” McCall says. “I just love yoga. It’s truly my passion.”
When her children’s taekwondo instructor was looking for someone to teach yoga at ATA Legends Martial Arts School, McCall accepted and became certified in yoga teaching in 2023. She taught classes there and also at Prep Athletics Gym in Cape Girardeau. In June 2024, McCall moved into her own studio, which she called Divine Light.
“A friend of mine who’s a yoga instructor and I love always talks about this divine light and how we all have this light inside of us and that yoga and meditation and certain things can really intensify that light and really illuminate it. And that always resonated with me, so I wanted to try and practice that,” she said.
McCall moved into a friend’s boutique building that happened to be vacant. She called it divine timing. Her niece designed the logo, featuring a half moon, half sun and a nearly perfect infinity symbol.
“And there’s a little bit of a gap there, and that’s where we come in,” McCall said.
Megan McCall leads her class through various breathing and stretching exercises during a yoga lesson at Divine Light Yoga with Megan Studio in Jackson on Saturday, June 29. She typically teaches classes of around 10 people but can also provide private instruction when needed.
Christopher Borro ~ cborro@semissourian.com
Focus and relaxation
McCall teaches Vinyasa Flow yoga, which allows participants to move seamlessly from one pose to the next. Her classes, which are held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, incorporate new routines to stretch different muscles so the yoga doesn’t get too repetitive.
“A lot of yoga involves doing the same poses over and over again. My yoga is always different, it’s always changing. That’s what I love most about yoga,” she said.
Some of the classes on Saturdays are hot yoga, which she says is designed to be relaxing and cleansing. These classes are the same as her regular classes, but at a higher temperature. Drop-in classes are $15 each, or you can buy a punch card for 10 classes for $100.
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McCall said it’s important for yoga practitioners to attend in-person classes where instructors can teach them the correct posture for any pose. If the posture is poor, students are at risk for injury. While some pain is expected because of the strength required for various poses, McCall said, yoga never causes serious pain. In that regard, she focuses on teaching proper technique to students of all skill and experience levels.
“I really focus on my students and I want to be there for them in their emotional state,” McCall said. “…I say my classes are open to everyone because everything I do I’m able to make modifications if needed.”
Most Divine Light classes consist of one to ten participants. Though the studio can accommodate up to 15 students, McCall says she enjoys teaching small classes because she can give each student individual attention if needed. The lights are dim and candlelit, and McCall leads her classes in a judgment-free atmosphere. Each session begins and ends with calming breathing exercises.
“I want to make sure that everyone is behaving appropriately and getting the most out of my classes,” she says, “and that people who come to me should be prepared to have some physical challenges and be relaxed.”
Achieving Transcendence
Yoga isn’t the only exercise McCall will be teaching at Divine Light, nor is it the only relaxation technique she plans to use — she’s close to getting certified to teach Pilates, and she also offers private Reiki sessions.
“I want to start a holistic wellness studio. It’s all about meeting you where you are – physically, mentally and spiritually,” she said.
For yoga classes, McCall supplements them with online programs like Drishti Beats and classes locally and on vacation. She says she enjoys visiting different studios to see what other instructors are doing.
“I feel like the best way to learn is through other people’s experiences and my own experiences,” she said.
McCall said the process of helping the minds, bodies and souls of others has brought her closer to her faith. Religion and spirituality are intertwined in her yoga practice, and yoga has helped her deepen her connection to Christianity, she said. A small statue of Jesus Christ that fits neatly into a notch in the studio’s wall supports students as they practice their poses.
More than anything, McCall said she wants her students to feel a sense of peace through her lessons, which is her goal above all else.
“I’ve never had someone not drink it at the end of class,” she said.
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