For years, the rhythm of Jessica Klukas’s life was measured in miles.
Growing up in a small town in West Texas without paved roads, she discovered freedom early. Her father was a football coach, and she loved tagging along to practice — running when the players ran, sprinting through the dirt under a wide-open sky.
“There was something about running in the middle of the desert that felt completely liberating,” Jessica said.
That early love of movement evolved into something bigger when Jessica’s husband, an accomplished runner himself, introduced her to ultrarunning. While stationed in San Diego during her Navy career, weekends meant packing up and heading for the trails. What began as shared time together turned into a test of endurance and identity.
But for Jessica, ultrarunning was never just about distance.
“It was about mental strength,” she explained. “Learning to push to my breaking point and then push beyond it changed the way I face life’s challenges.”
For 20 years in the Navy, long runs became Jessica’s outlet. They were where she decompressed, planned, and worked through the weight of responsibility. The solitude of the trail suited her. Running was personal. She could be both focused and feel quietly powerful.
Yoga entered her life in San Diego at a small Bikram studio near her home. Jessica fell in love with the heat immediately. “I found it refreshing and grounding,” she says. Still, at the time, yoga was cross-training — something to support the miles.
When Jessica later moved to Lakeland, Tennessee, yoga slipped away. There were no studios nearby, and life grew busy. Then one Mother’s Day, her husband surprised her with a 10-class pass to a studio more than 20 minutes away. Yoga found its way back.
This time, it felt different.
What began as cross-training evolved into something deeper when she discovered community on the mat. Running had always been solitary — something she believed she preferred. But moving and breathing alongside others who shared the same drive opened her eyes. Fitness, she realized, could be both personal and shared.
In 2022, after retiring from the Navy, Jessica’s relationship with running shifted. Stepping away from ultrarunning didn’t feel like a loss. It felt like a natural evolution.
“I wasn’t carrying the same stress anymore,” Jessica shared. “I didn’t need long runs to settle my thoughts.”
What surprised her most was that yoga challenged her just as much as ultrarunning ever had, just in a completely different way. Her endurance background translated seamlessly to the mat. When a pose feels impossible, she taps into the same mental reserve that once carried her through grueling miles.
But yoga also exposed something running never required: listening.
“In running, I was used to ignoring aches, discomfort, and warning signs,” Jessica said. “Yoga taught me that some days it’s okay to slow down, and to sit with whatever I’m carrying.”
That lesson — humility, patience, awareness — changed her.
After retirement, Jessica enrolled in yoga teacher training, initially to stay occupied. Instead, she discovered a passion for teaching. The discipline that defined her running career found a new home in guiding others.
And soon, a bigger vision formed.
Lakeland still lacked a nearby studio. She had seen the strong, supportive communities built in Midtown and Downtown studios and wanted that same energy closer to home. So, she opened her own space: Sol 2 Soul Yoga.
At Sol 2 Soul, the atmosphere is welcoming but intentional. Classes begin promptly — punctuality matters. “Our philosophy encourages you to get comfortable being uncomfortable,” Jessica said. “For some, that starts with arriving on time.”
The studio leans into Power Yoga, often with the music turned up. While yin and restorative classes are offered, the heart of the space is about pushing limits. One of Jessica’s biggest challenges as a new owner has been shifting perceptions.
“Many folks picture yoga as slow and overly serious,” she shared. “But yoga is tough. It’s not just lounging around and stretching. If sitting still is hard for you, yoga will test you. If you dislike the heat, get ready for a challenge. If your ego is along for the ride, yoga will humble you.”
And that, she believes, is the gift.
The most rewarding part of opening the studio has been witnessing friendships form and seeing students cheer one another on as they achieve poses they once thought impossible. Community, once something she didn’t know she needed, is now central to her mission.
Looking back, the thread connecting ultrarunning and yoga is clear: discipline.
“Success in either doesn’t come from simply showing up,” she said. “It comes from patience, persistence, and the humility to keep learning.”
Jessica’s definition of strength has changed, too. In her 20s, strength was measured in miles, lifts, and swims. In her 40s, it looks different.
“It’s courage, independence, and self-respect,” she expressed. “It’s speaking my mind, doing things even when no one else shows up, and working out for myself — without concern for competition or appearance.”
Movement itself has softened. Where it once meant hitting a mileage goal, or judging herself if she didn’t, it now means joy and presence. Some days it’s yoga. Other days it’s a ruck, a swim, Pilates, or strength training. The metric is no longer miles. It’s alignment.
For women navigating identity shifts — whether in sport, career, or life — Jessica’s advice is simple: Focus on small, consistent wins. Reframe your “why.” Embrace a growth mindset. Build something sustainable instead of chasing an overnight transformation.
And when challenges arise? Jessica leans on a mantra forged somewhere between the desert roads of West Texas and the heated studio floors of Lakeland: “Embrace the suck.”
“Whenever life throws a challenge my way, I lean into it and ask what lesson it holds,” she added. “I know that once I make it through, I’ll come out even stronger.”
Today, when someone walks into Sol 2 Soul, she hopes they feel a sense of belonging first — a space where they can challenge themselves, grow, and thrive in both body and mind.
The miles may look different now. But the strength behind them remains.
For more information on Sol 2 Soul Yoga, visit sol2soulyoga.com.
By Beth Wilson
Photo by Tindall Stephens
