More than movement: yoga as a path to self-connection and inner peace

By Katie Cook and Tylor Thigpen

Katie Cook and Tylor Thigpen, co-founders and owners of Ebb+Flow Yoga and Wellness in Asbury Park, NJ

Why We Practice Yoga

In a culture driven by urgency, distraction, and constant comparison, it’s easy to lose touch with ourselves. We're conditioned to chase happiness outside ourselves—in accomplishments, appearance, or approval. But that chase rarely leads to lasting fulfillment.

Yoga offers a different path—one that turns our focus inward. It teaches us how to slow down, observe our thoughts, and reconnect with our innermost self. That’s where real, sustainable contentment lives.

And we’re not just talking about the modern, Instagram-friendly version of yoga. The roots of yoga go much deeper. Originally, yoga was a mental and spiritual practice, built around breath, meditation, and awareness. The postures we see today came much later.

Many people come to yoga for the physical benefits—and that’s a great place to start. It can build strength, improve flexibility, support recovery, and even play a role in healthy weight management. But with consistent practice, yoga often becomes something more. It creates space for reflection, cultivates self-awareness, and strengthens the connection between body and mind.

That inward focus yoga helps us build can make all the difference. When we rely solely on the outside world for happiness, we set ourselves up for disappointment. Life brings uncertainty—changes in health, relationships, or career. What we can control is how we respond. Our mindset. Our habits of thought.

Take this example: two people get the same feedback at work. One feels encouraged and motivated. The other feels criticized and defeated. The event is the same. The difference lies in their internal response. That’s what yoga helps us develop—the ability to respond instead of react. To shape our mindset. To steady ourselves from within.

Practices like yoga and meditation give us the tools to build that kind of mental resilience. They give us access to something deeper—tools for self-awareness, emotional regulation, and presence.

My brother Tylor and I created Ebb & Flow to share this practice and the important tools it offers—but our paths to get here couldn’t have been more different. We were separated by adoption and only found each other a few years ago. Yoga became a shared bond between us and eventually led to the creation of our studio. Despite our very different upbringings, we both experienced the impact yoga had on our lives and knew we wanted to make it accessible to others.

Katie’s Story

I first came to yoga during a busy season of life—I was overwhelmed, stressed, and trying to juggle a lot. I wanted something that could help me feel physically strong, mentally balanced, and more connected to something deeper. Time was limited, and yoga stood out because it seemed to check all the boxes.

What drew me in was how all-encompassing it was. In just one hour, I could move my body, clear my mind, and tap into something ancient and meaningful. It felt like more than a workout—it felt like a path. I couldn’t think of another practice that offered that kind of holistic experience.

The longer I practiced, the stronger I became—but oddly, the less I focused on my body. I began to notice how my thoughts and emotions shaped my experience, and I became more curious about the awareness underneath it all—the quiet observer that noticed without judgment. That inner presence became my anchor, especially during some of the hardest seasons of my life.

One of those moments was the passing of my mother. Yoga gave me the tools to sit with grief without turning away from it. The ability to witness my emotions without being swallowed by them. That inner steadiness—the ability to be with myself no matter what—is one of the greatest gifts this practice has given me

As my own connection to the practice deepened, I realized how powerful it could be for others too. At the time, I was working as an educator, and I started incorporating breathwork and mindfulness into my classroom. It seemed crazy to me that students were expected to memorize equations and prepare for standardized tests, but weren’t taught how to calm their own nervous systems or sit with difficult emotions.

As adults, we have the awareness to seek out tools when we need them. We try yoga, therapy, talk to a trusted friend. But kids don’t always know they have options. They react. They internalize. And without those tools, many of them stay stuck in fight-or-flight mode. I wanted to help change that—starting with what I could offer: space, breath, movement, and presence.

That’s what inspired me to share this practice with others.

Tylor’s Story

Growing up the way I did, yoga was the last thing I thought would ever be part of my life. I had a tough childhood and grew up in an environment where shootings, drug use, and gang activity were the norm. I was in elementary school when I witnessed my first shooting right on my front porch.  You learned early on to stay guarded. Emotions weren’t processed—they were hidden.

I funneled all that energy into weightlifting, CrossFit, and eventually the Marines. It gave me structure, but it also reinforced the belief that strength meant pushing through pain.  So when I first walked into a yoga class, it felt unfamiliar—but it also felt like something I needed.

At first, I approached it like any other workout. But over time, the practice opened something deeper. The movement helped release years of tension and injuries. The breathwork and stillness helped me feel things I had long ignored. I realized how disconnected I was—from myself, from what I was feeling.

Yoga helped me rethink what strength really means. It’s not about pushing through pain or exerting control over your environment—it’s about learning how to sit with difficult emotions, and how to mindfully respond to it. Strength is steadiness. It’s presence.

I wish I had found these tools sooner. But now, I carry them with me every day. And I’m proud to be building Ebb & Flow—a place where anyone can show up and feel like they belong, even if they never imagined yoga was for them. I didn’t. And now it’s changed my life.

A Path to Inner Peace

At its heart, yoga is about reconnecting with the part of ourselves that doesn’t shift with circumstance. It reminds us that peace and contentment aren’t things we find outside—they’re states we can cultivate within. Through movement, breath, and meditation, we learn to anchor ourselves in something deeper than our ever-changing thoughts, emotions, or external circumstances.

When we develop that connection, life still happens—but we’re no longer at its mercy. We meet it from a place of steadiness, clarity, and self-awareness. And from that place, we find something many of us have been searching for all along: a sense of peace that doesn’t depend on everything going right, but instead comes from within.

And the best part? You don’t need to be flexible, calm, or fit a specific mold to start. You just need to be open.

Ebb & Flow Yoga and Wellness opens in Asbury Park this May. We created our studio to offer a powerful, energizing physical practice—set to great music, in a space that feels fun and welcoming. But we also believe that yoga is more than just a workout. That’s why we integrate breathwork, meditation, and wellness services to support your well-being from the inside out. Whether you’re new to yoga or a seasoned pro, we’re here to help you reconnect with the part of yourself that’s always been there: steady, aware, and at peace. Follow us on Instagram @ebbandflownj to learn more.

Katie Cook and Tylor Thigpen, new-found siblings and owners of Ebb+Flow Yoga and Wellness, both from different backgrounds yet both finding connection and meaning through the practice of yoga.