A North Yorkshire yoga instructor has won a top accolade in a regional award ceremony.
Jess Evans, of Malton-based Jess Evans Yoga, has been named Pregnancy Yoga Instructor of the Year in the Yorkshire Prestige Awards – in recognition of her work supporting expectant and new mothers across North Yorkshire and her mission to help women navigate pregnancy, birth and motherhood with confidence.
The Yorkshire Prestige Awards celebrate outstanding businesses and individuals across the region.
Jess teaches specialist pregnancy yoga classes for women in their second and third trimesters in Malton and Kirkbymoorside, with a focus on physical wellbeing, birth preparation and connection.
She also runs birth preparation workshops for couples, helping partners feel informed and confident as they approach labour together. Her support continues beyond birth through baby massage classes and postnatal yoga, providing a gentle, welcoming space for new mothers to recover, reconnect and find their feet.
“Pregnancy and motherhood can be a lonely time,” said Jess. “I want every woman who comes to my classes to leave feeling not just physically stronger, but supported and less alone.
“Winning this award means a great deal, it’s a reflection of the community we’ve built together.”
Jess first discovered the benefits of yoga while living in Malaysia, where a regular practice helped her manage the pressures of a demanding career as a primary school teacher. When she trained as a yoga teacher, she found a particular passion for pregnancy yoga, a specialism that became deeply personal as she navigated her own experience of motherhood.
Following a challenging birth with her eldest daughter, Jess went on to study birth biomechanics, exploring how specific movements and positions can help labour progress more smoothly.
“There is growing evidence that movement during pregnancy and positioning during labour can make a real difference to birth outcomes.
“With caesarean rates increasing in our area, I feel strongly that helping women to understand their bodies and their options is something we need more of, not less.”
To find out more about Jess Evans Yoga, visit her website here.
