Jess Beneski
Guiding Since 2020
Jess has been working for Acadia Mountain Guides since summer 2021. They started as an intern and have come back to act as a private rock climbing guide and help with camps in the years following. In Fall 2021, Jess took a one month, 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training and has been offering yoga in the Bar Harbor Community seasonally since Spring 2022.
Jess gets the most fulfillment from being a guide through helping people navigate fear and vulnerability, and watching people develop confidence and trust in themselves and each other. Jess is constantly inspired by all of their clients: “from the ones who are very bold and seem to lack fear, to the ones who can barely get themselves to look over the edge without shaking, but try to do it anyway.”
Jess is especially inspired by and feels their strengths lie in working with women, queer folks and families with small children.
Beyond yoga and rock climbing, Jess has a background in studying biological sciences and psychology/nervous system science. Additionally, Jess has taken an 8 month embodied herbal medicine apprenticeship and has a very rich spiritual life connected to nature.
When going out for a rock climbing or hiking session with Jess, you can expect to be met with patience and compassion for wherever you are at in your climbing / life journey. Jess believes firmly in challenge by choice and will gently encourage people to push their comfort zone but understands when it is time to back down and let people opt out of certain activities. Jess is in the process of learning to identify the local wildlife and plants—you can expect them to get very excited when insects land nearby and to point out any plants they see and know to be used as food, medicine or first aid tools.
If you want to incorporate yoga into your rock climbing or hiking adventure, it is best to book a full day or an afternoon session and coordinate with Jess about adding this to your session!
Jess believes that yoga and rock climbing go hand in hand and balance each other out perfectly. Rock climbing involves a lot of pulling and has a variety of styles that range from requiring you to use delicate footwork and balance to requiring you to use powerful, dynamic movements to charge up the wall. Yoga involves a lot of pushing and can be utilized as a way to build mobility and strength, as well as a way to recover and restore from the intensity of climbing hard. Both yoga and rock climbing involve mind/body connection and are best utilized with intentional breathing.
Jess will text you a few days before your session or you can email them here to coordinate earlier – movement.medicine.with.jess@gmail.com
Guiding Credentials
- AMGA Single Pitch Instructor
- PCIA Single Pitch Climbing Instructor
- AIARE Level 1 Avalanche Training
Medical and Rescue Credentials
- Wilderness First Responder
Educational Crendentials
- B.S. in Zoology, Minor in Psychology
- 200 Hour Yoga Teacher
