My Name is Yves Jeffcoat.
(That’s pronounced like “eaves” — no, the S is not silent.)
*pssst … if you’d like to listen to my audio bio instead, click here >>>
If you haven’t already, check out the homepage to learn more about why I do what I do. For more details on what I do and what I’ve done, keep reading.
I’m working on a novel that’s deeply Southern, deeply absurd, and deeply magical.
I write nonfiction and fiction. I write for magazines, podcasts, and videos. I’ve written podcast episodes for Wondery’s American History Tellers and Black History, For Real. I worked at iHeartMedia as a podcast researcher and developer, host, producer, and executive producer. I was the creator and co-host of On Theme, a podcast about Black storytelling. Besides On Theme, I’ve hosted or co-hosted three podcasts: This Day in History Class, Unpopular, and Afropunk Solution Sessions. I’ve produced and executive produced many others, including season one of Hulu’s Your Attention Please and Jill Scott Presents: J.ill the Podcast. I’ve made appearances on several podcasts, including regular guest spots on the feminist podcast Stuff Mom Never Told You in a long-running series about women’s “firsts” in history. I’ve hosted, moderated, and been a panelist at live podcast events for Afropunk, Podfest, and Atlanta Design Festival. I’ve published articles, essays, and stories in publications like Art in America, Wildsam, Burnaway, The Bitter Southerner, Lapham’s Quarterly, HowStuffWorks, and Paper Darts. I pitched and edited dozens of articles during my time as an editor at HowStuffWorks. I love talking and writing about the South, Blackness, yoga, healing, history, art, and critical thought.
I love my work, and I love that being a whole, happy person makes my work and life better.
I am committed to intentional growth, and I’ve learned a lot about myself through my yoga practice.
When I started practicing yoga in 2015, I was drawn in by the intensity of the physical practice. The $5 hot class I attended was consistently packed, and I was always sweaty and satisfied when I walked out of the door. The challenge of learning postures that seemed impossible at first was irresistible. I fell. I cried. I celebrated. I fell in love with asana.
But after dozens of hours on the mat — in the studio and at home — yoga began to feel like so much more than figuring out the “correct” alignment and “mastering” postures. Yoga changed me, before I ever touched a book on the history or philosophy of the practice. It became a path of discovery. Of healing. Of returning. A path toward freedom. I wanted to go deeper.
Now I’m a 200-hour RYT yoga and meditation teacher, certified at Sacred Chill {West} in Atlanta in 2020, with additional training in trauma-informed outreach. I’ve learned a lot since my first down dog. And I’m still drafting my story. Yoga is there to help us keep writing and rewriting until the story feels whole.
I’ve always enjoyed being outdoors (even when I was in the womb, according to my mother). But now I’m embracing being a self-professed outdoor enthusiast. I went on my first backpacking trip in 2019, and I haven’t looked back. My evolving connection to nature is so fulfilling and is a fundamental part of who I am becoming.
I love horror movies, warm tea, and traveling. I hate chewing sounds, fluorescent lighting, and small talk. I am learning every day.
