HATHA YOGA
Ha∙tha (Sanskrit): Ha = sun, yang; Tha = moon, yin
Hatha Yoga teaches us that life is a dance of opposites.
Without inhales and exhales… lightness and darkness… joy and depression… life ceases to exist!
Of course, there is no such thing as perfect balance. Total harmony without interruption
also causes stasis.
Therefore, we are always in a state of trying to maintain a sort of "imperfect balance."
Hatha Yoga marries self-observation and non-attachment techniques to help us live with more freedom and navigate change and duality with grace and ease.
Ashley's beginner-friendly Hatha Yoga classes combine gentle yoga postures, mindful movement, breath awareness, meditation practices and intuitive wisdom to quiet the mind, awaken energy and calm the central nervous system. Through these practices we can create the space necessary to open to the truth of impermanence and experience freedom and joy in the body, mind and heart.
As William Blake wrote in his poem "Eternity":
He who binds himself to a joy
Does the winged life destroy;
But he who kisses the joy as it flies
Lives in eternity's sunrise.
You can expect an atmosphere of non-judgement, safety, comfort and freedom to be who you are in all of Ashley's classes. She tends to incorporate moments of soothing mantra and harmonium music to connect with what's here and inspire stillness in an otherwise fast-paced and results-driven world.
Ashley believes that yoga is for every body. Her gentle teaching style and open, easygoing nature empowers anyone to relate to yoga comfortably, no matter their history. Variations of postures, breathing exercises and meditation practices are offered based on conversations with her students prior to class.
To read more about Ashley's journey to yoga, please click here.