Dear Yoga Students,

Have you ever had that thing happen, where you find a teacher that you love so much that you take every class they teach that fits into your schedule? It inspires you to get up and get to class and you stop taking any other classes, because their class speaks to your soul so much more than any other…

And then that teacher moves, or gets pregnant, or gets a new job, and you feel like someone took your heart and threw it in the blender and hit frappe. Now going to yoga doesn’t feel as exciting, you aren’t as motivated to do it. That bright shiny practice that has lit up your days feel dark and dreary.

I’ve been there, and it sucked. I stopped practicing for a while. I felt grumpy every time I took a class with someone who I deemed not as ‘good’. Looking back, I realize I was placing the responsibility for my happiness and my wellness outside of my self.

It’s nice to be appreciated as a yoga teacher, but I don’t want to be that teacher for you. I don’t want you to love my classes so much that your practice hinges on them. Because it’s not about me, it’s about you.

My sincere hope is that you come to my class and you start to find your inner teacher.

More and more you start to rely on that teacher, and eventually you don’t need me anymore. Now you come to practice because you love the community and the feeling of joining together for health and wellbeing. The cues are just a bonus because you know the practice in your body.

No matter how much I study or how much I practice, I can’t know what it is like to be in your body. I can make an educated guess, but only you know what it feels like on the inside. I am learning from you while you are learning from me.

When I cue your downward dog, laying out the alignment of your fingers, your arms, your spine, etc., I hope that you aren’t just listening, you are learning. Some day your inner teacher will just put your body in the correct alignment without needing any cues.

Remember that you have the power.

Ultimately you are responsible for your body. We come together to learn something new, or to be together. Maybe we recycle our wisdom or act as mirrors for one another. But ultimately, we take charge of our own experience.

With deep love and respect,

Ashley