This is Ashaya Yoga®
Accidentally Twinning with Todd during the weekend workshop in Richmond last weekend.
Last weekend, after months of preparation my teacher Todd Norian came to Richmond and offered a full weekend workshop. I was delighted that students came from all the places where I teach here in town. And we were joined by yogis from West Virginia, Maryland and even New Hampshire. Aside from Todd’s excellent teachings, the beauty of the weekend was that every single student was open, receptive, and welcoming to Todd and to each other.
On Saturday evening I was talking with Todd and he shared how happy he felt that the workshop was going so well. He kept trying to tell me, “This is you… You did this”.
I see how it could look that way because I was the organizer. But to me, this is Ashaya Yoga®. Welcoming, Loving, Playful, Empowering and Honest.
Ashaya Yoga® means coming together in community to support each other and to learn together. Ashaya Yoga® means welcoming each other with kindness and eye contact. It means jumping up and working together without reservation or hesitation. It means no drama, and working through any annoyances and challenges you might have with another person with respect and care. Ashaya Yoga® means owning our own processes and empowering others to do that too. It means going into the darkness to claim our shadows. And also celebrating the light in ourselves and each other.
To me, Ashaya Yoga® is family in the best sense of the word.
As with any family, Ashaya is continuing to grow and evolve. This yoga isn’t perfect and we know that. We struggle to be more and more accessible and to address the lack of diversity in the system. And of course, we don’t always agree and get along. But the beauty of Ashaya is that it can hold all of that. Ashaya is a yoga of the heart - and the Heart is big enough to hold all things, even things that are still in a process of becoming.
In a day and age where teachings are more and more diluted, and the integrity of yoga is compromised, Ashaya Yoga® offers a thread of connection back to something with meaning. On the deepest level, Ashaya Yoga® strives to support the evolution of Consciousness on this planet. That’s what we feel when we come together as a community in these larger weekend workshop experiences.
If you’ve been longing to be part of something with meaning and community, I invite you to join us. The doors of our hearts are always open.
Edited 2021: While I no longer teach Ashaya Yoga® my practice and teaching are still greatly influenced by it. I’d love for you to join me in class soon. Please visit the YOGA page to find an upcoming class.