Inman Park Festival Schedule Changes

Due to the street closings for the Inman Park Festival, All Life is Yoga will be closed this Saturday and Sunday, April 29th & 30th for it's 10am classes. Instead, we will be offering a free yoga class in partnership with The Community Farmer's Market at Grant Park on Sunday, April 30th from 10:30-11:30am. Check our Event Page for details. We hope to see you there!

Brad Waites Workshop This Saturday

I'm excited to announce that Brad Waites is coming to Atlanta to teach a workshop on April 22nd! Brad is a fellow Purna Yoga teacher, certified at the 2,000 hour level, who communicates the methodology of Purna Yoga with clarity and precision, while offering students guidance and support as they create purpose-driven change.

Learn more about Brad here and read the workshop descriptions + register online →

Brad Waites is Coming to Atlanta!

There are so many things I love about assisting Aadil in the 500 hour Teacher Training. For one, I spend two weeks learning from one of the most brilliant minds of our time, I get to support the flowering open of a group of teachers in training and spend time with colleagues and friends, but my favorite is having dinner with Aadil every night. The diversity of cuisine that is created to the stories of B.K.S. Iyengar, Indian mythology, yoga philosophy, relationships (yep, he is pretty interested in my dating life), the music, the jokes...It's a once in a lifetime kind of experience. Feeling blessed! 

The Dharma Project, Fellowships and Pitching

This past week my Fellowship with Center for Civic Innovation officially ended. It's been quite a growing experience. Along with learning how to develop The Dharma Project as a sustainable nonprofit, I've had the opportunity to learn with six other social entrepreneurs that are building powerful organizations. I have developed a lasting community of friends, colleagues and support structure. 

A Day Without Women

On this International Women's Day, women all over the country are on strike with a protest called 'A Day Without a Woman.' This protest is in opposition to Donald Trump, inequality in pay, devaluation of women led occupations, reproductive rights, etc.

Things to do:
1. Don't go to work
2. Don't spend money, unless you support a small, woman and minority owned businesses.
3. Wear red in solidarity

I'm curious to hear from you. Are you taking the day to protest? What are your thoughts on this protest? Is this protest a luxury? Who can afford to participate? 

I am celebrating International Women's Day by honoring the women chefs, farmers and artisans in our city at the Lady Locavores Event. Atlanta has an incredible urban agriculture community that I am so proud to support. Eat local, ya'll. 

Frenetic to Fearless

Join Rutu March 11th from 12-4pm for a master practice. This practice is designed to strengthen the nervous system, widen your perspective and open your heart. The program will include 30 minutes meditation at the start and end of session, 2 hour of strong asana (postures), 30 minutes of pranayama (intricate breathing techniques) and a deep, guided savasana (repose). 

2017 is a big election year for Atlanta! We are electing a new mayor, city council and school board. If you care about the challenges our city faces this is a good year to get engaged. Our current government acts as a good reminder for us that all issues are local and that's where we have power to change our city. I want to plug Center for Civic Innovation's Leadership Breakfasts. CCI is hosting the mayoral candidates for a discussion on their background, their passion and their action steps for creating a future Atlanta we all want to live in. The Leadership Breakfast's are free to members, one of the many reasons to become a member of CCI. So far I've learned more about Al Bartell and Mary Norwood. The next breakfast is Tuesday, March 14th with Peter Aman. I hope to see you there. 

Ashley's New Class: Monday Night Delight

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I am so excited to start teaching Form & Function on Monday nights from 6:45-7:45pm. One thing we’ll be working on is balancing the feeling of peace and delight while working our bodies in the poses.

I know my practice is going well when a gentle smile arrives on my face while holding a pose. This has not been happening while taking photos for my upcoming yoga website. In some of the pictures, my face is so tense and I kind of look miserable. I think it’s related to trying to perfect the pose for the picture. So, now in my practice I’m working on just feeling the benefits of what I am able to do at the moment and not forcing myself to perfect the pose.

The yoga sutras define asana as follows:

Whatever asana is performed, it should be done with a feeling of firmness, steadiness and endurance in the body, goodwill in the intelligence of the head, and awareness and delight in the intelligence of the heart. This is how each asana should be understood, practiced and experienced. Performance of the asana should be nourishing and illuminative.
— B.K.S. Iyengar's Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

I read this passage often and will read it to you all pretty regularly. I'm looking forward to starting this class in March! 

Love,
Ashley
 

Holiday Schedule

Thank you for being at the studio and showing up for your practice during this seemingly tragic year. Despair leads to inaction, so my resolution for 2017 is a commitment to action.  I'm excited for the growth of the studio. Our growth is quality. I'm thankful for our student base. Your dedication to your practice and desire to leave a kinder imprint on the planet inspires me. I'm excited about The Dharma Project. The fellowship I'm going through at Center for Civic Innovation is helping mold a beautiful mission for an inclusive, thoughtful yoga culture and city. We'll get to see some of it finally move in 2017. I look forward to sharing more about this soon. 

The studio typically closes the last week of the year, but some of the teachers wanted to teach their classes. I am going to take the week off to relax and prepare mentally, emotionally and physically for the year ahead. Narin is also out of town for the holidays. Please visit our website linked below for the complete schedule. 

Enjoy your time with family and friends this week! 

Rutu