YOGA WITH ASHLEY

“I will always remember my first experience with yoga.  I must have been 11 or 12 when I went to visit my aunt in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  During my stay, she took me to a yoga class. I remember being the youngest one there, a child among adults. The space was beautiful, there were bronze statues of dancing gods and goddesses lining the walls, and as I laid out my yoga mat, I imagined it to be like a magic carpet.  Our instructor led us through various postures, encouraging us to ‘feel’ our bodies as we moved.  There was something magical happening in this space.  I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something inside me was changing.  I felt open, clear, peaceful and strong, and as the soft music played in the background, I shed my insecurities, and entered fully into this dance. In the unfolding of this one amazing hour, I could now breathe, something that as an asthmatic child, I was never able to do before.

The ‘magic’ of yoga, awakened a part of me that was asleep.  I carried this spark with me to college, and began studying and practicing yoga in Asheville, North Carolina in 1997.  Through the practices of meditation and asana, I continued to deepen my connection to my body, breath, and even more importantly, my voice.  After struggling with issues of body image, yoga became my internal refuge, where the voices of self-judgment had no place, and where I learned to ‘speak my truth’ through the body.

I was asked to teach a yoga workshop in 1998 for a women’s retreat in Black Mountain, North Carolina.  In looking back, I see the raw love I had for this practice, and how natural it felt to share even those first few gems of knowledge I contained.  Many years have passed since my first teaching experience, yet my love and passion for yoga has not changed.  It continues to serve as a wellspring of inspiration and hope in my life. 

The practice of yoga is so vast, it contains an entire cosmology that can sustain and uplift life.  It is so much larger than just the poses, so much larger than just the mind.

Yoga is the field where the ‘you’ and ‘I’ disappear, and what is left, is simply the essence of all things, love.  I am eternally grateful to all of my teachers, and my teachers’ teachers, for sharing this great gift with me, so that I may too, pass it along. 

Yoga with Ashley News

JUST ANNOUNCED!

Ashley will begin teaching Vinyasa Flow 2 at Lifetime Fitness in Columbia from
5:30 - 6:30 am starting May 14th!


Teacher Training Program 2011:
                       
A Yoga Alliance ® Certified Program at the 200 Hour Level

Presented by:  Ashley Litecky, ERYT200, Lauren Richardson, RYT200, and Claudia Neuman, ERYT500
Hosted at Blue Heron Wellness in Silver Spring, MD

Program begins February 19, 2011 and ends September 11, 2011.
Includes a weekend retreat at Gaia Healing Center in Mt. Airy, MD

Cost: $2,999 (early registration)
Regular Cost: $3,100
*payment plans available

In this 7 month certification program, you will cultivate a deeper understanding of yoga, and what it means to be a teacher.  Uncover your own deep talents and gifts, through personal coaching, and several practice teaching sessions at Blue Heron.  After laying your foundation and vision of how you will take yoga into the world, we will begin the rigorous study the yoga texts, postures, anatomy & physiology, alignment & safety, meditation, Sanskrit, breath work, class planning, and the business of yoga.

This program will take place on Saturdays 1-7pm and Sundays from 1 – 6:30 pm, for two weekends a month, at Blue Heron Wellness.  Additional weekly contact hours are required.  These can be achieved through weekly class attendance with the program directors and guest faculty.

 Visit www.blueheronwellness.com for details!

Ashley’s Spring/Summer Schedule
April - July, 2010

Upcoming workshops at Blue Heron Wellness:

The Toll of Toxins: Natural Approaches to Detoxification w/ Julie Holly, Leslie Knee and Ashley Litecky with Ashley Litecky , Leslie Knee and Julie Holly   Dates: Sun   5/16/2010 Time:  1:00 PM - 2:30 PM Allergies? Lethargy? Weight Gain? All these and more could be the toll of toxins. Come learn how to improve your health and overall well-being through new insights into and guidelines for the food, personal and household product choices we make that directly affect our personal health and the health of our environment. Participants will also learn about the lymphatic system which plays an important role in our immune responses, defending against disease and waste removal and how it relates to detoxification.
Free Intro: Yoga Fundamentals I with Ashley Litecky   Dates: Mon   6/14/2010 Time:  6:15 PM - 7:15 PM A free comprehensive overview of our Yoga Fundamentals course. Yoga Fundamentals provides a foundation of basic yoga principles, poses and alignment, including breath work and meditation. Sessions are one hour in duration. Blocks of five sessions can be purchased and are recommended before advancing to other classes. Designed for those new to yoga or would like to revisit the fundamentals. Cost: FREE

For more information on Ashley’s hosting studios

Blue Heron Wellness ( Silver Spring, MD)

Lifetime Fitness ( Columbia, MD)

Washington Sports Club (Silver Spring location)

Tai Sophia Institute (Laurel, MD)