Ashley Kochans is a 500 hour trained yoga teacher. She empowers students to create a unique practice in their own bodies while lovingly challenging them to go deeper. In every pose, she hopes to keep practitioners safe, engaged, and hopefully, light-hearted.
What Brought Me to Yoga
When you ask a yogi what brought them to yoga, you’re likely to get a personal story, and for good reason. Many new students find yoga in painful moments — healing from physical injury, recovering from a loss, rediscovering flow after long periods of stagnation. My practice has certainly guided me through cycles of hurt and transformation, but that’s not where I started.
Truth be told, I don’t remember when I first rolled out the mat. I remember my mom bought me Gaiam’s Yoga for Kids on VCR when I was seven. Growing up in Los Angeles, yoga poses were a required part of my elementary school’s Physical Education class. I learned to stand on my hands before I was tall enough to be afraid of falling.
Mine is a very different experience than adults who walk into a studio for the first time. I’m humbled by the brave souls that show up again, despite wondering how the hell everyone seems to know what pose is next.
Maybe a more interesting question isn’t what brought you here, but what keeps you coming back? I keep going because the more I practice, the better I feel. After yoga, I feel stronger, but I walk lighter. My thoughts are kinder. My responsibilities get more spacious. I breath more easily and I see more clearly. I hope the same for all my students and friends.
What Styles I Teach
Vinyasa, Hatha, Power, Anusara, Bhakti
What My Class is Like
I hope my students leave with their heart humming. Depending on the class type, I flow fast, linking each breath to a movement, or I will leave space for deeper holds. Each class builds to a peak pose that can be accessed from various skill levels. I’m generous with props and like to get creative with playlists. If the theme calls for it, we are likely to learn a mudra, pranayama technique, or story from yoga mythology. Sometimes we chant. ❤️
About Me
I grew up in Southern California, but I’ve lived in Switzerland, Miami, Denver, and most recently Northern California. I love my friends, traveling, and learning languages. I used to work as a marketing consultant, but now I’m getting my Master’s in Public Health at UC Berkeley.
