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@ashishyoga

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Most people in the West identify Yoga as being the shapes. Yes, the shapes are beautiful. And yet, yoga isn't the shapes. The shapes are yoga. But yoga is so much more.

Yoga is a way of life. It is something you live rather than do. And one who lives it is a yogi.

The Bhagavad Gita talks about 4 kinds of yoga. A yogi chooses one of those paths - Bhakti, Jnana, Karma or Raja yoga. The latter, also known as dhyana yoga is what we practice as yoga. Or rather that's what most people think.

Yoga starts by living to Satya(truth) and Ahimsa(non-violence) and other "rules".
Yoga starts with seeking contentment in this moment - santosha. With Ishvara Pranidhana - doing the work with no expectation of the result.
This and much much more.

I grew up with all of these as a way of life. Without even hearing the word yoga uttered around it. These are a fabric deeply woven into the Indian being. Into the stories of the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Into the teaching of kids.

Yes, pranayama is yoga. An intentional deep breath changes the beating of the heart.

Yoga is calming the fluctuations of the mind. Yoga is presence.

To define yoga in an IG post is impossible. Just know, it isn't the shapes. The shapes are one tool among others. A tool to help create a healthy body. A tool to create presence. A tool to learn the ever shifting balance of sthira and sukha.
But yoga is much much more.

What is yoga for you?

@ashishyoga

#yogaisindian #whatisyoga #livingmyyoga #yogaisnotjustasana

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Hi, I’m Ashish. Born and raised in Delhi. Did my Engineering from South India(Warangal). Moved to the US soon after along with my wife. We've been in the US for 20 years now - last 15 in Seattle. We have 2 boys.

I worked in the tech industry till about 5 years back as a hardware/software developer, with my last tech job being in Nintendo for about 8 years.

I was in a boarding school age 5-9 in Dehradun where I got my first exposure to yoga. We would do a few poses as part of our PE. 😊
Growing up, I saw yoga mostly practiced in parks by "older" people. Yoga was also on the 1 TV channel we had. So were shows around the Ramayana and Mahabharata which seemed much more interesting. I studied Sanskrit in school for 5 years. But I lost my connection to yoga as a teenager.

I started my practice as an adult in early 2015 in the gym at Nintendo, as a way to get fitter after years of being overweight. I felt a deeper connection to my roots. By the end of 2015 I had finished my first YTT. I got laid off 2 days before finishing it. 😊 My subsequent voluntary break from tech to explore yoga got longer and longer. And at some point, I started calling myself a yoga teacher.

I have since trained with quite a few teachers. I’m now an E-RYT500. I have been teaching 15-20 classes a week(pre-Covid) at studios across the Seattle area. And I love to practice. A lot. 😊

I'm a very positive person who's almost always smiling. I smile because I AM happy. I believe happiness is a choice. I believe yoga enables us - to be able to make that choice.

My goal on this platform is to share the yoga I grew up with, and to talk about it's roots. I love yoga in the West. But I believe it keeps losing its connection to what yoga is. My hope is to recreate that connection along-with a respect (and maybe even a financial influx) towards the ancient Indian culture where yoga comes from.

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Is one of your goals for 2020 to do a yoga teacher training?! The #blyteachertaining will change your life and upgrade your practice. Mark your calendar today! Our next teacher training starts August 20th! Have questions? Join Michel and Tina live on Facebook & Instagram February 6th at 5:45pm. If you join us live we will give you a free class! P.S. Last year's graduates are so cute, right?!
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Happy Holidays from us to you! We hope your holiday season is filled with love and laughter. Whether on your mat or in the world, take time to enjoy simple moments of connection. We encourage you to spread warmth and love this holiday and to bring joy into everything you do.⁠
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Shakti is offering a limited class schedule December 22-January 5. Please check our website for each studio’s daily class schedule.⁠
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We look forward to sharing special moments with you in class, throughout the season, in class and into the New Year!⁠
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#shaktivinyasayoga #baptisteyoga #happyholidays #namasleigh #seattleyoga #holidayyoga #sweatyhugs

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Graduated! We are teachers!!! Before I came to the training I heard this is life changing but I didn’t believe it. But sure it is! This is like a sweet dream with sweet people, thanks u all, love u all ♥️

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Continuing to grow 🌱 I am honored to have shared over 200 hours of yoga with these beautiful humans and beyond grateful to now call them friends 💕🧘🏻‍♀️ Let me know if your tryna flow 〰️ I would love to worth you! ✨🤸🏻‍♀️ #shamelessplug #YogiRach

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⭐Thinking of going on a Yoga Retreat? Here are 18 upcoming yoga retreats for you: 🙏 📆
Mark your calendar and hop on a new adventure with amazing yoga teachers from the Seattle area!
🙌For a full list of upcoming yoga retreats, please visit the link in the bio 🔗
📱👍Stay connected with the local yoga community with our weekly email update sent every Monday: SeattleYogaNews.com/subscribe
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📆✔Many of the events we feature in our event calendar and on our social media posts are from partners and paid advertisers. To learn more or to promote your events via Seattle Yoga News please visit: SeattleYogaNews.com/Advertising

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All the time we spend hunched over our smartphones or computer screens takes a tole on our posture.🤳🏽During your practice shoulder focused poses will help you create strength and reverse the effects of bad posture. 💪🏾 @ashishyoga walks us through this version of Dandasana using blocks to give you an extra boost!
1. Grab two blocks and come to a seat with straight legs. 🧱
2. Place your hands on the blocks, and hang your fingers off the front edge to protect your wrists.
3. Press down into the blocks to lift your hips off the ground while externally rotating your shoulders back and down to keep them away from your ears. 👍🏽 4. Next, lift your legs up off the floor using that CORE and even further strengthen your shoulders and say bye👋🏼 bye👋🏼 to bad posture!

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What happens when a bunch of yoga lovers meet up. They hang in upside down. What an absolute fun this night was @thatfitmum @strength_flexibility_balance @sakshiguptayoga @ashishyoga @prekshabardia03 thank you all the love and good vibes ❤

#yogisofig #yoginisofig #yogalovers #meetup #headstand #split #treepose #yogabuddies

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🐶Up-dog, otherwise known as Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, is one of the most common poses in our yoga practice. 👌Because we do this pose SO many times, it is even more important that our form be on target. 🎯 Unlike cobra, in Up Dog your upper thighs and shins are lifted off of the mat while pressing the tops of your feet down into the floor. 🔥 Draw your shoulder heads back and press your shoulder blades toward the back of your heart. 💗 Notice if you dump into the low back, pull the low ribs in stretch back through your legs and tailbone to create space for the lumbar vertebrae. ⛓ If you tend to toss your head back, work to keep the back of your neck nice and long. 〰️⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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#updog #heartopen #heartopener #yogastretches #asana #yogagirl #yogapants #yogaposes #yogapractice #iloveyoga #yogaeverywhere #namaste #feeltheyogahigh #getonyourmat #yogacommunity #yogaeveryday #yogajourney #yogalife #yogalifestyle #onebreathatatime #breathe #meditate #mindfulness #vinyasa #calm #stretch #wellness #selfcare #selflove #practice

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I want to bring yoga to others because it has brought a lot to me. I know that once you give in there is a connection available - to yourself and to others. I've never felt happier and more alive.
The physical practice is a gateway to the mind. The poses are excellent tools to build the mind body connection. They also help you get present. When you are really present the connection to yourself opens up.
I love the Vinyasa practice. I feel when taught mindfully it is a really powerful tool. I believe in being inclusive to every single person in class. It isn't about the exact shapes because they will be different for everyone. It is about using the shapes to find a connection to your body and mind.
Yoga is not about achieving goals. It is about getting present to the journey. The only ultimate goal is death, at least in our current form - so why jump from goal to goal when you can appreciate each moment for what it is.

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After I finished my TT I decided I was going to take a sabbatical from tech. I started practicing a lot more, taking 2-3 classes a day. I visited over 40 studios in Seattle over the next few months exploring different styles to see what resonated with me the most. I took trainings with different teachers, and traveled across the country with yoga being the prime motive. By the end of 2016 I was teaching 4-5 classes a week and picked up a couple at a major studio. I decided to make the sabbatical permanent. A few of my friends advised me against doing this. Among my Indian friends I became the butt of jokes; but I was beyond being bothered by it.

For the last 2-3 years I have been teaching across the Seattle metro area teaching about 15 classes a week. I practice about 10 a week still mixing up the styles between different Vinyasa lineages. I travel for fun. I travel to take trainings. I've studied with quite a few of the yoga masters in the US - Baron Baptiste, Annie Carpenter and Tiffany Cruikshank being the ones I've followed my 500 with, having completed one. I have 3 200s one of them being on the tantra embodied style bordering on dancing. There's nothing I haven't liked. Really, I dislike 1-2 classes a year from the 500 I take.
At one point my manager from Nintendo approached me to start a tech company together and I gave it some thought. But I decided it would make it hard for me to find a balance and decided against it.
I am happy. I am present.
More in the next.....

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