"In the moment I placed my feet upon my mat, I felt like I was home. I really felt like this was a space where I could really be me and really connect to this internal part of myself. I felt at home within myself, I felt at home with even the things I was struggling with... And that was huge for me, in the beginning, when I started this practice and is one reason why I have continued it. ~ Ashley Cruz  ASHLEY CRUZ Born - Temple, Texas, USA Birthday - February 14th My journey into yoga (union) began in 2003 and has since become my entire life. In the many years that I have been practicing yoga and studying Ayurveda, I have repeatedly observed that lifestyle choices, such as diet, exercise, and daily routine, can be a potent source of healing as well as a cause of disease. Many health problems seem intertwined with the stresses of daily life, family and relationship problems, and worries about jobs and money. Others are directly connected to eating the wrong kinds of food or getting too much or too little exercise. I have also grown more and more aware that illness provides us with an invitation for self-transformation, an opportunity to change our way of thinking, feeling, eating, and in general caring for ourselves and our lives. It never ceases to amaze and delight me how quickly and powerfully life can be set on the right track and balance restored simply through a proper diet, herbal medicines, meditation, an appropriate exercise program, and other purely natural means. So, how did I end up here in beautiful Cusco, Peru? I decided to make Cusco my home after spending 3 years traveling through 36 countries in an attempt to heal from the loss of my mother. In 2015, I landed here to fulfill a portion of my mom's bucket list, which was relevant to this country. My mom (Dawn) passed away in a car accident in 2014 and left behind a list of things she had hoped to accomplish before she died. For the past three years, I have been attempting to complete her list while also fulfilling my own. So far, my mother's ashes reside on a cliff side in Machu Picchu, as well as other beautiful places in this world that she had hoped to see. One of her other wishes was to learn Spanish and so that is the second reason I have remained so long in Cusco. I am still learning ;) In the meantime, one of my own goals was to have a studio of yoga, a place people could call home whenever they needed to reset and recharge and recenter. A I have always believed that we are all capable of manifesting our dreams, and so, from the loss of my mother and from my own heart, YogaWasi manifested itself. Not only has this creation of YogaWasi helped to give me peace, but it has also given me roots and a feeling that I am exactly where I am supposed to be. Cusco feels like home to me and I am so grateful to be here with you.  I believe in teaching students the use of a "beginner's mind," a mindset which involves opening one's heart and mind, staying in the present moment and reminding oneself of the reason why one first entered the yoga studio. I believe that the "beginner's mind" philosophy helps us to create a strong foundation of basic poses and movement to draw upon when it eventually guides us into the intermediate and advanced stages of the poses. If I were to define yoga in three words, those three words would be happiness, humbleness and acceptance. Therefore, the practices are to create happiness and renew energy, improving by acknowledging, embracing, even laughing at our imperfections, yet at the same time trying to improve upon them. Every one of us is unique and no one is better or worse at yoga as a result of these imperfections. I look forward to working with you in the studio, your home or mine, or in nature. Let's share our knowledge, positive energy and joy with one another. Love & Light, Ashley Cruz - Owner / Founder Ashley's Qualifications & Certifications
|
Author's MessageEl amor es la esencia de nuestra vida. He escrito este blog con amor, y te lo ofrezco, querido lector, con la esperanza de que las sugerencias que se ofrecen aquí se conviertan en una parte vital de su autocuración y bienestar continuo. Categories
All
Archives
December 2023
|
RSS Feed