Ashley McConnell

Front Desk

It began as a search for a feeling. I wanted balance in my body and life overall and I thought yoga would deliver. I had no idea the real lesson I was in for.

A weekly practice quickly turned to a daily one. In my mind I thought the more I moved the closer I was to locking down a fixed state of balance. It didn’t work out that way. As I built strength and created openness, I became completely disenchanted with the pursuit of balance. I started to seek out the movement that would sway me and require recalibration. That’s when the real transformation happened. Striking an unflappable pose or trying to freeze the ‘perfect’ feeling was once so essential, but yoga taught me that balance is not about rigidity, rather buoyancy in moments that make you shake. In class it means responding and adjusting to the poses as they come. In life it means the disruptions are there only to help me gain composure as I work to be nimble, adapt quickly, and keep focus. That’s balance!

Outside of Yogatown, I work as a writer. You can often find me petting dogs, creatively hydrating, turning pages of books, talking sweet to plants, rearranging furniture, chasing good light and the good life. There’s usually an extra kimono, palo santo, and mints in my bag. I’m a scorpio rising and never bored.