ashley nelson

Ashley Jean Nelson is currently a student of psychology at California State University, Northridge (CSUN), hatha yoga teacher (E-RYT 500), licensed cosmetologist, and third generation southern Californian living on Tongva land (Echo Park, Los Angeles, California).

Since 2011, Ashley has shared yoga philosophy, movement practices, breathwork, and meditation with people from diverse backgrounds and abilities, with a concentrated focus on working with beginners, older adults, pregnant individuals, and individuals experiencing significant life transitions. She has guided groups and individuals through these practices in yoga studios, public communal spaces, offices, private residences, galleries, and online. She has led meditation workshops at YogaWorks, and co-led other yoga-ish workshops & events with friends & family in various communal spaces : WE DON’T CARE ABOUT YOGA ANYWAY : slow metal yoga (2014), RESONANCE : slow metal yoga & dream workshop (2014), MENSTRUATION as practice (2019), ENTIRE TEA : an art gallery & gathering (2019), and METTA MOVEMENT (2022).

Yoga came into Ashley’s life in the summer of 2008. An Iyengar Yoga Restorative class found her falling in love with breath and life all over again, with surprisingly tender intercostal muscles a day later. After a few years of practicing mostly within the Iyengar system of yoga, with some Yin and a little bit of flow here and there, she applied for the 200-hr YogaWorks Teacher Training led by Nona Chiang and David Kim in 2011. At this point she began teaching Hatha Yoga at Yoga Desa in Old Town Topanga Canyon & Yoga Upstairs in Agoura Hills, all the while studying Iyengar Yoga more exclusively with the humorous and loving guidance of Paul Cabanis. In 2012, she entered the 300-hr Professional Program through YogaWorks with the compassionate mentorship of Nona Chiang, eventually becoming a YogaWorks Certified teacher. That same year, Ashley started teaching at YogaWorks, until November 2018, with classes all over Los Angeles: Larchmont (Center for Yoga), Tarzana, Studio City, Pasadena, and Los Feliz. She assisted two five-month 200-hr YogaWorks Teacher Trainings (2015 & 2016) led by Lainie Devina in Westlake Village and a month-long summer camp style intensive 200-hr YWTT (2017) led by John Gaydos & Heather Seiniger in Santa Monica.

Ashley has studied Shadow Yoga/Nrtta Sadhana & ayurveda with Scott Blossom in Berkeley, CA & online since 2015, and has had the privilege to study with Shandor Remete & Emma Balnaves in San Luis Obispo, CA (2016 & 2017), Budapest, HU (2018 & 2019), and online (2020/21). In addition to yoga studies, Ashley is a psychology student learning from various professors at CSUN. She is also decolonizing her mind & spiritual practices through the teachings of Dra. Rocio Rosales Meza.

Other influential yoga teachers Ashley has studied with : Kofi Busia, Chandra Easton, Jennifer Elliott, Jeanne Heileman, Hala Khouri, Michelle Kronenberg, Jasmine Lieb, Carrie Owerko, Koren Paalman, Anna Pavlich-Connelly, and Cara Sorkin.