Using the power of the ancient wisdom of yoga to heal ourselves as a way to contribute to healing the world is at the core of all of Lauren’s teachings. She firmly believes that we can honor and care for our individual self and needs while still honoring and supporting the collective community that we create. She openly shares her love, compassion, playfulness, and joy through a holistic and balanced approach taught to her by her teacher, Himalayan Yoga Master Yogrishi Vishveketu who developed Akhanda Yoga. Akhanda means whole, indivisible, which applies not only to each individual, honoring that we are whole and complete exactly as we are, but it also applies to the style of teaching, drawing upon the many ancient wisdoms that come together to seamlessly create a whole and complete yoga practice. Lauren also draws upon her education in Yin Yoga, Trauma Informed Yoga, Yoga for PTSD & TBI, Thai Yoga Bodywork to create a safe space in which students can explore the depth of their being, create a stronger relationship with Self, drop deeper into gratitude, and use their own intuition to support expansion and transformation. Lauren artfully weaves together science and spirit, bringing a unique balance of anatomy/alignment with the deeper spiritual qualities of the practice.
Lauren’s inherent compassion for every student and their unique path shines through as she guides you into a thought provoking practice that is deep and rich and encourages you to connect with the sacred, expansive, divine energy that innately resides within. She invites deep inquiry, contemplation, and tapping into your own well of wisdom to empower students to decondition their minds by releasing the ego and reawaken to the incredible power that resides within their hearts, allowing students to transform the way they think, feel, and move both on and off the practice mat. The idea of wholeness permeates through the practice as we come to truly understand that we are all intricately connected to one another, to all of humanity, and the Universe. It is when we dive into Self-study and Self-exploration, through the practice of yoga, that we begin to experience a deep transformation, one that allows us to truly see through the lens of divinity and connectedness. It is this Self-transformation that has the capacity to bring about healing and transformation in the World, one practitioner at a time. Lauren is deeply dedicated to supporting students along their path, and to shining a light on the importance of bringing mindfulness into action, taking what we learn from our time on the mat out into the unique ways that we interact with each other and the World. Lauren continues to deepen her own spiritual practice through Self-study and by remaining an eager and open hearted student of life, striving to walk through the world lightly with grace, humor, and purpose.
What students have to say:
“I believe she is one of the most caring teachers I’ve met and practiced with. During her classes she guided us through the movements flawlessly (with humor sometimes) making even the hardest of asanas enjoyable.”
“What I love most about her teaching is her emphasis on the feelings and energies in the practice, always reminding us of the importance of the work going on inside of us in the more subtle levels.”
“Lauren’s innate compassion for every student shines through in her teaching. Her classes are thoughtful, masterful, real, and poetic.”
Lauren serves as Operations Director. Email her at Lauren@ashevillecommunityyoga.com
Lauren’s Classes:
Gentle Flow (All Levels, Beginners Welcome)
Mondays from 5:15 to 6:15 pm
Suitable for both beginners and long time practitioners, together we will start by connecting to the breath, connecting to the body, feeling into the present moment. Balancing both effort and ease, we will mindfully move through a series of postures connected by a deep, soothing yogic breath and designed to gently open the body, open the heart, and open the mind, freeing you to relax, release and let go. We will finish our hour together with a blissful savasana to carry you into a restful evening.
Yin Yoga (L1&2)
Tuesdays from 4:00 to 5:00 pm
Yin Yoga focuses on the connective tissues of the body as well as the energetic systems, and invites you to slow down and create space for stillness through postures that are held in mindful awareness for several minutes (3-5 minutes). This practice addresses tightness and toxin buildup in the joints and connective tissue, it nourishes the joints, ligaments, tendons, and fascia while also nurturing the heart and mind. The result is not only more lubricated and flexible joints, but also a greater sense of peace, balance, and harmony. The practice is designed to open up any blockages, in body/heart/mind, and increase the flow of life force within us.
Vinyasa Flow (L1&2)
Sundays from 9:45 to 11 am and Thursdays from 12:00 to 1:00 pm
Join me Sundays and Thursdays for dynamic, free-flowing, creative, heartfelt, and thought-provoking time on the mat. We will begin our time together by allowing some space to settle in, to calm the mind, and allow the breath to become the priority. We will flow compassionately through a series of fun and playful asanas designed to help you connect to your body, feeling challenged, empowered, and open to greet whatever may lie before you. Infused with mantras, mudras and pranayama to help us connect physical practice with spiritual experience, this class will be sprinkled with moments of strength as well as moments of complete surrender. Coming together on our mats, to practice in community, merging our energies…what better way is there to recognize, honor, and cultivate that special spark that lies within each of us so that we can share it with the world?
