SOME YOGA QUESTIONS

Ashley Phoenix, owner of Yoga on 6th in Denver, thinks you should try yoga. She thinks it could transform your life, as it did hers. When her studio hosts influential yoga teacher, Baron Baptiste, at the Infinity Park Event Center on Saturday, the day long power immersion workshop could prove to be a good introduction to the mental and physical discipline. Phoenix, who has owned and taught classes at her studio for eight years, talked with the Camera last week.

1. How did you get into yoga?

Honestly it was by chance. I was an avid long distance runner and it just wasn't working for me anymore. My sister in law introduced it to me while I was visiting Denver. I went back to Miami and practiced there for a while. Then, while I was traveling through Santa Fe, I stopped to take a rest and someone asked if I had ever thought about teaching. I hadn't, but it was great time to make a change in my life.

2. What made you want to open a yoga studio?

My thing is that if I can turn more people on to yoga, then I can share what I've found. It's very rewarding to be able to share yoga with other people, you get back to basics of what is really important, which is just being a good human being and connecting with other people.

3. Baron Baptiste has led a yoga practice in Denver only once in the last decade. How does it feel to be hosting him at the Infinity Park Event Center?

I'm very excited. To actually have him here is a huge honor. I would love to make a huge impact on the Denver Community. Baptiste's yoga really is accessible for all levels. For people who have never done yoga before, this will be a tremendous introduction. I think a lot of people are intimidated by doing yoga for the first time.

But it's not about the advanced pose, it's about practicing being present with yourself. And maybe just learning to let go a little. I feel like everyone just tries to hold on. As we all know, change is inevitable and yoga helps us learn to flow with it.

4. What is it about your studio that you like most?

I really like the fact that it is community oriented. People there really have an invested interest in each other. I love that. I feel like many corporate studios are too big to care. You just get a lot more personal at Yoga on 6th.

We really want it to be a good experience. We really ask for feedback, so we can make it better for each person. It's a dialogue. We want to know how they're doing. People bring their personal stuff into yoga. People share a lot of themselves in there. And we encourage that, without judgment. We don't care if you can get in the headstand or not.

5. What have you found in yoga that you love?

For me, it's probably inner peace. And acceptance, it's total self acceptance.

By James Collector

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