Yoga Teacher Chats

In today's bonus episode, Ashley shares reflections from her ongoing teacher training journey and the unexpected lessons emerging along the way. From studying yoga philosophy for the third time to wrestling with questions of purpose, lineage, and what it means to truly practice, this conversation explores the deeper layers of yoga beyond the postures.

Ashley also opens up about a recent realization: that hOMe Yoga may be the very work she's been searching for all along. Along the way, she reflects on the teachers who shaped her path, the value of continued study, and why choosing to learn in a distracted world can feel like a radical act.

Plus, hear about all the workshops, classes, and community events coming up at hOMe Yoga this month.

Connect with Ashley on social media: @ashleysimonisyoga and @homeyogamo

Register for events at hOMe Yoga: https://www.homeyogamo.com/

Register for Yoga and Sound at Lucky Dog Farm: https://www.luckydogmo.com/

Learn more about The Oxygen Project here: https://www.oxygenproject.org/ourstory

Thank you for listening. <3

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ashleysimonisyoga.substack.com

What does it mean to devote yourself to a practice—not for a season, but for a lifetime?

In today's episode, Ashley sits down with longtime practitioner, teacher, writer, and homesteader Meg Newlin for a conversation about studentship, mentorship, and the transformative power of showing up again and again.

Meg shares stories from her early days studying with Christina Sell, Darren Rhodes, and other influential teachers, the evolution of her relationship with yoga over nearly three decades, and why some of the most meaningful learning happens outside of formal classes and teacher trainings.

Together, Ashley and Meg explore practice as a way of life, the value of discomfort, the importance of devotion, and how the lessons we learn on the mat shape everything we do beyond it.

This conversation is a heartfelt reminder that yoga isn't about perfection, it's about returning, learning, and continuing to grow.

Connect with Meg on social media: @treeduckmama

Visit Meg's website here: https://www.megabenenewlin.com/

Thank you for listening. <3

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ashleysimonisyoga.substack.com

In today's episode, Ashley chats with Annie Geile, owner of South River Yoga in South County, MO to talk about the winding path that led her from corporate America and chronic illness into the world of yoga, restorative practice, and studio ownership. Annie shares how a life-changing diagnosis shifted her relationship to movement, introduced her to restorative yoga, and ultimately transformed the way she moves through the world.

They talk about healing, dharma, hypermobility, yoga philosophy, teacher training, imposter syndrome, business ownership, and the importance of creating spaces rooted in community over competition. Annie also shares her perspective on Yoga Alliance, continuing education for teachers, and the beautiful collaboration between some St. Louis yoga studios through A Collective Breath benefiting The Oxygen Project.

This conversation is full of wisdom about slowing down, listening deeply, and building a life that feels aligned from the inside out.

Connect with Annie on social media: @anniekg2 and @southriveryoga

Visit South River Yoga's website: https://www.southriveryoga.com/

Thank you for listening. <3

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ashleysimonisyoga.substack.com

In today's episode, Ashley chats with the endlessly creative and deeply heartfelt Emma Crackel. Emma shares her journey from growing up drawn to yoga, to navigating early motherhood, her son Jude’s leukemia diagnosis, and ultimately finding healing, community, and purpose through the practice and teaching of yoga.

They talk about resilience, artistry, philosophy, family yoga, learning to embrace uncertainty, and what it means to consciously make magic out of everyday life.

This conversation is tender, playful, emotional, and a beautiful reminder that even through life’s hardest moments, joy, connection, and color can still exist.

Connect with Emma on social media: @emmacrackel and @earthtoemmaco

Thank you for listening. <3

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ashleysimonisyoga.substack.com

In today's episode of Yoga Teacher Chats, Ashley chats with her teacher, mentor, and friend, Darren Rhodes, owner of Yoga Oasis in Tucson, AZ and mastermind behind the teaching technologies of yogahour®. Together, they explore the roots of practice, the power of community, and the experiences that leave an indelible mark on a life. Darren shares stories from his early introduction to yoga, the evolution of yogahour, building YO, and the teachings that continue to shape the way he lives, practices, and teaches today.

This conversation is reflective, story-filled, and deeply meaningful for anyone interested in lineage, purpose, practice, and the lasting impact of great teachers.

Learn more about Darren and purchase his teaching tools here:

https://www.darrenrhodesyoga.com/

Connect with D on social media: @darrenrhodesyoga and @yogaoasis

Visit YO in Tucson, AZ to learn from him. YO has online offerings as well: https://www.yogaoasis.com/#/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ashleysimonisyoga.substack.com

In Today's episode of Yoga Teacher Chats, Ashley chats with Raveen Johnson, yoga teacher, writer, singer, and journaling facilitator based in Houston, Texas. Raveen shares her journey into yoga through community, heartbreak, faith, intuition, and the transformative power of being witnessed. They talk about the studio that shaped her, the impact of immersive community practice, navigating teacher training during a pandemic, and learning to trust the quiet nudges that change the course of your life.

They also explore journaling as practice, the evolution from power yoga into yin, creativity as nourishment, and the importance of honoring the parts of ourselves that keep us alive.

This conversation is warm, reflective, and deeply affirming for anyone learning to trust themselves, deepen their practice, and become more fully who they are.

Connect with Raveen on social media: @raveenalexis

Visit her website here: https://www.theraveenalexis.com/

Thank you for listening. <3

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ashleysimonisyoga.substack.com

In today's bonus episode, Ashley shares a vulnerable reflection on stepping back into the role of student after beginning a new 500-hour training with a different lineage. From identity shifts and ego to growth, discomfort, and becoming a beginner again, this episode is an honest conversation about what it means to keep learning.

Ashley also shares everything happening this month at hOMe Yoga, including workshops, Yoga Nidra, sound baths, family yoga, SEVA, and special community events both in and outside the studio.

Register for events at the studio here: https://www.homeyogamo.com/schedule

Gateway Pet Guardians wish list: https://gatewaypets.org/wishlist/

Register for Yoga and Sound at Lucky Dog farm here: https://www.luckydogmo.com/product/may-yoga-sound-and-farm-tour/GCB7I2MGB4MFOUNUVT5JILND?cp=true&sa=true&sbp=false&q=false

Connect with Ashley on social media @ashleysimonisyoga and/or @homeyogamo

Thank you for listening. <3

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ashleysimonisyoga.substack.com

In today's episode, Ashley (Simonis) chats with Ashley Ribaudo of St. Louis Ashtanga Yoga (SLAY) and Expansion Therapy. Ashley shares her unconventional path from advertising school to flight attendant to physical therapy assistant to yoga teacher, mentor, and community leader.

We talk about how Ashtanga first hooked her, why Mysore-style practice can be one of the most individualized and supportive ways to learn, and how injuries and life experience transformed her relationship with a once-rigid practice.

Ashley also shares what it looked like to step forward when local teachers moved on, carry the torch for the St. Louis Ashtanga community, and build SLAY into the thriving space it is today. From yoga philosophy groups to myofascial release work to mentorship outside traditional systems, Ashley offers a grounded and refreshing perspective on what yoga can become when we allow it to evolve.

This conversation is grounded, expansive, and inspiring for anyone curious about honoring tradition while creating a practice that truly fits real life.

Connect with Ashley on social media: @ashley.ribaudo.yoga @stl.ashtanga and @expanion.therapy

Practice Ashtanga with Ashley: https://www.saintlouisashtangayoga.com/

Ashley offers free discovery sessions for Expansion Therapy (in person and virtually) Find out more here: https://www.expansion-therapy.com/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ashleysimonisyoga.substack.com

In this episode, Ashley chats with Dr. Carolyn Meister, physical therapist and founder of Expansion Therapy for a conversation that completely redefines what healing can look like.

Dr. Carolyn’s work blends fascia release, breathwork, movement analysis, and energetic awareness to help people understand the deeper stories their body is holding. This isn’t just physical therapy, it’s a practice of learning how to see yourself more clearly.

They talk about how the body stores lived experience, how limiting beliefs can show up as tension or pain, and how becoming aware of your patterns through the way you move, breathe, and exist can open the door to real transformation.

They also explore the vulnerability of being truly seen, the importance of boundaries and energy exchange, and what it means to come back into relationship with your body in a more honest and empowered way.

This conversation is powerful, confronting, and deeply supportive for anyone who is ready to move beyond surface-level healing.

Connect with Dr. Carolyn on Instagram and TikTok at @dr.carolyn.meister and @expansion.therapy

Dr. Carolyn offers free discovery sessions (in-person and virtual). Find out more here: https://www.expansion-therapy.com/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ashleysimonisyoga.substack.com

In this episode, Ashley chats with one of her teachers, Patty Gorder, owner of Namaste Massage & Yoga Studio in Grafton, North Dakota.

Patty shares her journey of discovering yoga as a teenager in Tucson, AZ to building a thriving yoga and wellness space in a small, rural community, one that didn’t even know it needed yoga until it arrived. They talk about what it means to follow the path when it doesn’t look the way you expected, and how practice, lineage, and community can shape not only your teaching but your life.

This conversation weaves through Patty’s early experiences with yoga, her deep connection to her teachers, and the reality of owning a studio for over 17 years. We explore the role of lineage, the evolution of a practice over time, and what it really looks like to stay devoted, especially when life gets full.

Patty also shares her perspective on the Yoga Alliance, holding space for students, and the importance of continuing to nourish your own practice as a teacher and studio owner.

This episode is a reminder that yoga isn’t just something we do, it’s something we live. And sometimes, it becomes the thread we simply don’t let go of.

Connect with Patty on social media: @pmunoz_q and @nmysnd

Thank you for listening. <3

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ashleysimonisyoga.substack.com