Ashaya Yoga 101, by Todd Norian

Ashaya Yoga 101

If you’ve seen a flyer or received an email about my upcoming workshop at innerglow yoga, you might be curious: Who is Todd Norian, and what is Ashaya Yoga? These are reasonable questions. I am a stranger to many of you, although certainly not to Michelle and I am grateful for this opportunity to introduce myself and tell you more about Ashaya Yoga.

I took my first yoga class in 1980, when I was a jazz student at the University of Miami. It was not a particularly hard class, yet it was very challenging for me. I couldn’t even touch my toes but I stuck it out and, as we settled into savasana at the end of class, I relaxed as if for the first time in my life. I breathed in the sandalwood incense and listened to the gentle music. Something was touched deep inside of me. I was transformed. I immediately began to study yoga intensely. Quickly, my body became more limber. My mind became more calm and more relaxed, even as I consistently experienced a heightened awareness of everything around me. I began to practice daily and soon became a yoga teacher. I found my purpose.

Even as I studied in many schools of yoga and under many other masters, I was exploring discovering my own ways of doing things. In 2012, the time had come for me to share the alignment principles and core philosophies that I had been practicing and teaching for so many years. I struck out on my own and founded Ashaya Yoga.

Ashaya is a Sanskrit word meaning, “abode of the heart.” Ashaya Yoga is the practice of Radical Affirmation. It’s about learning how to say yes to life with all of your being. In an Ashaya Yoga workshop, you will learn how to align your body to practice asana (yoga positions) and move through your daily life without physical pain. You’ll also learn about meditation, chanting, and other Tanta Yoga practices that will enable you to weave the dispersed parts of yourself back together, enabling you to find deeper happiness every day…happiness that flows from the inside out and is untouched by the circumstances in which you find yourself.

My yoga practice has guided my life every day for nearly 40 years. It has awakened my inherent potential. It has healed my body, mind, and heart. It has brought wellness, peace, and love into my life. You can have all of this, too! Teaching you how is my life’s work.

I will be at innerglow yoga on Wednesday August 14th 6:00-8:00 pm, offering Art of Masterful Living: Embodying The Five Elements Through Yoga. This workshop is appropriate for students of all levels, even those new to yoga. Sign up here. I invite you to join me and learn how to say yes to life with all your being. 

Can’t make it this time? Visit my website to learn about other opportunities to study with me, including workshops, the Ashaya Yoga 2020 Tropical Retreat, and the upcoming In-Depth Study/200-Hour Teacher Training, beginning in September at Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute in beautiful Lenox, Massachusetts.