Ashley Cheng: Yoga Guide
Ashley Cheng (E-RYT 1000) is a native Austinite, certified yoga teacher trainer, and yoga therapist, who specializes in meditative movement and holistic practices for those experiencing chronic pain, anxiety and depression. For her, yoga has provided the scaffolding – the physical, emotional and spiritual support – to build a life she continues to be proud of today. She co-created Austin School of Yoga’s 200-hour Teacher Training to assist others in designing a more meaningful foundation for their lives – whether or not they plan to teach.
After a stint working nearly a decade at global PR agencies in NY and Boston, Ashley discovered yoga as her only solution to heal the physical and emotional stress of climbing corporate ladders. Through yoga, she discovered the stories she carried in her body had been engraved much deeper than she realized and that she had the power to rewrite her own narrative.
She received her first 200-hour Vinyasa certification through YogaWorks under Natasha Rizopolous in Boston. She then completed the Forrest Yoga 200-hour foundation training with Ana Forrest in Chicago and a yearlong mentorship program under Forrest Yoga Guardians Catherine Allen and Ann Hyde, both based in Houston. She is certified as a Functional Range Conditioning® mobility specialist through Dr. Andreo Spina and in Roll Model® Method myofascial self-massage through Yoga Tune Up® Fitness senior trainer Trina Altman. She has also studied hands-on healing and assisting with YogaHope founder Sue Jones and Prana Flow teacher Simon Park. She is trained in children’s and family yoga through Shakta Khalsa of Radiant Child Yoga.
Ashley is a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists. She graduated Inner Peace Yoga Therapy‘s 1000-hour program as a certified IAYT yoga therapist, under the mentorship of senior teachers, such as Nischala Joy Devi, Neil Pearson, Maria Mendola, and Amy Weintraub. She has completed studies in Ayurveda under Dr. Marc Halpern, Jai Dev Singh and Chinnamasta Stiles.
She approaches her teaching practice like a fine meal – taking each pose one bite at a time and savoring every breath as a nourishing, decadent experience. Her teaching style emphasizes thoughtful alignment and artful sequencing with compassionate hands-on assists. She’s passionate about providing a playful space for students of all ages and levels to cultivate their own healing practice.
Ashley’s mission is to help people feel empowered and energized in their bodies for whatever life ladders they choose to climb. She’s currently pursuing her masters in social work from the University of Texas at Austin’s Steve Hicks School of Social Work.
Yogi Austin 