Anna Ashby is a senior yoga teacher, trainer and author of the acclaimed book Restorative Yoga: Power, Presence, Practice for Teachers and Trainees (2022). She holds the highest level of certification with Yoga Alliance Professionals in the UK (SYT) and the Yoga Alliance in the U.S. (E-RYT-500 + YACEP). She also holds a B.A. (hons) in Modern Dance from Mills College in California (1991). 

Her unique style reflects a variety of influences including: dance, extensive yoga training focused on alignment and precision, restorative arts, tai chi and somatic movement. Much of her inspiration stems from her 12-year immersion in yoga practice while living in an ashram during the 1990s.

Innovating in her field for over 30 years, Anna leads workshops, trainings and retreats globally where she weaves in wisdom teachings and a variety of practices which encourage living with ease, joy and presence.

Intention and Style

Anna teaches a multi-faceted practice that spotlights the finer details of āsana, breath and being. A practice invites an embodied enquiry that may include detail, flow, chanting and stillness practices such as Restorative, tai chi and meditation - all of which express the essence of yoga as awareness. Sessions are designed to enliven, ground and centre while releasing tension and promoting balance. 

Sessions often weave in Restorative practice which fortifies nervous system health through the support and comfort of bolsters and blankets. Postures are held long enough to notice patterns of holding and engage in a process of release through natural breath, awareness and presence. 

Drawing inspiration from the texts of the yoga tradition as well as modern thinkers, she choreographs purposeful sequences that enable a process of release, deepening of self-knowledge and joyful presence. Her manner is caring, non-dogmatic and empowering. 

Specialisation + Publications

Anna specialises in Restorative Yoga, a modern style that supports nervous system health through the healing effects of deep relaxation, breath and present moment awareness. 

Supported by bolsters and blankets with poses held for longer, the interiority and stillness embodied by this style shift the nervous system out of ‘fight or flight’ into the relaxation response. This type of physiological shift addresses the imbalance caused by the stress of modern living, while encouraging insight and subtlety of experience.

Her book, Restorative Yoga: Power Presence Practice for Teachers and Trainees, released in March 2022, has become the ‘go to’ book for teachers and practitioners serving as an in depth guide for those interested in the Restorative arts. It elucidates and celebrates this practice spotlighting rest, stillness and space as necessary elements for cultivating balance and deepening spiritual endeavour.

Offerings

Anna leads workshops, retreats and trainings around the UK and abroad. Contact to enquire about her offerings and availability. 

She also teaches weekly in-person classes at the Yoga Loft in Leicestershire where she lives,  and at Home in London. She also offers online classes from her own platform that can be attended live or by recording.