Asana with Ali
Reintroduce yourself to who you really are
with the ritual of yoga
The world is so nutso right now. Or, has it always been?
Anyway. Maybe you’re juggling too much or holding onto too much stress in your work or in your relationships. Maybe your mind is always rattling away, thinking ‘What if’, or ‘What’s next?’. (Which is totally human — but something we can work on.)
Or maybe you feel bound by social conditioning that tells you that you’re behind in life.
Or a big life change has thrown you off your steady footing.
“The world is not kind, and does not care whether or not we are comfortable or happy. It is up to us to create those conditions ourselves.”
The ancient practice of yoga can help us withstand all that life throws at us. It’s about much more than movement or “asana”. Yoga is a practice for our mind.
Moving intentionally through complicated postures with concentrated breathing and focus changes our perception.
It shows us that we can endure and embrace change. It releases our compulsion to grasp and reminds us of our strength.
It helps us shed our old ways of thinking.
It brings us closer to who we really are, not just how we are reacting to what’s in front of us.
It teaches us how to linger in the present.
And I can show you how.
Meet your guide
ALI HICKERSON
My Why
I didn’t expect yoga to profoundly change me when I first found it in a sweaty gym in Melbourne, Australia. Or that my Midwestern upbringing would bring me there in the first place — but that's a story for another day.
My early life and adulthood were all about filling my schedule to the brim and aiming to do it all perfectly, with lessons and performances in dance, singing, and musical theater on top of being a Very-Type-A-Student. Eventually, the movement of yoga replaced dance once dance's allure had faded. I liked the promise of it because I desperately needed it. My go-go-go, perform-perform-perform, work-hard-and-you-will-succeed mentality resulted in panic attacks. The decades-long balancing act was over, and I needed to find another way.
How I Got Here & What I Learned
Yoga showed me how. I began to truly become a student of the practice in 2015 through the mechanical discipline of Iyengar yoga that attuned me to the patience and precision that postures require -- and the fact that props of all kinds are a-okay in yoga. I also loved the creativity and flow of Vinyasa classes, but I was missing depth in my practice until I found the Ashtanga-based, Shala House in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.
There, I learned to let go by understanding that "sukha" (a sense of ease) should balance the rigor of the practice, which loosened my tight grips on perfectionism, my ego, and my best-laid plans. I felt so safe in the "sangha" (spiritual community) and the promise of yoga that I learned to move through life with more clarity, focus, embodiment, and a more integrated mind-body connection.
I moved from indecisive to reflective and action-oriented, from victim to an active participant in my life, and am now able to use my experiences to guide others to more whole versions of themselves.
Let’s follow each other
[in a non-stalker way]
My Approach to Asana
My flows incorporate some unexpected movements, with dance-like creativity, playfulness, steadiness, and release.
We will move through strong, meditative poses guided by our rhythmic breath, re-learning to listen to our bodies with curiosity and a focused gaze, and find comfort in the uncomfortable.
We will honor our bodies with precision, nurture them with gentleness, and stare at what’s in front of us, learning what to explore and what to let go of.
Most importantly, I create classes that adapt to the practitioner because yoga is for everyone.
With every practice, I aim to leave students with a little education on the benefits of poses, the lineage of the practice, and encouragement to take action on whatever is holding them back.
How does it work?
A little science behind how yoga rebalances the body and brain
“When self-regulation fails, the underlying cause is loss of contact with wholeness. ”
Yoga transforms the practitioner from the outside to the inside.
A common translation of the Sanskrit word, “yoga” is union. We release stress, heal traumas and prevent the formation of new ones by bringing our body, nervous system (through breath) and mind into unison.
It’s a holistic, lifelong practice that is so much more than movement (asanas). Yoga is a full-blown philosophy that teaches us how to become free of suffering, following a path that transforms our relationship towards others, ourselves, our bodies and our minds.
Science now affirms that the practice of yoga postures that were created thousands of years ago helps our brains form new neural pathways and process information by regulating our breath, concentration and moving up, down, and around the mat. This activates different parts of our nervous system that motivate us to transform thoughts into action, work through emotions, and comprehend our world.
LET’S PRACTICE!
“We become grounded in practice when it is done uninterruptedly, for a long time, with devotion.”
1:1s & Private Groups
Built just for you, in your home.
Classes work towards your goals, meet your body where it’s at & motivate you to go as deeply as you like into the holistic practice.
Offering 1-hour, single sessions ($100) and 5-class 5-class packages ($450).
Open, In-Person & Zoom
Reconnect with yourself &
your community in-person & online. All levels.
Let’s flow together at a time that’s most convenient for you!
*Coming soon*
$15 drop-in
Corporate Groups
Fill your energetic cup alongside your colleagues & forget about the rest. All levels.
Classes are offered M-F at lunchtime, before & after work.
Classes can be offered on a sliding scale upon request