Yoga Teacher Chats

with Ashley Simonis and friends

Conversations with yoga teachers about the practice, the path, and the real-life lessons between classes. ashleysimonisyoga.substack.com

  1. 1d ago

    Episode 53: The Teacher is Always a Student

    In today's episode, Ashley sits down with Wendy Webb, a longtime yoga teacher and student living in Maine, to talk about what it means to keep learning. Wendy shares her journey from a first teacher training filled with self-doubt and discomfort to more than two decades of teaching, countless trainings, studying with Darren Rhodes, and eventually leading teacher trainings of her own. Along the way, they talk about lineage, the desire to keep studying, and how every teacher training becomes an opportunity to study something much deeper: ourselves. They also explore discomfort, perfectionism, Yoga Alliance, adapting teacher training to meet the needs of individual students, and the idea that yoga isn't necessarily about making life easier, but about becoming more present and more equipped to navigate the life we're actually living. Because after all, the teacher never stops being the student. Some topics of conversation: Following the pull toward yoga, even when the voice in your head says you're not ready. The discomfort of being a student and learning to stay with it. The importance of lineage and the teachers who shape the way we teach. Why continued study isn't about collecting certifications. Teaching teacher trainings and discovering that the teacher is still learning. Meeting students where they are and allowing the practice to evolve. A complicated relationship with Yoga Alliance. Yoga as a lens for navigating the world with more presence. And why the conversations we have on our mats might matter far beyond the mat. Connect with Wendy on social media: @wendywebbyoga Thank you for listening. 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

    Episode 53: The Teacher is Always a Student

  2. Aug 19

    Episode 52: Big Y Yoga - More Than a Certification

    On today's episode, Ashley sits down with Kate Bee of Somavia for another chat, and this time they're going deeper into what it actually means to study yoga beyond the 200-hour certification. Ashley and Kate talk about the difference between learning information and learning how to teach, why becoming a teacher requires a deeper level of discernment, and what it means to hold a space that is both supportive and challenging. Kate breaks down the philosophy behind Somavia's 300-hour training, including moving from teaching shapes to teaching principles, developing more diverse and resilient ways of responding, working with the individual rather than the generalized group, and exploring Ayurveda, fascia, breathwork, pranayama, meditation, and therapeutic applications, and so much more. But ultimately, this conversation isn't really about another certification. It's about what happens when you're still hungry. When you know there's more to learn. When your yoga practice starts asking more of you. When you want yoga to become a life practice rather than something you simply teach or practice on a mat. Because, as Kate says in this episode, sometimes the deeper wisdom doesn't yell or scream. It whispers. If you've been wondering what's next in your teaching, your practice, or your own relationship with yoga, this conversation is for you. Find Kate's website here: https://soma-via.com/500-hr-ytt Book your discovery call today: https://calendly.com/somavia/500hr-discovery-call?month=2026-08 Find Kates first interview on Yoga Teacher Chats here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3QRB6IKBWsBnlq0wE1Oqs4 Thank you for listening. ashleysimonisyoga.substack.com

    Episode 52: Big Y Yoga - More Than a Certification

  3. Aug 5

    Episode 51: See the Need. Build the Thing

    What happens when you stop waiting to feel qualified and simply begin? In today's episode, Ashley sits down with entrepreneur and 30HOT Studio owner Kendel Locke to talk about building businesses, cultivating community, and discovering that sometimes the greatest opportunities come from paying attention to what's missing. Before opening 30HOT Studio, Kendall had only attended a handful of yoga classes. While completing her 200-hour teacher training, she opened the studio anyway and learned to teach, lead, and grow alongside her community. Together, Ashley and Kendal explore: Why waiting until you feel "ready" might keep you from building something meaningful. How Hula Bowls was born from recognizing an unmet need in her hometown. Opening a yoga studio before finishing teacher training. The value of teaching a simple, familiar sequence instead of trying to reinvent the wheel. Finding your voice as a teacher through repetition, curiosity, and experience. Why beginners often make the best teachers for beginners. Building authentic community where strangers become familiar faces, and familiar faces become friends. Creating spaces that are accessible, welcoming, and centered on belonging rather than perfection. Kendal's perspective on the Yoga Alliance and why she chooses not to register. This conversation is a reminder that confidence is often built after we begin, not before. Because sometimes the best thing you can do is see a need... and build the thing. Connect with Kendel on social media: @kendellocke - @30hotstudio - @hulabowlshannibal - @hulabowlsquincy - @hulabowlswebster Visit 30HOT's website here: https://www.30hotstudio.com/ Thank you for listening. ashleysimonisyoga.substack.com

    Episode 51: See the Need. Build the Thing

  4. Jul 29

    Episode 50: The Courage to Question

    What happens when we have the courage to question everything we've been taught? In today's episode, Ashley sits down with the incredible Gioconda Parker- teacher, mentor, and lifelong student for a deeply honest conversation about faith, curiosity, the practice and the winding path that brought her home to herself. Gia shares how yoga didn't change who she was, it helped her remember who she had always been. Together, they explore what it means to question with openness instead of fear, why remaining a student is one of the greatest gifts a teacher can offer, and how our unique life experiences become part of the lineage we carry forward. This conversation is for you if you've ever wondered where you belong, wrestled with your beliefs, or found yourself returning to the practice again and again. Not to become someone new, but to come home to yourself. Connect with Gia on social media: @giocondayoga and @one.om.yoga.school Visit her website: https://giocondayoga.com/ Thank you for listening. ashleysimonisyoga.substack.com

    Episode 50: The Courage to Question

  5. Jul 22

    Episode 49: Elephants, Hamstrings & the Long Game

    In today's episode, Ashley sits down with the one and only Christina Sell to talk about the long game of yoga, and the slow, steady process of learning, growing, and becoming. Through stories, laughter, and lessons learned along the way, they explore what it means to keep showing up when progress feels slow, when the body challenges us, and when the practice asks us to be patient. From elephants to hamstrings (yes, really), this conversation reminds us that yoga isn’t about arriving at some final destination. It’s about the journey. Remaining curious, staying humble, and continuing to practice. Because the greatest transformations often happen not in the moments when everything feels easy, but in the moments when we choose to keep going. This conversation is for you if you’ve ever wondered whether the slow work is worth it, if you’ve been humbled by your own practice, or if you’re learning that the journey itself is the point. Connect with Christina on social media: @christinasellyoga Learn from her by visiting her website: https://www.christinasellyoga.com/ https://christinasell.heymarvelous.com/ Thank you for listening. ashleysimonisyoga.substack.com

    Episode 49: Elephants, Hamstrings & the Long Game

  6. Jul 15

    Episode 48: The Practice of Perseverance

    In today's episode, Ashley sits down with Desirea Penton-Crosley, owner of Dragon Asana in Gunnison, Colorado, to explore a journey shaped by resilience, reinvention, and an unwavering commitment to the practice. From triathlons and teacher training to opening multiple studios, navigating heartbreak, rebuilding after loss, and finding the courage to begin again, Desiree shares the lessons that only years of practice can teach. Together they talk about lineage, mentorship, community, studio ownership, the realities of teaching yoga, and why perseverance is less about pushing through and more about continuing to show up. This is a conversation about remaining a student, trusting the process of growth, and discovering that yoga isn't something we perfect, it's something that quietly transforms us over time. Connect with Desirae on social media: @yogides and @dragonasana Thank you for listening. ashleysimonisyoga.substack.com

    Episode 48: The Practice of Perseverance

  7. Jul 8

    Episode 47: Living in (and out of) Balance

    In today's episode, Ashley sits down with Ayurvedic practitioner Priya Chandel to explore what it really means to live in and out of balance. Priya shares her journey from the fast-paced world of nightlife and entertainment to a life rooted in Ayurveda, yoga philosophy, and service. Together they discuss the Bhagavad Gita, finding purpose through life's challenges, the importance of daily practice, and why balance isn't a destination, but an ongoing relationship with ourselves. Whether you're new to Ayurveda or have been studying it for years, this conversation invites you to see health, healing, and the human experience through a new lens. Connect with Priya on social media: @priyachandel.ayurveda Thank you for listening. ashleysimonisyoga.substack.com

    Episode 47: Living in (and out of) Balance

  8. Jul 3

    BONUS EPISODE (46): Trust the Process

    In today's bonus episode, Ashley shares a personal update on buying her first home and the unexpected challenges that arrived almost immediately afterward. Through stories of uncertainty, resilience, and a little plumbing chaos, she reflects on what it means to practice yoga beyond the four corners of the mat. She also shares what's happening at the studio this month, including the new Sunday Sangha, schedule changes, upcoming workshops, special events, and the studio's Christmas in July class pack promotion. This episode is a gentle reminder that sometimes the deepest practice isn't found in perfect circumstances.. it's found in learning to trust the process. Register for classes and workshops at hOMe Yoga here Register for Yoga and Sound at Lucky Dog Farm here Thank you for listening. ashleysimonisyoga.substack.com

    BONUS EPISODE (46): Trust the Process
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Ratings & Reviews

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5 Ratings

About

Conversations with yoga teachers about the practice, the path, and the real-life lessons between classes. ashleysimonisyoga.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    with Ashley Simonis and friends
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    53
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Ashley Campise
  • Show Website
    Yoga Teacher Chats

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