Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ashley Cummings | Yoga Teacher & Documentary Film Maker Cummings. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Ashley Cummings | Yoga Teacher & Documentary Film Maker thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?
My parents had unconditional love, faith and trust in me- that was everything for the successful trajectory of my self-confidence, and ultimately my life. My father had absolutely no idea what Yoga was in 2007 when I asked him for $30,000.00 to open my first Yoga studio in Miami Beach, it was a huge ask. We were not super wealthy, and this was a huge amount of money. At this time, my father thought “Yogis were all poor hippies”, some version of this, but he believed in me, he believed I could make somethings that I believed in successful, and I did (JUST BREATHE YOGA). It was only in looking back, and through a few conversations I had with my father before he passed (we laughed), that I understood what a chance he took on me. I realized he did that for me, and expected me to fail! His face at my first year anniversary party was everything to me, he saw so many people dressed well and spending money, he didn’t realize Yoga had become so popular to everyone, he was laser focused on his daughter. he’s been “taking chances” and betting on me to win since I was born. This kind of support, respect, love and faith is why I am the human I am so proud to be today. for the human I am proud to be today. I believe in myself, because I always had someone behind me that believed in me even more. My aunt Cathy once said to me, about our horses, “an animal just needs ONE person, just ONE, that they know they can depend on, that will love them and always be there, that’s all the need to be great”, I agree.
Ashley Cummings | Yoga Teacher & Documentary Film Maker, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I would describe myself as a season Yoga Teacher and experienced business woman, teaching 18 years and with 2 Yoga Schools under my belt I am confident about my craft. These days I am a honored to teach large seminars and workshops, as well as Small Classes and Private Yoga Sessions.
You can schedule by calling 310.999.3610
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Yes! Resilience is one of my super powers! Resiliency is very important, being able to bounce back, get up and keep going. A story on my journey that represents strength, and resilience would be my father’s stroke that hit May 16, 2015, literally a year and a half into my second Yoga School, Agni Yoga, West Hollywood. Agni was doing amazing, better than I could have prayed for, but my father’s whole life had just changed for the worse and forever, and he was in Savannah, Georgia, across the country. and being his caretaker was my priority. So I was in a proper pickle, to say the least, my father’s stroke is called the “King of Strokes”, blood clot in the brainstem, 2% of people survive, and half of them end up vegetables, zero quality of life etc.
My whole life changed as well, for the next two years I was running Agni from planes and hospital rooms half the time, as my father further declined into his final days that coincided with the final days of Agni. I flew from Los Angeles to Savannah 38 times in 24 months to be there for my father, concurrently owning, operating and managing Agni all by myself.
It was the two hardest years of my life, I would not wish that quagmire on anyone, Agni suffered and eventually, met her ultimate demise as well. But I will never, ever regret having been there for my father when he needed me and no one else was there, I would do the same if I had too, I would have had more trustworthy employees!
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
My father always said “Ashley trust NOONE “, for the better part of my life I spent much energy trying to prove him wrong. In the past 7-10 years I have learned that people should absolutely earn trust, it should not be given freely or immediately. Since I can remember being a person it was “trust no one”, I think life is very difficult this way, and lonely. But I also trusted too many too fast and I have many burn marks from those choices. Trust is sacred, it is deserving of the worthy, and many of us are still left standing. But fair warning, trusting too much too fast has never served me. Stay happy!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.ashleycummingsyoga.com
- Instagram: @venicecanalsyoga
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