Ashley Pehrson is a 34-year-old D.C. native who has been practicing yoga for 12 years and in 2003 began teaching classes at Hot Yoga in Cathedral Heights.
How has yoga changed over the years?
It changes with age, as you grow as a person. In your 20s you are ready to go roaring and you do a hard practice because you have tons of extra energy and you feel almost invincible. Then you get into your 30s and you see yourself in a truer light, you have a better perspective and understanding of who you are as a person and how you need to change your yoga techniques to get a better balance in life.
What is hot yoga?
We teach it in a warm room — about the same as your body temperature. The warmth relaxes the body tensions so people find they have a better range of flexibility. It’s like running before you stretch so you can work more freely with your muscles. When you go above your body temperature your body doesn’t know its range anymore.
How often do you practice yoga?
You are practicing when you are cooking dinner — or when you are sitting in a car stuck in traffic and you feel your shoulders going up toward your ears. You have the ability to practice anywhere. Practice is mental as well as physical.
Who are your yoga students?
I have taught people in wheelchairs and people with missing limbs. You don’t have to be an 18-year-old athletic superstar or prima ballerina to practice yoga. Anyone can do it.
Why teach yoga?
I do it because I love being with people, helping people and seeing them grow. I’ve also had more room to grow in this job and experience life in a different element than I have before. – Hayley Peterson
