Meet Aimee Echo of Ashtanga Yoga Long Beach

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aimee Echo.

Aimee, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I am the owner and primary teacher at ASHTANGA YOGA LONG BEACH but my first love and day job was MUSIC. I am a singer and write songs and have been in a few successful bands (TheSTART, human waste project) that made records and toured extensively.

About 20 years ago, while waiting for my first album with theStart to come out, I stumbled into a traditional Ashtanga Yoga school owned by Noah Williams and Kimberly Flynn. It was in a tiny space in Sunset Junction which was close to where I lived. I did not know then that Yoga would alter the course of my life.

For the next ten years, I would continue to make records and tour while also seriously practicing, studying and learning to teach Yoga. I began to make yearly trips to India in 2007 to study with my teacher, Sharath Jois, who gave me authorization to teach Ashtanga Yoga in 2010. After a few more twists and turns of teaching and touring, my husband and I settled in the Zaferia district and I opened Long Beach’s first traditional Ashtanga Yoga school in November of 2018. The school is located in a magical, plant-filled, corner space in the old Park Hotel building on Anaheim Street in which we also host the occasional Art and / or Music show.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Yoga has definitely helped with the bumps that did occur! I’d say the hardest part for me now is balancing the business tasks without too much frustration when I would rather be doing what I really love which is the teaching and learning.

Please tell us about Ashtanga Yoga Long Beach.
I teach a method of Ashtanga Yoga called Mysore-style which is offered differently than your typical Yoga class. The instruction is given one on one individually from teacher to student. I prescribe and teach a practice for each student that they memorize and develops over time. This allows me to work with many different types of people not just the healthy and flexible, though many of our students are Yoga teachers.

We have weekly Philosophy classes on the schedule where we are able to delve into the deeper studies of the Yoga Sutras, learn Sanskrit and chanting. These classes are where the transformation really begins to happen and where we learn to bring the Yoga into our lives and relationships.

The school has been fortunate to be able to host incredible senior teachers like Dominic Corigliano and Chase Bossart for intensive studies and I will look for more opportunities to bring more teachers with rich knowledge to share.

Being a musician it is important to me that we use the space for creative events as well -we have had Art shows and Bands play and last year the space was a venue for our local Music Festival, Happy Sundays.

What were you like growing up?
I was a punk rock girl with goth tendencies – I still am! I drove my teachers insane and left high school for college early. I lived for Siouxsie and the Banshees and X, Bauhaus, joy division. Still do. I loved books and art, fashion and film but Music was my true love. Really, I have not changed much!

Contact Info:

• Address: 3700 E Anaheim Street, Long Beach CA
• Website: AYLB.ORG
• Phone: 3233140574
• Email: info@ashtangayogalongbeach.com
• Instagram: Aylbomfub
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/pages/category/Community/Ashtanga-Yoga-Long-Beach-203605096331321/
• Yelp: https://yelp.to/qTKq/TbnYn2NJE3

Image Credit:
Aimee Echo

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