Check Out Ally Hamilton’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ally Hamilton. 

Hi Ally, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I was born and raised in New York City. I grew up on the Upper Westside, going back and forth between my mom’s house near West End Avenue and my dad’s place near Central Park West. I thought I’d always live in NYC, so when it was time to go to college, I was thrilled to get into Barnard College at Columbia University. I’d finished enough credits at the end of 11th grade to skip my senior year of high school so I started college a year early. I was in a rush to get out in the world and “be an adult” so I could make my own decisions about my life. I switched my major a few times when I was at school, unsure if I wanted to pursue writing, psychology, or theater. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts. 

I was feeling pretty lost and anxious a lot of the time, didn’t have a clear idea of what I was “supposed” to be doing or what my purpose was. I’d started going to yoga during my senior year of college, and that was the one place that felt right. For a few years, I spent my days auditioning, writing, and going to yoga classes. Eventually, I did a teacher training so I could deepen my own yoga practice. I didn’t think I’d ever teach because I had a huge fear of speaking in public. I could handle auditioning because it was generally a small group of people in a room and because I was speaking someone else’s words, but the idea of a large group of people in a room waiting for me to say something profound or lead them through a class that made sense just felt totally overwhelming. 

Then one day I went to class, and the teacher didn’t show up, and the manager asked me to please teach. I really didn’t think I could do it, I went into the dressing room and thought I might pass out, but it occurred to me that there were all these people who’d walked to the studio or taken a subway, bus, taxi…people who’d carved out this time in their day for some yoga, and it would be pretty awful if the reason they didn’t get to practice was me. It just clicked into place that my fear or my anxiety or nervousness or whatever it was simply wasn’t a good enough or big enough reason for a roomful of people to be turned away. So, I just “got over myself” and went in and taught. I was amazed afterward when people came and thanked me. They were all glowing and happy and it was such a great feeling. I felt like I’d really done something good. 

That day was the beginning of my teaching career. I realized that the more I spent my time and energy trying to uplift other people, the happier I felt. Before long, I was turning down auditions if they conflicted with a class I was supposed to teach. I did more teacher trainings in New York City, and then I traveled to Los Angeles for a training in 2001. I thought it would be a temporary move, probably just the three months for the duration of the training, but I fell in love with Santa Monica. It was such a huge thing to be able to go to the mountains for a hike in the morning and then head to the beach to sit by the ocean in the afternoon. And there were a ton of yoga teachers I wanted to study with in L.A., and I got a huge talent agent the first week I was here. It felt like all the doors were opening, so I found an apartment and started teaching all over town. I was teaching from West Hollywood to Redondo Beach and everywhere in between. I’d get up at 6 am and head to my Ashtanga practice and then teach all day. I’d run home between classes and take my dog to Runyon Canyon for a hike. I was teaching 27 classes a week, which isn’t sustainable, but at the time, it was just me and my dog. I’d never been happier. 

In 2009 I opened a brick-and-mortar yoga studio in downtown Santa Monica, Yogis Anonymous. I had a toddler and an infant at the time, so it was intense but incredible. The first year is kind of a blur. No sleep, crazy schedule, lots of nursing, and a new business. One of the amazing things about teaching yoga is that you can work full-time, but also arrange your schedule around your children, so that’s what I did. In 2010 we started filming classes and streaming them as kind of a test. Turned out there were a lot of people who wanted to join a class happening in Santa Monica, even if they were living in the South of France, Thailand, the United Kingdom, or Burbank! Today our global community spans the world, and I never would have imagined I’d be utilizing the internet as a tool to connect with people I might never meet otherwise. It’s amazing to me. 

The last sixteen years I’ve evolved and grown and learned so much, the way you always do when you have kids. The business has grown and evolved as well. I began blogging in 2010, sharing yoga philosophy for the “western mind” – practical and profound ways to apply the yoga practice to our daily lives. The blog took off, and in 2016, I got a book deal. I wrote “Yoga’s Healing Power: Looking Inward for Change, Growth, and Peace” and I followed that book with “Open Randomly: Fortune Cookies for the Soul.” In 2017 I closed the local studio in Santa Monica and went fully online, so I could spend more time with my family, writing, and leading yoga retreats around the world. I LOVE when I get to meet members of our global yoga community in person somewhere fantastic. Last July we went to Tuscany, this April we are going to Greece! 

These days I find it is easier to say yes to the things that matter the most to me and no to anything that doesn’t feel right. I’ve realized along the way that our time and energy are the greatest gifts we’re given and the most valuable assets we have to share. I used to be so concerned about planning and projecting ahead, but I have found the best things in life have been a surprise. I had no idea the way my children would shift everything about me – the way I think, the way I spend my time, the way I love. I had no idea I would meet a very tall Englishman at a bar one night in 2016 and how that would change my life. I had no idea I’d film classes in Santa Monica, and people on the other side of the world would send emails telling me how much the classes mean to them. 

These days I understand that connection is one of the greatest joys in life. There were so many times I felt alone, scared, anxious, and overwhelmed when I was younger. It’s such a joy to me to get to share the practices, tools, ideas, books, thoughts, and adventures that helped me heal and open. I know if I did it, anyone can do it. When I teach or write or lead a live meditation or talk, when I lead a retreat, my inspiration is always that one thing, to share the tools that have helped me find peace, joy, and trust. It’s such a relief to know we are not alone in this human experience! 

These days I am in the “sandwich generation” – that place when you have children who need you (mine are now teenagers) and aging parents. I lost my mom almost a year ago, so this last year has been about grief, about loss, and fear but also about healing and acceptance, and love. We’re never done; we’re always learning and growing, the only question is whether we open to the growth or contract against it. Opening feels a lot better! 

I am currently working on my third book, a memoir. I’m about to launch two apps for our site. I lead weekly live (free) guided meditations and dharma talks. I post new classes on YogisAnonymous.com every week. I lead global yoga retreats. I hope you’ll come find me somewhere, virtually or in real life! 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have been many challenges along the way. I opened Yogis Anonymous in 2009 with my then-husband. We got divorced in 2011 but remained in business together until 2017. It’s not easy running a business when you have two tiny children, and it’s REALLY not easy going through a divorce with your business partner, but it was ALL an opportunity to practice advanced yoga 🙂 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
YogisAnonymous.com is where I do the bulk of my “work” it is where all my online classes are (thousands) and where I add new content every week. The Yogis Anonymous Practice Page is a space for members of our community, and that is where I lead weekly live free dharma talks and guided meditations. My Amazon Author Page is where you will find my books and where you will see my next one once it’s published. And blog.yogisanonymous.com is where you’ll find blog posts dating back to 2010 and upcoming worldwide retreats! 

What are your plans for the future?
My future plan is to spend time with my quickly-growing teenagers and phenomenal husband, to finish my memoir, to continue to lead retreats in amazing places around the world, and to connect with members of our awesome community any and every chance I get. 

Pricing:

• We have a 15-day free trial at YogisAnonymous.com; then it’s $15/month or $150 for an annual pass

Contact Info:

• Website: yogisanonymous.com
• Instagram: @yogisanonymous
• Facebook: @yogisanonymous
• Twitter: @yogisanonymous
• Youtube: @yogisanonymous
• Other: https://www.amazon.com/Ally-Hamilton/e/B01AOA9AI8