About CarmenLeah and Yoga:
CarmenLeah Ascencio is a queer Boricua from the urban northeast trying to walk the path of yoga and the Dharma in this chaotic and full lifetime. Like many, the practice of yoga altered her reality so profoundly that she felt compelled to learn how to share it with others. To CarmenLeah, yoga is a practice of freedom that has the power to awaken us to a life beyond what we imagined possible. Although certified as a Kripalu Yoga teacher and Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra instructor, CarmenLeah primarily considers herself a student of yoga trying to find the most appropriate way to share an ancient spiritual practice, in the midst of a U.S. yoga context dominated by cultural appropriation and commodification. CarmenLeah’s yoga classes integrate asana (postures), pranayama (breathing exercises), meditation and yoga philosophy and are informed by Kripalu yoga, Ashtanga yoga and trauma-sensitive yoga. As a Puerto Rican, CarmenLeah feels particularly responsible for practicing and sharing yoga with respect and reverence for it’s brown roots. She also specializes in teaching yoga to survivors of violence and abuse.
CarmenLeah is grateful for the teachings she has received from Kate O’Donnell, Sarah Willis, Devarshi Steven Hartman, Suddha Carolyn Lundeen, and Scot Hendricks. She practices in the Mysore style Ashtanga tradition and is deeply grateful for the teachings of Krishnamacharya and his disciple Sri K. Pattabhi Jois.
Services:
CarmenLeah specializes in teaching therapeutic yoga groups for survivors of trauma, people living with anxiety and depression and people of color. CarmenLeah also offers specialized trauma informed yoga workshops for schools, conferences and organizations.
Contact:
Please email me at freedomlaborlove@gmail.com if you are interested in my yoga teachings.