Check Out Ashley Orzechowski’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Orzechowski. 

Hi Ashley, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
It’s funny, this journey. I used to live a life outside of myself and I did it for others as the eternal people pleaser. I was the rule follower and the quiet mouse in the corner. I was always searching for a place among the many, never really searching inside to find the place within myself. Maybe I was scared of what I would find. It wasn’t until my mid-twenties and the rekindling of a good friendship that I finally began to understand that you can still be in service to others while still being yourself. 

My passion for creative outlets and helping others led me to marketing, teaching elementary and high school, coaching soccer after 20 years of playing it, and finally yoga. Becoming a military spouse 12 years ago afforded me the opportunity to explore, experience, triumph, and stumble in my professional life. The road is never one you expect, but one that we can always be grateful for. In learning that I didn’t need to fit in a neat little box offered me the perspective that my happiness didn’t need to come from status or someone else. 

The idea of prioritizing my well-being overachieving is my magic ingredient that actually leads me to more profound work, creativity, and a fully present parent and spouse. I am so fortunate that the path lead me here and that I have had incredible people guide me, especially my husband and son. 

My position at YogaSix Centennial provides me the space to live a life of service and gratitude. We believe that everyone deserves the mind-body benefits of yoga and it is our goal to make the practice accessible so each individual adds to the collective community. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Smooth? Ha! My apologies for laughing. Let me reach into the recesses of my brain to recall some intense memories. Ones of crying on the kitchen floor because I was once again rejected from a job in a new city we just moved to or chasing the dog at 11:00 pm through a hotel lobby and into a darkly lit parking lot while the hotel room door closed and locked in my one-year-old child while traveling through Virginia as we made our way across the country for the third time. 

What is life without obstacles, though? The hurdles are what make us dig a little deeper and jump a little higher. These are the lessons we need to move forward. 

The challenges of running a yoga studio through a pandemic, or any company really, are ones for the ages. Being a military spouse taught me how to think and react quickly. It taught me to plan, have five backup plans, and shift things in a second. And all of this while keeping on a brave face for everyone around me and to remember snacks for my kid and sheets for the air mattresses that we slept on for weeks until the Army delivered our belongings. I honestly feel those experiences helped me make quick but sound decisions when running a studio during a pandemic. It’s a constant stream of thoughts to keep the teachers and clients happy and healthy all while having a passion to create community in a socially distanced world. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I work at YogaSix Centennial. We are a yoga studio offering a modern approach to yoga. One that is empowering, energizing, and fun in a community-based setting. We specialize in making yoga approachable and accessible to every individual that walks into our space with six different classes that ranging from a relaxing stretch to a challenging workout. 

I am most proud of our dedicated members and our thoughtful team. They show up each day with a fresh perspective and offer a caring space for each other to just be who they are while reaching for their goals. 

There are a lot of yoga and other fitness studios out there. I believe what sets us apart is how much we care for one another and how passionate our teachers are in connecting with our community. We help build foundations and pathways within your own to experience. We believe in curiosity and personal exploration, not in telling you how to feel. We offer big moments of challenge on the mat and in your thoughts. You can do hard things and we are here to support you so you can give it everything you’ve got. 

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Being present. 

The art of being present offers us so much. Whether it’s in the moments of joy or in the mucky-muck of a mistake. Being right there in the moment allows us to experience what is actually happening instead of our idea of what it should be. 

I love this practice of presence. It’s given so much back to me and allows me deeper connections with those I’m around, especially my family. I want my child to grow up knowing he was never put on the back burner because mommy was too busy to just be with him outside of the everyday routine. 

Pricing:

• $25 Drop-in Class
• $26 First Week Unlimited Classes
• $126 Unlimited Membership

Contact Info:

• Email: centennialgm@yogasix.com
• Website: www.yogasix.com/centennial
• Instagram: @yogasixcentennial
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YogaSixCentennial/

Image Credits
YogaSix Centennial