Page 55 - Reader's House Magazine

A Year of Self-Motivation for Women by Ashton August empowers readers to cultivate positive self-talk and mindset,
fostering personal growth and fulfilment.
invaluable lessons in flexibility, gratitude, and the beauty of embra- cing the unknown.
Join us as we uncover the ins- piring journey of Ashton August, a trailblazer whose dedication to empowering others and making a meaningful impact continues to illuminate pathways to wellness and personal fulfillment.
What inspired you to create YouAligned.com and YA Classes, and how do you see these plat- forms impacting the wellness community?
Shortly after receiving my MFA in Creative NonFiction Writing and becoming an English Profes- sor, I also started teaching yoga. I wanted to bridge my passion for writing with my love of yoga and desire to spread wellness on a glo- bal level. This was when YogiAp- proved (we’ve since rebranded to YouAligned) was born in 2015.
mindset. Can you share a perso- nal experience or anecdote that inspired this book’s creation?
I have always been a high achie- ver, but for most of my life it came from a place of trying to prove myself. Once I flipped that script from striving for approval to ac- cepting and loving myself as I am, I started exploring the power of my self-talk. I realized that I still had that old narrative replaying in my head of “never good enough, not worthy, etc.”
A healthy mindset and em- powering self-talk opens the door to an abundantly fulfilling life. Tapping into this power moti- vated me to share it with others, particularly women. Because as women, society holds us to often unrealistic expectations that, when gone unchecked can destroy our sense of self-worth. And without self-worth, how can we expect to
experience burn out. The secret to ultimate productivity is what we do when we are not working.
How do you balance your roles as an entrepreneur, author, yoga instructor, and speaker? Do you have any specific strategies or rituals that help you stay focu- sed and productive?
While I do have this significant- ly dialed in, it’s still a work in progress. That said, here are my keys for maintaining my sanity, motivation, and passion for all that I do so I can continue to show up and give my best:
1. My morning routine of hydra- tion, meditation, and intention to start my day
2. Rest for ultimate success! It took me years to get to this point, but I take 1-2 full days off each week as a non-negotiable.
3. Daily exercise for my physical + mental health
4. Commitment to self-care and non-work activities that nourish my soul and my creativity: rea- ding, spending time outdoors, hot baths, time with friends
5. Eat the Frog: complete the biggest task on the list first
6. 4 hours of deep focused work instead of 8 hours of distracted, hectic ‘multitasking’
5. Your commitment to social impact, such as planting food-pro- ducing trees for farming commu- nities in West Africa through YA Classes, is admirable. What led you to incorporate such initiatives into your business model, and what impact have you seen so far?
Thank you for this accolade! I believe altruism should be a key
pillar of every business, and
it certainly is for mine. When
we first created YA Classes, we wanted to find a way to motivate our members to stay consistent with their yoga. More impor- tantly, we wanted to find a way to give back, and that’s when
the idea to quantify classes with tree planting was born. 312,000+ trees planted later, we couldn’t be more proud of the impact this has had for our members, the planet, and for the farming com- munities in Sub-Saharan Africa where these trees are planted.
6. Van-life seems like an adventurous lifestyle choice. How has traveling around the country with your husband and rescue dogs influenced your work and personal growth, if at all?
Like any form of travel, van life can be intense, stressful, and full of unknowns and this has taught me a lot about myself. It has opened me up to personal growth in ways I never expected, from deepening my self-reliance and trust that everything will work out, to helping me with
my patience and ability to go with the flow instead of trying to control everything.
As an entrepreneur, van life has taught me flexibility, discipline, and immense gratitude for the life I’ve built that I’m able to travel and work remotely. As an author, nothing is more inspiring than being on the open road! Travel in all forms has influen- ced my writing and deepened my prowess as a writer.
Ashton August embodies holistic wellness, blending expertise in writing, yoga,
and entrepreneurship with a profound commitment to social impact and personal
growth.
have an empowered min- dset and the motivation that comes with it?
As a motivational speaker, what are some common themes or messages you find yourself emphasizing in your talks, and why are they important to you?
My two dominant themes are mindset and wellness. Often I blend the two for what I like to
YouAligned.com is our yoga and wellness online magazine with thousands of free articles on yoga, meditation, mindfulness, nutrition and more resources for mind-bod- y-life wellness. We are named Top Ten Global Yoga Resources with over a million annual readers!
call mindset wellness which blends emotional intelligence (EQ), em- powering self-talk, and wellness practices for a fortified mindset.
YA Classes is our 5-star yoga and fitness membership app. Between our website, app, and YouTube, we have had the immense privilege of spreading wellness to millions of people around the world.
Mindset is everything, and self-talk dictates our entire lives, from the actions we take to the decisions we make.
Your book A Year of Self-Moti- vation for Women focuses on fostering positive self-talk and
/ spiritual fulfillment. Speaking from experience, if you don’t shore up your energy supply with consistent and intentional self-care and work-life balance, you will
Wellness is key to success. Well- ness encompasses an active lifesty- le, nutrition + hydration, work-life balance, and mental / emotional
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