BFL
PROFILE: ASHLEA TALBOT
We
chat with one of our clients; Miss Australia (2003) and yoga instructor; Ashlea Talbot.
BFL:
What made you start teaching & practicing yoga?
Ashlea: I
first started practicing yoga back when I was modeling, purely for the physical
benefits - as a way to stay in shape. However, I started to appreciate the
practice on a whole other level when I was working in Investment Banking – I
was stuck at a desk day and night, and the whole ‘Mind, Body, Spirit’ aspects
of yoga became very important to me. It’s very hard to maintain any semblance
of a work/life balance in the Corporate Finance world, and the yoga mat became
my haven. When I finally decided to quit banking, I was reading Deepak Chopra’s
‘Seven Spiritual Laws of Success’ which talks about your Dharma – and how you
should use your unique talents to help others, and I thought the best way for
me to do that was by teaching yoga. I felt I could relate to people who were
stressed out in today’s world, and help them in the same way my teachers helped
me.
BFL:
Your weekly health regimen would be?
Ashlea:
Yoga, yoga, yoga! In terms of what I do for my health on a regular basis,
honestly the yoga takes care of my physical exercise. I eat well, tending
towards foods that are sattvic and alkaline as much as possible, and I meditate
daily also. I adhere to the Vedic style of meditation which is wonderful.
BFL:
The person who most inspires you?
Ashlea: I
have a mentor who I try to speak to daily. She is a very beautiful and spiritual woman who talks me through
whatever challenges I might be facing, and she keeps me on track. I feel very
lucky to have her in my life, and highly recommend to anyone, in any field, to
have a mentor.
BFL: How
often do you practice yoga?
Ashlea:
Yoga is actually a lot more than just asana practice, which is just the
physical “limb” of the Ashtanga (“8-limbed) yoga system. You might have heard
the phrase “yoga beyond the mat” – This, in part, is about living life by
certain Yamas and Niyamas – sort of ethical precepts that allow us to be at
peace with ourselves, our family, and our community. Yoga is a way of living
for me, so I am constantly practicing yoga (or trying to!).
BFL:
One of your favourite fashion items hanging in your closet?
Ashlea:
My favourite thing to be wearing is yoga pants and a tank top! I do have a gorgeous full-length
Camilla dress that is very colourful and floaty and sexy. Wherever I wear it, I
constantly have random people coming up to me saying “That is SUCH a beautiful
dress! Where did you get it???”
BFL:
The way you start your day?
Ashlea:
Each morning I make myself a cup of coffee and a superfood smoothie (mixed
berries, acai, vital greens, maca powder and goji. Soo delicious!) and I take
them out onto my balcony where I sit quietly and do my daily reading from a
book of meditations and say a few prayers. If I haven’t done this before I have to race out the door I
tend to not be as grounded for the remainder of the day.
 |
| Sacre Coeur |
BFL:
Favourite place in Paris?
Ashlea:
Sacre Coeur. It is so beautiful, you take a steep walk uphill from Monmartre to
get there, but the view from the top is incredible. It is the highest point in
the city, so you look out over the whole of Paris – it’s amazing. For me also,
I like to feel spiritually connected, so despite not being a practicing Roman
Catholic anymore, I still find going into the beautiful church and lighting a
candle a great way to get a sense of reverence and divine union.
Ashlea Talbot Yoga classes are on each Tuesday and Wednesdays at 6.30pm, 98 Riley St, Surry Hills.
