As teachers and students get ready to go back to school this week, one teacher is also getting ready for a big grand opening.
Ashley Woollacott has been an elementary school teacher since graduating university almost 20 years ago, teaching grade 4/5 at Cavan Public School. She has always loved teaching and helping others, so becoming a teacher was inevitable for her.
Another love for Ashley is mindfulness, well-being and inner peace; something she practices through daily meditation and yoga. Ashley has always enjoyed yoga and has been practicing for years.
It was her love for yoga and her beliefs in its health benefits that made her want to be an instructor. She wanted to share her knowledge and passion for yoga while helping others and, as a schoolteacher already, it was a natural transition for her.
Ashley began teaching Yoga at the YMCA, in their open studio space, before renting private space from other yogis in the area. She did this every week, sometimes multiple times, for several years, all while continuing to teach full time. She says it was during her first yoga class that she felt everything come together.
Not only was she balancing her teaching and yoga instruction, but she was also doing it while raising two young kids, Lucas and Kate, who were still quite young at the time.
As if she wasn’t busy enough, Ashley found herself taking on yet another venture, expanding her yoga practices onto the water, while introducing Stand Up Paddle (SUP) classes into her repertoire.
It was around this time that her kids were getting to the age of starting their own activities, with sports and dance classes now coming into the picture. Ashley was not only there to support her kids as they began these new adventures, but she also found time to coach some of their teams too.
With a plate that full, a lot people would be stressed or burnt out, trying to juggle what sounds like a hectic schedule, but Ashley kept searching for more, while continuing to keep balance and peace in her life through yoga. It was during that search that the lightbulb for a new project went on.
After using other people’s space for years now, while watching her classes grow, Ashley was provided with the opportunity to open her own studio space …and that’s when Summer Soul was born.
As for the name, well, that was the brainchild of her 11-year-old daughter, Kate, who came up with it while the family was at the beach enjoying the sunset. The moment the name came out of Kate’s mouth, Ashley knew that was it, that was going to be the name and there were no other contenders. Not only is the name fitting because Ashley’s middle name is Summer and her mom’s maiden name is Summers, but there’s also deeper meaning to the word that makes it a perfect fit for her overall brand.
Knowing how busy everyone is in their lives, especially as many families get ready for back to school, Ashley is hopeful that her new downtown studio will provide a soulful schedule with a comfortable space for “soulful time”.
The studio will not only provide a space for those wishing to practice yoga in a class setting, it will be a space for yoga birthday parties, retreats, workshops and much more.
Summer Soul is set to have its grand opening on Saturday at 394 George St. N, and Ashley is invited everyone to come down and check it out.
The building itself is worth checking out as Ashley has exposed the beautiful crafted original ceiling from 1857.
Saturday’s grand opening is set to begin at 2pm, with activities happening until 4pm, including a ribbon cutting with Mayor Leal to kick things off.
A full list of services can be found on the Summer Soul website.
(Written by: Scott Arnold)