Juan Ayala

How would you describe your teaching style?

Playful, thoughtful and intentional. Classes are focused on alignment to witness your body and self within that work. This focus and release of work and witnessing is to create connection to presence all the while caring for your body.

Was there a moment when you knew that teaching yoga was for you?

I remember learning about the Yamas and Niyamas, how they were expressed in writing and executed in life. It was the living of experience of these ethics that enlightened how much of life is the same for us all. Rather than sharing the exact translation alone, I started to share how this practice shows up for me and to me, and then connections I have made through that is a constant reminder to teach and to guide.

What is your favorite class to teach at HAUM, and why?

My favorite class to teach is Hatha Flow. It suits my belief that we need to know our bodies, so that we can move within it with such intention, that we create a state of flow. The way we hold poses isn't to just work harder. We experience longer holds to meet sensation, to meet who we are in that sensation, and to breath life into who we know we can be Hatha can be experienced to be the balance point of our reactions and who we truly want to be.

What is your favorite class to take at HAUM?

My favorite class to take at HAUM STUDIOS is SmartFLOW Yoga with Annie Carpenter. Yes, she is my teacher, but there is some sort of magic in that class. Annie is playful, caring, and believes in everyone in the room. Her style of SmartFLOW yoga is proffessionaly precise, it invites curiosity and self study, and is rooted in foundational poses, approaches, practices, that allow us to feel so elevated and elated through it all.

Is there a moment from teaching at HAUM Studios that has stayed with you?

Not one moment, but a kind of moment. When class is wrapped and I am available to connect with people again, there are times where some of us, we look at each other, and we hug. Not everyone is comfortable with pysical touch let alone a hug, but I know in those moments the hug is acknowledgment, acceptence, support, and care. A yoga hug is always a moment I cherish.

What can students expect when they walk into one of your classes?

In every offering you will be invited to be curious, to be aware, and to experience yourself as the witness. I offer themes to connect to the ethical practice, anatomical cue to connect to your body through the asana, and some playfulness to be in the moment. 

A first generation Mexican American and Queer Latino, Juan lives life in memory of those before him and in honor of those ahead of him. He brings 15 years of experience in dance, fitness, and yoga. Dance is where he first realized that movement is where he feels most at peace, allowing spirit and body to feel everything and then transcend the physical, while the transition into fitness and yoga offered him a practice of longevity and connection to community. Juan began his journey in San Diego with his coaches and teachers Amy Opielowski and Beth O'Riley, continued on to San Francisco in 2021, where he studied with Noah Maze, and continues to study with Annie Carpenter. His classes are playful, thoughtful, and intentional, focused on alignment as a way to witness your body and yourself within the work. Expect themes that connect to yoga's ethical practice, anatomical cues that connect you to your body, and playfulness that keeps you in the moment.

Certifications

500 HR