Get to Know Ashley
Yoga Therapist, Yoga Instructor, Yoga Educator
About
Ashley McKeachie is from Huntington Beach, California, and began her yoga journey in January 2010, with a background of over twenty years of ballet and jazz dance. After being diagnosed with Graves’ Disease in 2006, Ashley went through two sessions of radioactive iodine to reduce the size of her overactive thyroid. She was left feeling lethargic, weak, unmotivated, and desperate for better overall health. Yoga completely changed Ashley's body, mind, and spirit, strengthening her physical, mental, and emotional self.
After graduating from her 200-hour yoga teacher training at Core Power Yoga in 2011, Ashley began her yoga therapy training at Loyola Marymount University with a passion for mental and emotional health. For six years, Ashley worked as a yoga therapist in an integrative health setting at a chronic pain facility, where she treated patients who had been hurt on the job and used the tools of yoga to decrease the symptoms associated with anxiety and depression. She continued to pursue the study of yoga in higher education and received her Master’s in Yoga Studies from LMU in 2017. Ashley used her thesis as an opportunity to create a comprehensive and affordable yoga teacher training program at a community college. Her training was implemented at Orange Coast College in 2017, where she was the lead trainer for the 200-hour Yoga Instructor Training Program until 2025.
In 2022, Ashley was hired as seasonal staff at the world-renowned Rancho La Puerta resort and spa in Tecate, Mexico, where she leads hikes and teaches classes that range from meditation to yoga, and from ballet to chair fitness. In 2023, she completed the Susan Samueli Academic Integrative Medicine certificate program and is now a board-certified health and wellness coach.
Ashley is thrilled to be a full-time faculty professor with the Saddleback College Emeritus program, where she teaches health and wellness classes to the active aging population. She was a part-time faculty from 2023-2025 and in the fall of 2025, she started her full-time tenure track position and is also the chair of her department. In all her classes, workshops, trainings, and retreats, Ashley focuses on positivity, visualization, and goal setting, and presents inspiring themes that are designed to provoke thoughtful introspection. She welcomes all students who are curious about the myriad of health and wellness techniques that can empower individuals to increase their quality of life..
Teaching Specialities
Ashley’s teaching style incorporates encouragement, hands-on adjustments, visualization, and thoughtful themes to create an engaging and supportive environment. She welcomes all students, especially those seeking meaningful change—not just physically, but also physiologically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
What is Yoga Therapy?
Yoga Therapy is quite different from the average yoga class you might take in your community. Typically, they are one-on-one sessions that focus on treating the person holistically. This means that when someone is struggling with physical and/or psychological dysfunctions, the yoga therapist looks at all aspects of the client’s lifestyle and chooses from a myriad of yoga tools to aid in alleviating pain and improving the client’s quality of life. Yoga Therapists are trained to use the classical teachings of yoga for clients that have challenges that range from chronic injuries to emotional distress. The goal of Yoga Therapy is to address the concern and provide tools that the client can use and adapt into their current lifestyle. Sessions begin with an assessment of the client’s concerns, which is an important dialogue that will help the yoga therapist understand the client’s lifestyle. The yoga therapist will provide a personalized yoga sequence that may include diverse elements of yoga like breathing practices, and meditation in order to start the journey towards healing. The client is encouraged to commit to a daily yoga practice in order to see improvement in all areas of their life.
Balance and Mobility at Saddleback College for the Older Adult
Balance and Mobility is a practical, confidence-building class designed to help older adults improve stability, coordination, and ease of movement in daily life. Through guided balance exercises, mobility drills, and functional movement, students learn strategies to reduce fall risk, improve posture, and enhance reaction time. The class also incorporates brain health, breathing techniques, and stress-reduction practices to support both physical and cognitive wellness. Modifications and supportive tools are provided to ensure a safe, encouraging environment for all ability levels.
Chair Exercise at Saddleback College for the Older Adult
Intermediate Chair Exercise is a dynamic, seated-based fitness class designed for older adults who want to build strength, improve mobility, and enhance independence in daily activities. Using chairs, resistance bands, light weights, and functional movement, students safely develop balance, coordination, posture, and cardiovascular endurance. The class also incorporates brain health, fall prevention, and stress-reduction strategies to support whole-person wellness. This course is ideal for participants seeking a structured, supportive environment to continue progressing toward confident, independent movement.
Pilates at Saddleback College for the Older Adult
Pilates for Muscle Strength and Body Alignment is a low-impact, evidence-informed class designed to help older adults build core strength, improve posture, and move with greater confidence and control. Through guided Pilates exercises, students develop muscular strength, flexibility, balance, and body awareness while learning safe strategies for injury and fall prevention. The course also integrates breathing, brain health, and wellness education to support both physical and cognitive vitality.
Stretch at Saddleback College for the Older Adult
Sequential Stretching: Posture and Mobility is a gentle, structured class designed to help older adults improve flexibility, posture, and ease of movement for daily life. Through guided stretching sequences, balance activities, and mobility-focused exercises, students learn safe techniques to reduce stiffness, support joint health, and prevent falls. The class also incorporates breathing, brain health, and stress-reduction strategies to promote whole-person wellness. Modifications and supportive tools are provided to ensure accessibility, comfort, and confidence for all participants.
Yoga at Saddleback College for the Older Adult
Yoga for Focus and Muscle Strength is a supportive, age-appropriate class designed to help older adults improve strength, balance, flexibility, and mental focus. Through gentle yoga postures, breathing techniques, meditation, and functional movement, students learn safe and effective strategies to support healthy aging. The class also addresses posture, fall prevention, brain health, and stress reduction while offering modifications and props to meet individual needs. No prior yoga experience is required—just a curiosity for movement, mindfulness, and lifelong wellness.
Ashley’s Mission
Source the power of yoga, the mind, body, and spirit connection that creates joy, fluidity, freedom, and an overwhelming sense of safety and peace. Ashley believes that yoga gives you the confidence to know and feel that everything is as it should be, and you are already perfect exactly the way you are.