Meet Ayako DeRuby | Yoga & Meditation Instructor and business owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ayako DeRuby and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ayako, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
We aim to create a space where people can learn to greet all parts of themselves with compassion and curiosity. As the famous quote from poet Robert Frost says, “The only way out is through. “We teach students the tools to greet life in this way through the systematic practice of yoga and meditation. We teach how to hold space for all facets of the Self so there are no more fragmented parts, and we can be whole again.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Alchemy Yoga is a yoga and meditation studio in Frisco, Texas. I am most proud of the community forming here, where people feel safe letting go, processing their day, and exploring yoga modalities to connect with their authentic selves.

I have been teaching yoga since 2012 and attending Vipassana retreats since 2014. I found that yoga and meditation have transformed how I see life and life situations. Especially during very challenging chapters of my life, like cancer and divorce, this practice helped me not feel separate from divine love. I connected with the noble purpose behind these intense life experiences. When I would sit in my chemo chair, I would meditate. The session usually took 6-8 hours, on all different types of medicine, accompanied by all different types of reactions in the body, mind, and heart. Because of this practice, I could see when I resisted emotions or got swept away by mind patterns. I could then choose to be with them and experience them with equanimity instead of pushing them away or down to suppression. What was left after all these emotions and mind patterns would arise and pass away was this deep peace that all is well, and that no matter the outcome of my situation, I was grateful to just be alive and have the opportunity to experience all of life. This is the definition of alchemy. Transmuting challenging life situations to be a tool to raise us up to our higher Self.

I would like people to know that we can apply this practice in every situation of our lives—stuck in traffic, late for a meeting, challenges with family members—ANY situation. We teach people how to do this through the practice of yoga and meditation. Your life doesn’t need to change for it to change. When your perspective and approach change, your life will change. We teach this at The Alchemy Yoga.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My favorite spots in the city is kalachandjis, True Foods at Legacy West, lululemon at Legacy West, Oishii in plano, and of course, The Alchemy Yoga!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to dedicate this Shoutout to my family, the yoga community, and my spiritual mentors, SN Goenka, Michael A. Singer, and Patanjali who wrote the Yoga Sutras. Every year I go on a 10-day Vipassana retreat, and I have no contact with the outside world. This can be challenging for families, but I have always had the support of my ex-husband, my current husband, and my kiddos. With their support, these retreats are possible. The yoga community, instructors, and students that have held space for me, allowing me to explore myself. This community has created a safe space for me to show up just as I am. They have been there for me more than they could ever know. And last, my spiritual mentors that speak to my soul and guide me to changing my perspective on life so that I may see the beauty and sacredness that exists in every single moment.

Website: www.thealhchemyyoga.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thealchemyyoga/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheAlchemyYogaTX/

Image Credits
Thanin Viriyaki Photography