We are a yoga studio located just outside Raleigh, NC in Cary; focusing on the traditional and transformative practice of Ashtanga yoga. We offer a traditional Mysore program, as well as led classes. Our schedule includes classes for all levels, as well as those without any previous yoga experience.

Here at AYSR we welcome everyone, every body, identity, and experience to begin your journey as well as to grow with our community. Collectively we are here to guide and inspire you in a safe, supportive and welcoming community.

The AYSR community is built around our dedicated students who seek to improve their well-being through the practice of Ashtanga yoga. We hope you will take the opportunity to learn the physical practice of yoga while connecting, engaging and diving deeper into the other limbs of Ashtanga. There are many opportunities throughout the year to do so with offerings like yogic philosophy, chanting, meditation as well as asana workshops and community gatherings .

Lorie Bird / EYRT500 / YACEP ~ Owner/Director

Lorie has lived an active lifestyle for most of her adult life, with running playing a central role for many years. She was first introduced to yoga as a complement to marathon training, but as life evolved, so did her relationship with the practice.

Several years ago, unexpected health challenges turned her world upside down. Through it all, yoga remained a constant source of strength and healing, helping her maintain both physical and mental resilience. Her journey deepened beyond asana into pranayama, meditation, and the study of classical yogic texts.

Lorie traveled to study Ashtanga Yoga under Vari Morales in Koh Phagan, Thailand, In 2020, she joined the AYSR community, later apprenticing under her mentor and teacher, Stacy Ingham. She continued practicing, studying, and teaching alongside Stacy until July 2024, when Stacy relocated to Belgium, entrusting the AYSR community to her.

Lorie is passionate about this practice—the quiet, meditative movement synchronized with the breath. Her daily practice continually inspires her to grow, learn, and become the best version of herself.

Stacy Ingham / EYRT 500 / YACEP Founder of AYSR

Stacy began her yoga journey with a 6-week intro to Ashtanga class in St Louis in 1998. She has been practicing ever since. She began teaching in the Triangle, North Carolina area in 2001.

A student of David Garrigues since 2009, she has been apprenticing with him since 2014. David is one of the few teachers in the US certified to teach Ashtanga yoga by the late world renowned master Sri K Patthabi Jois.

Studying under David's expert guidance, Stacy has completed the 3rd Series of Ashtanga yoga, taken on a more serious study of the 8 limbs of Ashtanga yoga, and been inspired to share what she has learned with others.

She has learned over her years as a student and teacher that a strong foundation of body and mind, built and attended to with patience, persistence and an eye for details is key to a long-lasting and fruitful practice and study of yoga.

Lucie Guertault

Lucie joined AYS Raleigh in 2019 after trying out different yoga classes. She quickly experienced the benefits of a consistent Ashtanga yoga practice both on and off the mat. She appreciates the discipline, mental clarity and hard-work mindset that she gains from her early morning practices. Probably influenced by her job as a University Professor in Engineering, she enjoys the process of researching challenging poses and coming up with strategies to improve. She is also a fervent Pranayama practitioner and enjoys reading everything yoga related.

She completed the 200hr AYS Raleigh apprenticeship in January 2024 and has been teaching mysore and led classes ever since.

 

Andrew Ladenberger

Andrew is a dedicated practitioner and teacher who began studying Ashtanga under the guidance of the teachers at AYSR. His teaching is grounded in steadiness and ease, shaped by long-term practice and respect for the traditional method.

Andrew teaches both Mysore-style and led classes, supporting students in developing a sustainable relationship with the practice. He emphasizes attentive breath, steady movement, and learning to work skillfully within one’s own body, encouraging progress through patience.

Prior to studying Ashtanga, Andrew practiced vinyasa flow yoga and is a 500-hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT 500). Outside the shala, Andrew works as a video game engineer and enjoys time with his family.