Fashion and yoga under one roof

By Jacob Wheeler
Sun editor

Ashley Fehrmann has two passions — shopping and yoga. The 24-year-old Chicago native who summers in Glen Arbor has co-managed the clothing fashion store Queen of Couture, along with her mom Barbara, on the deck at Boone Docks since 2005 (Read our feature on Queen of Couture here, GlenArborSun.com/queen-of-couture-is-the-cutting-edge-of-fashion/). Now, with Yoga Queen, Ashley is fulfilling her other interest, which focuses less on accessories and outerwear and more on inner core strength and peace.

“My parents are into natural health — reducing stress naturally instead of through doctors and medicine,” explains Ashley. “Yoga came into my life as an early teenager when we went on a trip to India with Deepak Chopra, which is where I got exposed to the holistic health world. Today it helps me sleep better and manage my stress.”

Ashley recently completed a 28-day, intensive teacher certification program with Sandra Carden at Union Yoga in Lake Leelanau, what she calls “the most amazing experience of my life.” This summer she will teach classes at Union Yoga, at The Homestead resort and at the Queen of Couture clothing store. Ashley will also offer private, group or private yoga sessions, and she’s totally open to teaching yoga on the beach. Believing that yoga should be financially accessible to everyone, she charges $15 per class at the store, or $50/hour for 1-2 people.

“Some people think yoga’s a religion, but that’s a misconception,” says Ashley. “I do lots of vinyasa yoga (or “flow yoga”) with weights and toning. But I also include traditional yoga with breathing poses. I include candles and incense, with a little Eastern music. … I gage the session based on what the person is looking for.”

For those of you hunched over a computer every day or hauling heavy equipment, a visit to the Yoga Queen might be just what the (natural) doctor ordered.