What the students are saying:

There are a lot of places in town to merely take a yoga class. At AYCE Chris has done a great job of creating a sense of community among her students and other teachers. Chris is the real deal, she walks her talk inside and outside of class, and there is an honest authenticity that permeates her teaching and day to day interactions with others.

David Lecours, Graphic Designer
Encinitas, Ca.

I have been practicing Ashtanga Yoga through Chris Allen’s classes for almost 10 years. Her style of teaching is very positive and supportive. She not only demonstrates a keen sense of human physiology in her adjustments but also has a profound sense of Spirit, compassion and the self-improvement it takes for her students to achieve their very best. AYCE is not just another yoga studio it is a community of diverse individuals brought together by a mutual interest in our individual and collective spiritual evolution!

Ildiko Demeter, Grade School Teacher, Pilates Teacher
Escondido, Ca.

There is Yoga and then there is AYCE!
Labor Day 2003 - my first class at AYCE. A friend has been working to convince me to try out a class at AYCE with Chris Allen. My friend tells me it is her favorite yoga class. We both attend yoga regularly at another studio. I am hesitant to attend a yoga class at another studio, other than the one I presently attend. I have only been practicing at this studio, close to my house, for a little over a year. It is all I know. I am new to yoga and feeling like it is a stretch just to practice where I currently attend, let alone branch out and drive on the highway, no less, to another studio!

But in the end I relent. My friend tells me Labor Day is her 1-year anniversary at AYCE. I attend an “Intro to First Series (B)” class on that Monday, I am back again that Friday evening for another “Intro (B)” class, then I attend a “First Series” class. Another Intro (B) class and another 1st Series and then I am paying for a series of 8 classes. I am compelled to continue taking classes at AYCE with Chris. Now, I rarely attend my former yoga studio and am a regular at AYCE. I can hardly explain what has happened to me! I am drawn to study at this incredible studio with a teacher who shines her light on each of her students so brightly.

It is almost a year since I started at AYCE with Chris. I now attend classes as regularly as I can. My yoga practice in one year has changed so much. My body has changed. I am changed; I have a deeper and richer connection with myself through my yoga practice with Chris. She is able to tap into a place of pure love within each of us.

It isn’t just AYCE- it is Chris Allen, it is each of us who makes this studio special. It is what each of us brings to our mats on a regular basis. The love and care Chris extends to each of us is also shared between us. We share the ups and downs of our lives, the struggles of our practices over and over again. AYCE is a special place and Chris Allen and all the students are part of what makes it a special place to practice. Chris has changed my life-one adjustment at a time, one breath at a time, one class at a time. Thank You!

Rebecca Rice-Wilson, Homeopathic Healer, Mother of two young Daughters
Escondido, Ca.

As a student of Ashtanga Yoga I would like to share my experiences working with Chris Allen, founder of Ashtanga Yoga Center East. I came to this studio with no previous knowledge or experience in yoga. Unfavorable stress patterns had been established within me for years in trying to cope with mentally demanding times that were emotionally charged by my business and a contested divorce. My objective was to find an outlet to release stress and tension.

I found that yoga, combining physical workout and mental quietude provided me with major building blocks that I could use in the creation of a healthier, happier lifestyle. The classes that I have participated in for the past 2 1/2 years are energetic and enthusiastic. They enhance the training of my body, mind and spirit. The results have been far more than stress relief. The benefits of extensive physical training, the satisfaction of spiritual awakening and inner healing with meditation have greatly exceeded my goals.

Chris Allen is an energetic, attentive and purposeful yogini. She demonstrates humility, compassion and inspiration. I feel that it is because of her guidance and masterful teachings that I have far exceeded my initial objectives. I look forward to working with Chris for many more years.

Dave Feil, Volvo Mechanic
Escondido, Ca.

Chris is an excellent yoga teacher. She is knowledgeable, caring, serious and lighthearted. AYCE is a comfortable and welcoming place to take yoga classes.

Peg Lawson, Indra Devi Yoga Instructor
San Marcos, Ca.

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