hello, my name is lauren ashlee
I grew up in Iowa, went to college in Missouri, & had my first full-time job out in SF, California. I graduated with my undergrad in Business Management & Marketing in 2013 & my MBA in 2015. During my time in college, I found my passion for yoga, writing, and helping people; whether that be through yoga, writing, volunteering, or just being there to listen.
After college, I moved out to San Francisco (knowing no one & with just two suitcases) to work in Sales at Yelp. During my time in SF, I received my 200-hour yoga teacher training through Corepower Yoga, did lots of exploring, eating, and meeting new people. I was also a co-founder of the Health & Wellness initiative at Yelp; where I helped teach yoga, planned various events, and offer employees the opportunity to learn and be involved in all aspects of living a healthy lifestyle.
The experiences, memories, friends, and mentors I made during my time in SF have been a huge part of helping me learn who I am and what I truly value in life. While I will always cherish my time in San Francisco, I made the decision to move back to the Midwest so I could be closer to family and friends after losing my cousin to a long battle with depression in 2017.
Around this time is when I created this site as a space for me to share my thoughts and experiences; primarily around Mental Health. You can read all about the background of not only why I created this site, but why I named it “The Loving Lotus” here. Since then, this space has evolved into a platform to also share my yoga escapades & offerings. You can read more about these here.
Outside of writing and teaching, I am a Senior Client Experience Manager at a local Marketing Analytics Company, Yoga Instructor online, & Cat Mom to Thelma and Louise; who I rescued earlier this year. Read more about my professional background in my resume and portfolio.
In general, I love laughing, learning, games, trying new things (sounds cliché, but it’s true!), writing, art of any kind, growing, bending (my mind & my body), and most importantly; my friends & family. All in all, I hope that you to find some type of connection, support, or revelation here through my writing or teaching. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out here.
The Loving Lotus 