East Side Yoga founder Alia Khan grew up in Austin, TX, and found yoga after barely surviving the NY Bar exam. Alia was about to begin her life as a stressed-out corporate lawyer, and was freaking out just a little ... but after that first class, she knew that yoga was just the tool she needed to keep her sanity in her demanding new career. Alia is now a happily recovering attorney turned yoga studio owner, and still uses her yoga practice daily to stay sane and happy. She opened East Side Yoga in Washington, DC in early 2015 and moved back to her hometown of Austin in early 2019 to be closer to family (and the sun!).

​

Alia's mission as a teacher is to show you how to use yoga to feel your best physically, emotionally, and mentally. Rather than glossing over the mental benefits of yoga that can make people uncomfortable, she uses down-to-earth language to teach her students how to use the many tools yoga has to offer for managing the stresses of modern-day life.

​

Above all, she encourages her students to relax, enjoy their practice, and remember that it's not a race. That every practice does not have to involve pushing your edge til you're exhausted and dripping with sweat. That some days you're full of energy, and some days you're not, and that's OK. That you get a lot more out of your practice when you actually listen to your body and give it what it's asking for instead of letting your ego lead the way.

​

A class with Alia always includes lots of alignment cues (and props), hands-on assists (only if you want them), a good laugh, and a great playlist. 

To learn more about Alia's approach to yoga, career change, and more, visit www.AliaJKhan.com.