~My Bio~

Welcome! My name is Skye Ashley. I founded LOTUS birth services in 2004 as a way to synthesize my experiences in support of my vision, a prayer that someday all women will feel supported, empowered, and transformed, by their births and journeys into motherhood. I believe that entering the world in a way that is held as sacred greatly informs how we later choose to walk the earth.

I hold a B.F.A. from Adelphi University in New York, and after a (brief) career in theatre, I pursued Graduate Studies in Somatic Psychology at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado.

In 1993, while attending The Boulder College of Massage Therapy, I became impassioned about birth after reading Ina May Gaskin’s classic book, “Spiritual Midwifery”. It profoundly changed the way I view birth, especially the way in which we, as a culture, view birth. I soon created a program providing massage therapy, infant massage, and lessons around healing touch to pregnant and postpartum teens. And after completing 1200 hours in a variety of modalities I graduated with honors as a Certified Massage Therapist (now primarily focusing my practice on prenatal/postpartum work).

I became a DONA Certified BirthDoula after studying at Seattle Midwifery School, while pregnant with my first child in 2002, as a way to better understand the process and magic of birth. I later completed a Level I training and a one-year apprenticeship with a certified mentor, (an amazing women named Carrie Kenner), in Birthing From Within, and began teaching Childbirth Preparation classes at Big Belly Services in Seattle, in addition to attending births as a doula, and supporting new families postpartum.

I was a student-in-residence at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California where I enhanced my group facilitation skills and explored the practice and power of ritual. I have traveled extensively throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific Rim. I additionally bring these experiences to synthesis in LOTUS birth services.

I became a CertifiedYoga Teacher in 1996, after completing a 250+ hour training at the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre/Ashram in Montreal . In 2004 I completed a six-month apprenticeship in prenatal yoga at 8Limbs Yoga Center and soon taught prenatal and postpartum yoga classes at 8Limbs Yoga Center and Lotus Yoga (both in Seattle).

In addition to mentoring classes in Birthing From Within, I have facilitated classes and workshops to expectant and/or new parents in Couple’s Pregnancy Massage, Prenatal Partner Yoga, Infant Massage, New Mother Support Groups, and dynamic Mama Blessing Ceremonies.

My most profound life’s work, however, is as a wife to Christopher, and as a mother to my two children, Amitiel Roan and Tara Kali Sian.