To everyone who uses their practice at HYA as a way to heal, Abby Camaya sees you. She has been practicing at the studio for nearly 12 years, and you may never have spoken to her. She keeps to herself until she unleashes her glowing smile, but she sees you and your energy supports her every day.
She started practicing the way many do, seeking stress relief from a difficult job, and when life threw her even bigger challenges, she turned to it for deeper healing. About two years ago, Abby was in her car when it was crushed by a tree after she had pulled over to the side of the road during a severe thunderstorm.
“I didn’t even know what happened,” she said. “I heard a thud. My windshield smashed and all this water started rushing in and there was broken glass everywhere and I was just like stuck and confused. I tried to open my door, it wouldn’t open. I was like, what just happened? A coworker came out and saw my car and said, ‘Abby are you ok?’ He ran out of his car in the middle of the storm to help me out of my car. There was not one scratch on me. I couldn’t believe it because the car was totaled. I was thinking if I had pulled my car up an inch or two more, I would not be here.”
While physically she was unhurt, mentally was another story.
“Since that accident, I got super introverted and I got really scared,” she said. “I had no car so I had to share my husband’s car for awhile. I was able to work but I didn’t feel right and I didn’t know what to do. For like 6 months I was dealing with that trauma and one day I was like, just go to hot yoga. You know it helps you.
“I started going every day. I was scared of driving and it forced me to drive other than for work. That was about a year and a half ago, six months after the accident. When I can, I pretty much go every day because it really helps me with the trauma.”
Hurricane Helene made that healing even more difficult, but Abby kept practicing. She practices Hot 26, her original practice, once a week and the rest of the week you’ll see her in the 11:30 am flow classes. It’s a routine that has supported her through the death of her mother and grandmother as well. And she is working to get back to her music career as a singer-songwriter in a band with her husband called Day and Dream. She works as a waitress and bartender in the meantime, as well as running an Airbnb.
Read more about Abby and her journey:
HYA: How did you get started in yoga?
Abby: I have been practicing yoga since about 2000. I’m from California and I started in a studio in Pacifico where I was an elementary school teacher. I was so stressed those first few years. It was not what I thought it was going to be like. And I really needed to decompress after work. I would always pass this studio on the way home and I had friends who would invite me. I always said it’s not my thing. I tried regular yoga and I didn’t love it. It’s too slow for me. And I went to that first hot yoga class and I don’t know if I loved it right away but I went for a whole week and I just felt a big psychological change and I thought this is what has been lacking in my life. I need quiet. I need focus. That’s where it started.
HYA: How did you come to Asheville?
Abby: I moved from California to New York to pursue music. I had been doing that mostly in the summertime when I was a teacher. When I moved to New York, I met my now-husband. After meeting him, we were quite serious quickly and he told me he was moving to Asheville very soon. I was like, I just got here. I want to be here a few more years still. He held up his plans a little and let me have my New York experience but he said I’m moving to Asheville. I came down here with him a few times and I loved it. I had never lived anywhere that was so small that had amazing food, way lower cost of living.
We were able to buy our house right away because everything was so cheap. Our first apartment was three times the size of our studio in Brooklyn and it was half the price. And the people were so kind and friendly. And I’m a big foodie, so as long as there’s like pastry chefs and bakeries, I’m good to go. I was worried about lack of diversity because that’s not something I’m used to. Definitely when I first moved here, I started working at Rainbow Community School and I was the only Asian person. I had more elderly people ask me crazy things, like are you Cherokee and how do you speak English so well. I was like, whoa…. I was born in America, raised in California. I felt like I had to explain myself a lot. It was an adjustment. I still feel like it’s not that diverse but it’s a lot better. Things to laugh about now.
I’m Filipino-American and in New York, people are familiar with the different types of Asian cultures. People here are like, what are you?
HYA: How are you doing with the trauma of the accident?
Abby: I still deal with it. Especially with Hurricane Helene, it really triggered everything because everyone had trees that fell. This has been a journey of courage, of getting in my car and knowing it’s ok. Driving here when it’s raining is really hard for me. So I’m usually in here processing and I’ve found it’s one of the best ways I’m able to process the accident. But as I’m very quiet and I’m very in my head when I’m here because it was a lot. I feel a lot better now. I was able to buy a new car. Things just started flowing better.
I feel this was the secret weapon I needed to thrust me back to quote-unquote normal. I’m still processing it artistically because I haven’t gigged or done any music since the accident either. I’m currently writing but I was so busy with it before. I’m seeing a therapist and she’s trying to help me find out why I’m self-sabotaging that aspect because music is something that used to come so easily to me and when something would happen that was traumatic, I would usually go to music and now it’s the opposite. My bandmates, they let me take this break. I’m still trying to figure out why I’m not doing better because I love it.
Physically things are better but psychologically it’s slow. Normally I’m like way more bubbly and happy. But since I restarted coming here, I’ve been the opposite. I’ve been like focused, sacred space while I figure this out. I’m learning to become more courageous. Shake out whatever trauma I’m having. I didn’t know yoga could help so much with trauma. I thought it was more relaxation and flexibility. But it has been really helpful.
HYA: What is special about HYA?
Abby: When I moved here from Brooklyn 12 years ago, I was so excited there was a studio here. And I was so excited how clean the studio was because I’ve been to many studios that aren’t that clean! I would walk in and it would stink really bad. HYA is sparkling clean.
I always invite all my friends and they are really hesitant. I dragged my husband a few times. Not his thing. It’s fine because this is my space and sometimes it’s nice to be by myself. And I’m obsessed with my dog and it’s the one place I’ll go without my dog. I always want to be with her. But being here is so helpful for me.
