Meet Danny Chapparo | Owner & Founder of Ashva Yoga

We had the good fortune of connecting with Danny Chapparo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Danny, every day, we know how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
It really wasn’t as much of an idea as it was my own life’s journey that lead me to start my own business, Ashva Yoga. I was born in Germany and spent many of my childhood vacations at my grandparents’ farm as I have always been an animal lover with a huge passion for horses. My background in horseback riding was jumping and dressage. In 1995 I realized my dream of moving to the U.S. and ended up in Colorado. I bought my own horse, Abraham, which was an off the track thoroughbred. After a horseback riding accident in 2003 led to a back injury, I turned to yoga for rehabilitation.
This transformative experience not only restored my health but also revealed how yoga was repairing my relationship and trust with my horse. I transitioned to riding western and after several years after the accident, Abraham and I would ride out again- as one.
I became a certified yoga instructor in 2010 and started my own business, Ashva Yoga. Ashva is sanskrit for horse. I opened my own yoga studio in Castle Rock, which I sold in 2019 to one of my students, so that I could focus more on yoga with the horses. I still teach yoga classes weekly at the studio, now Buka Yoga.

My teaching yoga with horses started in 2012. I only owned one horse at the time, so offering classes was a bit limited and I wasn’t quite sure how things were going to work out. I had the vision, passion, and idea of something new, Equestrian Yoga, that no one else had done that I knew of. So I was a little bit hesitant at first. Some of my yoga students who own a ranch towards Colorado Springs offered me to teach Equestrian Yoga using some of their horses. They said to me, ‘Why don’t you just come and teach us a class and see what happens.’ It went really well and Ashva Yoga just kept growing from there.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Ashva Yoga, Equestrian Yoga is a pretty unique business, a beautiful integration of yoga and horsemanship. I don’t just teach yoga or horsemanship, I blend the two in a deeply embodied, intuitive way. My own journey of recovery and growth allows me to truly connect with my students. I understand that healing and connection happen when we slow down, breathe, and become present. I help students shift internally, so their horses respond differently, calmer, and more trusting.
My goal in every class I teach, is to help people change not just how they ride, but how they show up.
My business grew without a big marketing push, but mostly by word-of-mouth. Before my “yoga life” I was a senior manager with big corporations and have a bachelors degree in math and computer science and a masters degree in business. This has helped me tremendously with Ashva Yoga.
The lesson I learned along the way is that you grow your business one student at a time. And you are grateful for each and every student.
I hope to continue to expand my reach through ongoing events, workshops, and retreats.
I offer one-on-one sessions and group events, so if people want to find out more about Equestrian Yoga, they can connect through social media, my website, or by contacting me directly at Danny@AshvaYoga.com

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love the outdoors, so when my best friend was visiting from Germany, we took trail rides together at Douglas County open spaces with the horses and went out to dinner in the Castle Rock area. Tamarind Indian Cuisine, Mashawi Damascus Cuisine & Catering, Courtyard Social, and Duke’s Steakhouse are some of our favorites. Another fun thing to do is the Castle Rock incline by the MAC, and of course a visit to Red Rocks Park.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I am super grateful for every single student that has allowed me to do what I love doing; teaching yoga, whether it’s with the horses or on the mat. A big shoutout also to all my teachers; Cherryl Leone, who guided me through yoga teacher certification, and inspired me to follow my two passions, yoga & horses, Tias Little, Desiree Rumbaugh, and so many others, who have helped me, and still do, to become a better teacher every day. A big thanks to Grant and Annette Carey who encouraged me to teach my very first Equestrian Yoga class at their facility. I am also so thankful to Natalie DeFee Mendik, co-author of my book Equestrian Yoga, who has also written multiple articles about Ashva Yoga. But most importantly, a big shoutout to my husband Kent, who is always there for me and supports me on my journey.

Website: https://www.AshvaYoga.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashvayoga/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannychapparo/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AshvaYoga

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AshvaYoga

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/AshvaYoga/videos

Image Credits
Caitlyn Mendik, Danny Chapparo, Ingeborg Mairon