The Yoga Couple - Mat & Ash

Mat and Ash are best known as The Yoga Couple to their online community of more than a million people. They are the authors of The Inner Work and The Inner Work of Relationships, and they host The Inner Work podcast. Their stated mission is to bridge the gap between Western psychology and Eastern philosophy, especially when it comes to navigating relationships and healing inner child wounds.

The basis of their teaching, The Inner Work, focuses on understanding the varying levels of human consciousness and the power to self-heal relationship issues, addictions, inner child wounds and unresolved trauma. They speak openly about taboo topics where mental health and spirituality cross over, in a way they describe as down to earth and accessible for all.

Mat graduated high school early, at 15, and completed a bachelor's degree in Psychology by 20. He worked for a year in inpatient psychiatry at a Utah hospital, then attended naturopathic medical school in Arizona, where he met a yogi, a former Buddhist monk and a devout Hindu who introduced him to mindfulness and Self-Realization. He went on to a master's program in Santa Barbara in Jungian depth psychology and counseling, and was drawn to Dr. Hawkins' research on consciousness. That led him to create his "Hero's Journey" holistic counseling program, through which he guides individuals and couples around the world. He draws on his own experience of overcoming addictions.

Ash is a best-selling self-published author and co-author of The Inner Work with Mat. She turned to spirituality at 16, discovering Hinduism and Jivamukti Yoga, while growing up with her mother's narcotic addiction and her father's alcoholism, and with autism that went undiagnosed in childhood. In her twenties she completed a year-long intensive at the Stress Relief Management Center of Las Vegas under marriage and family therapist Kathleen Santor, LMFT, and became a trauma-informed certified yoga teacher by 21. She studied Eastern philosophy and religion at UNLV and provided yoga therapy to patients under the guidance of an OMD.

Together they pair yoga's ancient wisdom with the accessible language of psychology. Mat explores the human psyche, and Ash brings the essence of Eastern teachings. They also share yoga classes on their YouTube channel.