Eve Grzybowski
Yoga Suits Her
I’ve been teaching yoga since 1980. A lot of my identity is tied up with being a yoga teacher. What does that mean? What should that mean? On this site I explore my personal journey and provide commentary on the state of yoga in the twenty-first century. I invite you to have a look and see what may be here for you.
Photo by: Julie Slavin Photography, Old Bar
Current Post
2019 and Getting Out of My Yoga Comfort Zone
Why I have I skipped the festival circuit? Because I’ve felt it’s easier to teach to my age demographic, in my own style and to do so locally.
I knew the Lost Paradise festival would be attended mainly by young people between 24-30 years of age. I thought it likely that these young yogis would be used to practising a more dynamic style of yoga than mine. And, a December end-of-year festival was going to be uncomfortably hot and humid.
Also, I didn’t know ahead of time how large the festival was going to be. Put it down to living semi-rurally in our little backwash of Mitchells Island, population 350. When I saw what amounted to an ocean of tents, I started to get the scope of the event. In the end, there were probably in excess of 11,000 participants. That’s the half the population of our nearest town, Taree! Despite my reservations, I ended up having a totally positive experience.
read moreThe Previous 3 Posts
The Flower of Meditation is Resilience
I may be an elder but that does not always make me wise. One of my goals in doing regular meditation is to develop the quality of resilience. To be able to get myself out of a heavy mood in a reasonable timeframe. To get up off the floor when I feel like I’ve been run over by a Mack truck. The Japanese have a saying, “Fall down 7 times, get up 8.”
read more
RIP Gita Iyengar–Yoga Transformer
Teaching a Balanced Yoga Practice
It’s being said loudly and often by teachers of my generation that modern yoga has become too superficial. In an article in the American Yoga Journal, Ann Cushman makes the case for the importance of asana practice. But then, she then goes on to say that when students become more serious about practicing, they need to take on some of the other instruments in the yogic toolkit.
read more
Classes and Workshops
I’m currently teaching two weekly classes on the Mid-North Coast of New South Wales where I live. I also lead workshops here and in other parts of Australia.
Visit the Vault!
I’ve been regularly contributing to this blog since 2009. There are now over 1250 posts about a very wide range of topics. Click here to explore.
Yoga Resources
Books, videos, teachers, websites, places to buy really hot yoga clothes (kidding), and generally anything I find that I think others might find useful.
A Bit About Eve
I’ve been teaching since I was 35. I’m now 73. In that time there have been a few changes. Click here if you want to find out a bit about my life.
Media
I know, I know. Yoga teachers all want to teach remotely. I’ve been no exception. Here are some video and audio productions that I’ve made. Not many – it’s something that I alway mean to get around to.
Swag
No, I’m not selling yoga mats or clothing. I don’t even have a t-shirt… yet. But from time to time I find myself with something that someone may want. Have a look, I’m never sure what you’ll find.
Join the Conversation
Yoga is changing right along with the rest of the world. It began in a world where the teacher was the authority on all things and students could question nothing. It’s not like that now, but it’s not yet clear what yoga is developing into. The process of change will require participation and communication. Please comment on my posts and let me know what you think of what I’m doing. And, while you’re at it, please share with me some of your experience of yoga. Below are a few comments from previous posts.
“Ah yes the rich tapestry of ageing, sometimes every week there seems to be something new to deal with … and as with a flower it’s petals can’t be forced open early. Neither can we prevent each flower fading away.”
Peter“Thank you Eve for your writings, from my aged perspective I can only say that your yoga teachings over these past two years of my life have helped me enormously in coping with the ageing process. I do my best to spread the word and hopefully share your enthusiasm with others.”
Marie” My music teacher asked me to choose not to be hard on myself. I think when in the moments I can do that it makes a whole lot of space for my expression and being present and awake. It feels like a big part of meeting myself in the mat each day.”
Kate