Georgina Eve lives and breathes yoga education. She has been teaching yoga for 10 years, with over 2000 hours of training behind her. Beyond that her experience with teaching specialist workshops, retreats, yoga teacher trainings, and private lessons is vast.
Georgina has spent years exploring the intricate studies of yoga and spirituality. Certified and registered with Yoga Alliance, she is a Continuing Education Provider and runs her own Registered Yoga School, Movement Freedom Transformation.
Georgina brings her passion for teaching and learning to the lifelong study of yoga as a holistic system of knowledge. She embraces the rigour and rich tradition of yoga and is passionate about the possibilities of personal transformation and empowerment that a regular practice and study of yoga can offer.
Hey Georgina, can you introduce yourself to us?
Thank you so much for your warm welcome, it’s a pleasure to be here in this space with you! I am a private yoga specialist and yoga teacher training facilitator. I created a thriving business and life I love. I am an entrepreneur, a lover of nature, adventure, a good laugh, and straight up conversation. I walk my talk and am fiercely dedicated to growth.
Can you take us through your journey to where you are now?
I have been practising yoga since I was a young teen. My beautiful mother first introduced me to the practice. I used to watch her with inspiration as she’d kick up into a headstand with such great ease. I wasn’t aware of the fundamentals of yoga back then but knew that it had changed her life. To this day my mother is still my inspiration and I will be eternally grateful to her for passing on the gift of yoga.
Not in a million years would I have thought back then, that I would be a yoga teacher. However, I have always been fascinated by the human potential and have had an insatiable curiosity for knowledge, mysticism, and spirituality. My own journey of personal transformation began in my late twenties, though no doubt it started long before that, I just wasn’t paying attention.
My career started as a professional ski coach. Travelling the world living year-round endless winters, working for the rich and famous. First class ski resorts, private jets, chauffeurs, limos, personal chefs, you name it, I had it all. Or so I thought.
After 8 years of living the dream, I began to feel confused, disconnected, overwhelmed and lost. I knew this lifestyle was not me.
My mother sent me to Baja Mexico and enrolled me in my first yoga teacher training course, to begin a journey as a yoga teacher, a journey which then changed my life. It was here that I found the joy of incorporating yoga into my everyday life, deepening my yoga practice and also taking my first steps towards teaching.
I founded and opened my first yoga studio which I ran as the lead teacher and facilitator.
As I became successful, I really started asking myself if this was all taken away tomorrow, if all of a sudden I wasn’t getting the magazine covers, I wasn’t being interviewed if no one was showing up in my class, would I still wake up in the morning and teach? Would I still be serving what I think is my purpose in this world? And for me, the answer is yes, but I’ve had to do much soul-searching over the years to make sure that I stay really present to that.
I sold the studio after 7 years as a successful, thriving entity. I wanted to shift my focus and energy to private work, retreats, and training. I teach the Iyengar method of yoga, my classes emphasise precision and alignment with great attention to detail, my approach allows people of any age, level of health or fitness to practice. Each class is designed to energise the body, cultivate a meditative consciousness, and give greater vitality and health.
These days my professional life consists of one on one work with private clients, and the planning, scheduling and facilitating of retreats and trainings. After a decade of hard work and perseverance, I have created a lifestyle that I love and can be truly proud of.
The fact that I’ve been able to follow my heart, the fact that I’ve been able to be so committed to this particular art, is a real privilege.
What is a day in the life of you like?
I know a lot of yoga people are into this whole “morning routine” thing. They wake up, meditate, they have their writing and journaling. Confession, that is not me, I love a lie in.
Ultimately, I am a real-life person with a business. No day is ever the same for me. The only non-negotiable is that I need a cup of coffee in the morning. Then it’s breakfast and I then get ready to conquer the day. Being a private yoga specialist, each day of the week is different, depending on what clients I have booked in for the day.
When I am not teaching yoga I am settled into my desk responding to email requests, or scheduling social media. Brainstorming, creating and connecting. Prepping for upcoming workshops, retreats or teacher training.
Busyness, however, can be the ultimate form of laziness. So time connecting in with myself is of utmost importance. A twenty-minute meditation, a yoga practice, and a walk through the mountains with my beloved rescue greyhound Shiva.
How did you launch your yoga retreats?
Through the long-running establishment of my yoga studio, I was able to generate a substantial client base. This was the platform I used to start launching workshops, retreats and teacher training.
Can you tell us more about the Iyengar tradition?
Iyengar is like the Einstein of the body and the breath. BKS Iyengar has done more for understanding the human body and the human breath and understanding how the mind ties into that, than anybody in recent history. His discoveries in the human body will probably continue to advance us for the next 200 years. And this is very applicable to the Western understanding of the body. He’s created an incredible synthesis so that if any yoga is going to tie in with Western medicine, it will definitely be the Iyengar System.
That does not mean that other yoga systems are not valuable. But as far as literally being a science of the body, the Iyengar System is far beyond anything else.
Can you talk to us about why you feel the holistic lifestyle approach is super beneficial?
I believe in yoga as a holistic lifestyle. I believe in the power of its transformation, physically, mentally and emotionally. I know it is real because I have experienced it. I feel it in every cell of my being.
What I love about yoga is that it permeates all of life. As BKS Iyengar once said “Yoga is an art, a science and a philosophy. It touches the lives of a man at every level, physical, mental, and spiritual. It is a practical method for making one’s life purposeful, useful and noble”
Yoga is what awakens people’s awareness to create the opportunities to know profound peace, deep inner bliss, and limitless self-freedom.
A lot of people come to yoga initially because they know it’s physical, but almost immediately, people tap in through experiences in their bodies. They feel calm, relaxed, and they become aware of a whole other dimension beyond the physical. They discover the whole other world of Spirit and the power of the mind. The by-product of hard asana work is a stronger, more supple body, but that’s just a by-product, a wonderful one because our body is our foundation and it’s nice to have that foundation built on rock.
Humanity is realising it’s power to change itself from the inside out and help each other to find better ways of living. This knowledge deepens with yoga practice, realisations come and transformations take place, revealing the potential inside of us and in this world.
This holistic way of life enables us to live in a state of understanding to such a degree that we participate in hopefully making this world a happier and healthier place while we evolve. It is not woo-woo, it is science.
Who does the team involve behind you?
There isn’t one, I guess you can call me a solopreneur. I am my product
Where can you see your self within the next 3-5 years?
Doing everything I’m doing right now. I have taken huge steps into the unknown, new adventures, new businesses. A lot of it’s really scary and terrifying. I have no idea if it’s going to work or not, but we have to continuously take those leaps of faith.
Life is a gift. This day is another one. I don’t want to waste it on things that don’t make my heart expand. I plan to follow what makes love spread through my entire being.The only thing I am really scared of is living a life where I know what I want and am not doing anything about it. Our true intentions reflect in our actions.
How are you planning to expand further?
With the constant continuation and growth of retreats and teacher training, I hope to empower others through the teachings of yoga and transformative experiences, that result in positive change around the globe.
Can you tell us what areas you have struggled in professionally?
Acceptance and surrender. In reality, we need to accept that we do not have control over a lot of what happens in our lives. Striving, fixing and perfecting is so ingrained in our culture that it’s easy to persevere when letting go may actually be the better option.
As a professional, this has been my biggest struggle. I have learned to work towards my dreams and goals but identify when effort becomes a strain. Connect to the feeling in the body and mind when I am holding on too tightly to an outcome and learn when it’s time to let go and allow things to simply flow. If we are forcing or trying to control an outcome, we are straining. When we become attached to the results our happiness becomes intertwined with achieving expectations.
In daily life, there are opportunities to surrender in each and every moment of the day. We are constantly processing the world around us and reacting to situations that can make us happy or sad, frustrated or stressed. In each of these moments, we have the choice whether to react or to simply surrender to what is. It’s natural to react to situations making judgments in the mind, coming to a conclusion that often leads to a course of action. This way of being, makes us feel functional and productive like we are in control of our lives. But perhaps the challenge is to simply surrender and accept rather than forcing a solution.
Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it.
Have you ever had any other mentor? If so how has this benefitted you to grow?
I have had some great coaches and teachers on my journey, both physically and at a spiritual level.
But my number one mentor would have to be, my family, this support structure is invaluable. They challenge me, shake me open, uplift me and expand me. They don’t let me play small with my life. They share their wisdom, knowledge, skills, and expertise. I would not be where I am today without them.
No man is an island! Sometimes to be successful in business, and life, you must rely on people to help along the way.
What outlets do use to market your yoga retreats?
I am an old soul and have found the adjustment into the world of social media a challenging one to accept. But in business, we have to run with the times, and it is the best way to promote my retreats and my training offerings.
Facebook and Instagram, they are great tools to portray your true nature, your authentic self, and your offering. I also use Mail Chimp to send email campaigns to my client database. Additionally, good old fashioned word of mouth.
Which methods are you using to build your own support network?
They find me. The universe does this thing, where it aligns you with people that match your vibration. The higher you are vibrating, the more you will attract the people that are beneficial to your wellbeing. When the student is ready the teacher appears, this is the same for my support networks. As has always been the case, the stars align and the right people find me at just the right time. There are no mistakes or coincidences.
What do you believe are the common misconceptions about yoga?
Oh, the many misconceptions about yoga! As a yoga teacher, I hear them almost daily.
Though yoga has become much more well known over the past few decades, the idea that we yogis spend our days standing on our heads, chanting, and eating lettuce surprisingly still runs rampant. Every discipline is subject to fallacies and criticisms, of course, and yoga is no exception.
The most common would be “I’m not flexible enough” “I’m not thin enough” “I’m not young enough.” Yoga accepts you wherever you are. There are no rules, no expectations, and no judgments. Anyone and I mean anyone can benefit from the practice of yoga as long as she or he is patient and approaches the practice with an open mind.
What would you like to see changed for millennials in business?
I would like to see millennials approach business with a more spiritual mindset. Not to get so locked in polarisation that they don’t hear the compassionate human side of it, the process going on.
For them to realise their greatest power to change the world, is their power to change their mind about the world. The entire world is nothing more than our classroom, the challenge to each of us in this classroom is, will you make the choices that you make to enhance your spirit or those that drain your power.
I think doing business should be a very spiritual practice, the more authenticity you bring into it, the easier it is for things to flow and run.
What is the best piece of advice you have received to date?
That vulnerability is the best measure of courage. It’s the whole act of actually feeling and fully experiencing life. You can’t, if you aren’t vulnerable to it. People look at vulnerability as something that is really scary and terrifying because it means you are open to pain, grief, sorrow or sadness, or whatever. But, it also means you are open to love and magic and all the amazing things that the Universe is ready to throw your way every day. So if you close off to one side, you close off to both. A vulnerability is a good thing.
What is the number 1 critical lesson you have learned in your career so far?
Authenticity is essential, this is a life lesson. Walk the path you share, my work is an extension of the energy within me so for me it goes hand in hand. Stay true to yourself and the right things will come into your life.
How do you create an evenly balanced work and personal life?
Good question. This is hard! A fulfilling career is the result of a lot of work. I won’t say this is an easy path, it’s not. No one can do the work for you. After almost a decade of running my business, I still have not figured this one out. I use tools such as yoga, meditation, diet, and sleep which help in finding that balance.
The highlight of your career so far?
Discovering myself. Without a doubt.
What gives you ultimate career satisfaction?
My students. When I teach, it empowers others and equips them with the tools and skills to navigate life. To see others gain freedom, health and well being through the practice lights me up. I feel fulfilled on every level, and it reminds me why I do this work.
I am forever inspired to see my students coming to class again and again. Even on the cold rainy miserable days, they “show up.” It is this showing up that inspires me. It requires faith in themselves, as well as trust in me, and to have their trust means an enormous amount.
Life is difficult, and it may be hard to keep our balance with the world so full of destruction, so I applaud all who take action, rather than shrinking in defeat.
Every day I have the privilege to walk into an environment and hold space for another human being and to be present to their experience, to witness it and to in some capacity, support them, engage with them, learn more about them. I have received so much more emotionally and spiritually, so much more education, fulfillment, awareness, and empathy than I could possibly have imagined when I began this journey.
What barriers have you faced whilst being in business?
My greatest barrier to success used to be fear of failure, but really, our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, it is that we are powerful beyond measure. Once I realised this, everything changed.
Which other leading entrepreneurs and pioneering game changers do you also admire and why?
I am more inclined to be influenced and inspired by spiritual leaders, such as Ram Dass, Paulo Coelho, BKS Iyengar, Eckhart Tolle to name a few.
They are the real game changes in the world. They are the educators, the magic makers, the trailblazers, the world shifters, and peacemakers, that have transformed human consciousness.
How would you say you are intending to use your voice to educate others about the practice of yoga?
More classes. More retreats. More training, and of course, more social media.
What is a good article or book you have read recently?
‘The Untethered Soul’ by Michael Singer. As the title suggests, the book takes you on a journey to untie yourself from the illusion of the ego mind. It is all about freeing yourself from your thoughts. Michael Singer brilliantly strips the philosophy down to its true core, yet he doesn’t oversimplify. He offers the truth clearly, powerfully, and without unnecessary adornment.
What does your Podcast playlist look like?
Health, wellness, yoga, spirituality, and business. At the moment I’m listening to Tara Brach.
How do you measure your own terms of success?
Focus on whatever it is that sets you on fire, that is a success. Everything else is simply a distraction.
What does #BEYOUROWN mean to you?
Be your own hero, write your own story, love your own soul.
Lastly, what is next for you?
Expansion. Of every kind, on every level, in every realm.
Twitter: @georginaeveyoga
Instagram: @alpineyoga
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/georginaeveyoga/
Website: http://www.georginaeveyoga.com
