Esther, founder of EkhartYoga and internationally experienced yoga teacher has been teaching Hatha, Vinyasa and Yin yoga for over 20 years. Her knowledge and practical down-to-earth teaching has inspired thousands of yogis all over the world.
Esther worked for many years as a therapist and has a huge fascination with the human psyche. Through her spiritual studies (including the Clarity Process) and application of this knowledge in her daily life, she found that old conditionings are what hold us back from experiencing the reality of the present moment as it really is. It is this learning that Esther brings into all her teachings. She aims to enable her students to see past their old stories, freeing them up to experience the truth – the moment as it is now.
Esther loves teaching more dynamic styles like Hatha or Vinyasa Flow, focusing on strength, stability and fitness, along with slower practices such as Yin yoga and Meditation that allow you to drop in and get to know yourself better.
Esther is grateful to her early teachers: Clive Sheridan, who taught her not to take anything too seriously and Taetske Kleijn, with whom she studied the Clarity Process, and also her training and work as a therapist.
As an avid student Esther is continually evolving her practice through further training and study. Esther is always open to questioning previous teaching methods (including her own) and challenging herself, integrating new learning and insights into her classes.
“Throughout my life, practising yoga taught me to relax, how to find a way out of worries and stress. Yoga showed me the joys of being fit and strong. Yoga taught me to self-reflect and to accept life as it comes…finally, yoga and my clarity work showed me that there was nothing to ‘find’ and that everything I was looking for is ‘right here, right now.’ And all I could ever do was to let go of the bondage that stopped me from experiencing the truth. I will always be very grateful to the path of yoga, the Clarity process and the miracle that life is.”
We caught up with Esther to find out more.
Tell us a bit about yourself…
I’m Esther, the founder and one of the teachers on EkhartYoga.com and EstherEkhart.com. I’m deeply passionate about sharing the transformative power of yoga and meditation with others. My journey has been one of discovery, healing, and connection, both within myself and with the world around me. Through the online platform EkhartYoga.com, I aim to make yoga accessible to everyone, offering a space for growth, learning, and connection. Additionally, I teach retreats to create a safe space for deepening the inner work.
What does a typical day look like for you?
My days begin with a personal meditation and yoga practice to ground myself. I spend my time teaching classes, preparing content, and connecting with my students online. I also make space for nature, reading, and reflection to maintain balance.
How did your yoga journey begin and what inspired you to become a yoga teacher?
First, I saw yoga heal my mother from a woman who was struggling in life and barely keeping up, to someone with much more strength and presence. This transformation was nothing short of miraculous in my eyes, showing me the profound impact yoga could have. It was during my own times of deep sorrow—losing my best friend to suicide and my mother in a natural disaster all in the same year, —that I turned to yoga and meditation not just as a practice but as a lifeline.
The profound impact it had on both our lives inspired me to become a teacher, feeling the call to share the same positive transformation with others.
How have you seen yoga benefit your students?
I’ve seen yoga bring incredible changes to my students, from improved physical health and flexibility to deeper emotional resilience and mental clarity. It’s truly rewarding to see them embrace a more balanced, peaceful, and fulfilled life.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out on their yoga journey?
Listen to your body, it talks to you. Remember, there’s no such thing as a perfect pose. It doesn’t have to look a certain way. What’s important is that the pose feels right for you. I wish I had understood this sooner; it would have helped me trust my body more and push myself less. There’s a version of every pose that fits your body, regardless of how it compares to others around you or what the teacher’s pose looks like. We’re all unique, and that’s okay. Less is more.
What is your favorite quote or life motto?
“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it, and love them into healing.” – Rumi
It speaks to the power of love and the need to move towards our barriers and love our barriers (pain, heartbreak, and grief) into healing and not ignore them. It’s a beautiful reminder that healing begins with acceptance and loving kindness towards our own experiences and emotions.
What’s coming up in 2024?
In 2024, I’m excited to teach all the upcoming retreats, which you can find listed on EstherEkhart.com. Of course, I’m also looking forward to continuing to expand my online teachings for EkhartYoga.com.
