:: March 2008: Volume 7/Number 2

Eddie Ellner

serving soup

Story by Kathleen Moloney Reddington & Photo Courtesy of Yoga Soup

Eddie Ellner wears his journey through yoga like the baggy t-shirts that hang on him when he walks into class: as if it’s a part of him, well-worn, comfortable and an old friend.

In some ways, the journey that now involves a stint as a studio owner and full-time teacher may seem unlikely for someone who wrote about the world of pro wrestling when he entered his first yoga class. While rumors abound that Ellner himself was a professional wrester, he quickly dispels the myth. He worked in New York as a writer for Wrestling and Boxing magazines.

There may be more similarities between wrestling and yoga than one would suspect at first glance. Ellner is well aware of the irony of writing seriously about the persona of a professional wrestler — in many ways, its not unlike the personas we all try on, or pull over our head like the clothes we don as we start our day. Playing with personas is a practice he engaged in as a writer: “I wrote under different personas, I liked being the voice of the strong heroine who wins out over evil male dominance.”

Ellner’s first yoga class was in 1992 at the Crunch Gym in New York City, another example of an athlete introduced to yoga at the gym. “I worked out a lot, played squash, racquet ball, tennis, lifted weights and was a member of a roller hockey league.” Ellner states that after his first experience with Noel Daniels’ Urban Yoga Work-Out, he never stopped exploring yoga. “It became clear I had been misusing my body and my yoga practice had a tremendous influence on me. I spent a lot of time confused and feeling very lazy for not having found something meaningful in life.” Ellner branched out to practice with Sharon Gannon and David Life at Jivamukti before he eventually struck out for Hollywood to test his screenwriting skills.

I’ve always used the donation box for my classes. Bryan Kest put out a donation box. It is inspiring to invite people to practice yoga that way.

He may have found something meaningful in life as Los Angeles introduced Ellner to a set of teachers each with their own idiosyncratic approach to the practice, offering him the opportunity to try on a series of t-shirts of various colors and hues. He pays homage to the many L.A. teachers who have been influential in his practice, including Bryan Kest, Steve Ross, Seane Corn, Erich Schiffmann and others. Ellner speaks fondly of Maha Yoga’s Ross, “We happened to meet at a certain time, and it was a great gift for me to be in the presence of both his private persona and amazing teaching.” Ellner’s vibrant atmosphere and asana (posture) style certainly pay homage to Ross’s lighthearted approach.

Ellner provides a whimsical journey of classic and familiar yoga poses, with a few comic surprises like jumping around the room fencing style then swinging your hips to the beat of raucous pop music before diving into a vinyasa (moving with breath) that combines breast stroke while balancing in standing half moon in one sweaty session. It’s not all nightclub, though, as the photo of Sri Ramana Maharishi smiling above the stereo suggests. As Ellner begins the class, he talks, inspired by the headlines of the day, a giant Gucci store about to open for instance, leads to a rambling exploration of what we really need to buy, an opportunity to question priorities. A reminder of the importance of the time on the mat, no matter if it is spent jumping up and down or seriously approaching warrior two.

In his teaching, Ellner is a master at bringing awareness to nothing but the freedom of being as comfortable as you can in your own body and finding laughter. All this at a cost you can afford, as Ellner comments: “I’ve always used the donation box for my classes. Bryan Kest put out a donation box. It is inspiring to invite people to practice yoga that way. It is natural for me to do this in my own studio.”

Eddie Ellner is a master at bringing awareness to nothing but the freedom of being as comfortable as you can in your own body and finding laughter.

Yoga Soup is Ellner’s home base in downtown Santa Barbara. It’s hip, cozy and comfortable complete with hand-sewn red leather couches in the sitting room and a library that loans books, tapes and periodicals. When you step inside, the cluster of people sitting and chatting amidst the clamor tells you this isn’t a roll up your mat and out the door after class environment. Former Democratic Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich spoke here in the fall. Dave Stringer played to a dancing-room-only crowd for the studio’s anniversary party and musicians rotate through a regularly-scheduled kirtan (sacred call-and-response music) series to perform to packed rooms. It’s a place to talk, read, laugh, ponder, cry, sit quietly or enjoy a fresh organic strawberry, grape or tangerine in a basket brought over from the local farmers market. “This space was created for events, parties, cosmic comedy, classes, contemplation and conversation. Yoga Soup is a metaphor for a home-cooked meal and a place to surrender.”

Eddie Ellner teaches at and owns Yoga Soup, 28 Parker Way, Santa Barbara.

(805) 965 - 8811. Yogasoup.com

Kathleen Moloney Reddington is a Southern California-based writer whose work has appeared in publications including Shape, Self, L.A. Times Magazine, Los Angeles, Men’s Fitness, Health and L.A. Weekly.

 

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