About
Meet Eliza Eshelman.
My friends and family have called me “Za” since my sister made up my nickname when she was younger. I started running everyday on September 21, 2002. I did not intentionally start a running streak, it was after a few months I realized I had not missed a day so I committed to running daily for a year to become a better runner. I didn’t just become a better runner, I developed this daily practice of taking the time out of the day - everyday, to connect to myself. Twenty some years later, after many injuries, illnesses, pregnancies, travel, danger, races, and airports, the streak lives on. I am here to share with you in how you can develop the discipline, dedication and self-motivation to connect to yourself despite any situation.
I began practicing Yoga in 2008 as it helped me run more miles for marathon training, but I knew there was something more to Yoga than just stretching and I wanted to learn the correct method, not watered down by commercialism and inexperienced teachers, so I embarked on several journeys to India.
In 2016, after seven months of study over the course of four journeys to Mysore, India, I was granted authorization from Sharath Jois, director of the KPJAYI to teach the Ashtanga Yoga method. There are just over 1,000 teachers worldwide. Since Sharath’s sudden passing in 2024, I continue to withhold my responsibility on the lineage of Ashtanga Yoga.
From 2010-2012 I attended Sai Ayurvedic College in Miami, Florida and Anjali School of Ayurveda in Kerala, India earning an Associates degree in Vedic studies and becoming a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner.
In December 2022 I graduated from Institute for Integrative Nutrition and am a board certified health coach through AADP.
I have taught yoga since 2009 and have coached people in personal transformation and multidimensional health since 2012.
In 2024 I became a comprehensively certified Pilates instructor have since have taught over 1,000 group classes. I am lead instructor, director of private training and teacher training at Club Pilates. I find Pilates to be an accessible, low impact and effective method for physical fitness. That being said, Yoga is paramount to not only transforming the physical body, but also the mind and even the trajectory of this life. This requires dedication and consistent efforts of which is not so accessible or realistic in today’s world.
Yoga Life
My first yoga experience was when I was 12 years old at a summer camp in Michigan, I remember thinking “wow, this feels like magic, I’ll come back to it later.” And I did after I graduated college in 2008 and was training for my first marathon. At first yoga was a good balance for training, but I knew there was something more so I set off on a journey to figure it out. I came across the Ashtanga Yoga tradition in the lineage of Pattabhi Jois and made five separate journeys to India to learn more. After six years of nearly daily practice and seven months of study at the institute over the course of four trips, I was given the authorization to teach the method by Sharath Jois. I practice yoga 4-6 times per week in the wee hours of the morning, still discovering and learning more everyday. Yoga practice is a life long journey!
Wellness Life
I have been passionate about living a healthy and active lifestyle since I can remember. As a child, I would teach my sister gymnastics and create fitness workouts for her to do in our garage. I was known to always have the killer ab routines in school. But fitness wasn't just about making the gains; it was always about finding the joy in movement and feeling good!
Family Life
I have two young boys that enjoy activities as much as I do. They ran with me everyday for the first nine months until they were born and now I have them doing track workouts, learning flips and developing a practice of Jedi mind control.