Student of the Month - Roberta Greenspan

Each month in the IYAVL newsletter, we will feature a profile of a dedicated yoga student from our community. For this first venture, we have chosen long-time yoga practitioner Roberta Greenspan.

There’s a lot of energy and life experience packed into this petit and strong woman. Gardener, fiddle player, outdoor enthusiast, road biker, world traveler, healer, yoga student, lively raconteur, pickleball player and adventure seeker are just some of the words that describe Roberta.

A “shy kid” from Long Island, Roberta discovered her outgoing performer self when she turned her childhood talent with the violin into a passion for playing old-time fiddle music. In fact, off and on for several years, she earned her keep (even hitchhiking around Europe) playing fiddle with other musicians. Most recently, she plays music in a duo called Cuddle in the Cosmos. Roberta has also traveled widely as part of lWWOOF, a worldwide movement linking volunteers with organic farmers and growers. Playing music and gardening has fed her—body and soul!

Roberta earned a B.S. in plant science at the University of Delaware, and in the first half of her career she worked in Pittsburgh running a city-financed education and community garden program. In fact, she moved to Asheville in 1991 to work as Executive Director of Mountain Area Community Gardens (MAGIC). She loved the job because she was “digging in the dirt,” while also sharing her passion for gardening with kids and the wider community.

Not surprisingly, gardening, specifically lifting heavy soil and manure and tossing hay bales led her to yoga when she injured her back at work. In chronic pain, she sought relief from chiropractors, doctors, physical therapists, and massage therapists. But it was a back care yoga class taught by Lillah Schwartz that “rescued” her back. She studied with Lillah for months, and later with Nicole Kintz and Letitia Walker. Her back issues flare up occasionally and she goes for a chiropractic adjustment. Over time, Roberta discovered she loved the practice of yoga. She found that taking regular classes helped her feel strong and capable in all aspects of her dynamic lifestyle. Eventually, her interest in yoga led her to Iyengar classes with Randy Loftis.

“I learned a lot about healing myself in these early yoga classes. I’m a very active person and I need a healthy back and also a way to manage stress. I find that Iyengar yoga offers both physical and emotional release. When I practice this style of yoga, I feel like I’m in a focused and grounded place. I love the precision of Iyengar yoga. I’m not a detail-oriented person, but the precision of being instructed to press through the toe mound of my foot brings amazing results. I can feel how a tiny adjustment can align my whole body.”

Roberta also credits Iyengar yoga with helping her be more present in her daily life. “It’s like when I play music: I feel totally engaged and my mind becomes focused. I’ve heard it said about Iyengar yoga that when every cell in your body is pointed in the same direction, nothing is stagnant and one cane go deeper into the pose. Using that principle, my mind/heart can get steady and organized. And the voices that go against that spirit energy are gently dissolved. I experience this often when I practice yoga.”

She currently works as a House Advisor at CooperRiis, a residential progressive transitional living community for adults struggling with mental health challenges.

“The deeper yogic practice I experience at Iyengar Yoga Asheville helps me to focus the heart/mind energy and enhances what I’m learning at my current work,” she explained.

Whether digging in the dirt or nurturing young adults to reach their potential, Roberta is committed to growth and healing…and to enjoying life to the fullest.