Teacher Feature: Grace Izzo

Meet Grace Izzo, E-RYT 500—a teacher whose path was cracked open by a moment of “sweet silence” and continues to unfold through sound, chanting, and deep presence. In this interview, Grace shares the experiences, teachers, and practices that shape her teaching at Asheville Yoga Center.

What Grace has to say…

Question: If your yoga journey were a book, what would the title of the first chapter be—and why?

Answer:

“Sweet Silence.”

When I was seventeen, I experienced what was probably less than a minute of my self-referential internal narrative coming to a complete stop during a yin yoga class. At the time, that inner voice was a constantly yammering, tyrannical dictator that I was completely identified with. That brief silence cracked my world open: for the first time, there was space. It revealed the possibility that I was not the endless stories , thoughts, and emotions swirling through my mind, but the awareness that witnessed them.

Question: You love bringing sound bowls and lately harmonium to your teaching. Tell us what inspired you and how music has changed your practice/teaching?

Answer:

I’ve always loved music. Some of my fondest memories I have as a child are listening to my father’s curated boating playlist of Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin songs while we cruised around the lake. Growing up, I attended a ballet school with a live pianist, and as a teenager, I took dance intensives that included music theory to refine my musicality. But I wasn’t naturally musically inclined as an artist myself. My mother put me in piano lessons at seven, but I preferred coloring on the sheet music to learning chords, so she switched me to art classes after a few months.

It wasn’t until I took AYC’s 200-hour training that I truly experienced the calming power of chanting and the sonic practices of yoga. At first, I felt uncomfortable with the practices and very self-conscious about how I sounded, but afterward, I felt profoundly calm and serene. Chanting regularly has given me a confidence as a space-holder that I didn’t think was possible. You could definitely say I found my voice! Chanting has helped me become more comfortable setting boundaries, expressing my opinions in professional settings, public speaking, and leading larger classes. My loud Italian ancestors would be so proud.

Playing harmonium in my classes has been a fun new exploration. About eight months ago, I was asked to facilitate a program in a recovery center and was warned that the clients had some behavioral issues. I have adored working with the clients there. They are resilient, thoughtful, courageous, and kind. And, while I’m not new to teaching in clinical settings, holding the container there was proving more challenging than I’d experienced elsewhere.

One day, I decided to begin class with a mantra accompanied by a few simple chords on a harmonium that Seán Johnson generously lent me, and the shift in energy was palpable. Singing together created an energy of presence, calm, and connection. Now, I sing mantras every week with my students at the recovery center and cherish my weekly harmonium lessons with my wonderful teacher Deanna Sidoti. Being an adult beginner at anything is undoubtedly challenging, and something as vulnerable as singing? When I started, I was terrified! But over time, I became more comfortable with it, and love it now. When I was just starting, it helped to remind myself that singing in a yoga class is not about how it sounds or putting on a performance, it’s just another way to move energy and become present, like asana or pranayama.

I was first introduced to sound healing by Lori Osborne about four years ago, a phenomenal sound therapist based out of Raleigh who is actually coming to AYC this summer to lead a training! Her sound baths took me to a state of deep rest and absorption I hadn’t experienced before. My curiosity about the why behind my experience led me to read The Hidden Messages of Water. The book explores how water droplets crystallize differently when exposed to various music or phrases. Since humans are mostly water, it’s no wonder sound can move us so profoundly. I became inspired by Lori to offer a container for others to experience deep rest and absorption too, and drove a busted $1200 jalopy named Hank The Tank for several years so I could afford my first set. It was one of the greatest investments that I’ve ever made.

Question: What is one piece of advice you received from a teacher that has impacted you as a yoga teacher?

Answer:

I’m really struggling to pick just one piece of advice, but here’s one that’s stayed with me:

Rich Fabio told me to make doing nothing a priority on a regular basis. Just… stare at a tree. Eat some pizza. Watch some TV. In Ayurveda, my constitution, as Nishita Shah once lovingly described, is “Pitta 10”: very type-A, driven, and ambitious. I love learning, studying, and growing as a yoga teacher, but have learned that it’s equally important to step away from self-improvement and just chill, rest, and do things for fun.

Rich also said (and I’m paraphrasing here) that your first student is yourself. When I started consciously balancing my outward-moving energy with more restful, internally-focused activities, I noticed a real shift in my energy as a teacher. It was a much needed reminder to me that pouring into myself and allowing myself the spaciousness to just be, rest, and integrate is just as important for my development as a teacher as taking trainings. Thanks, Rich!

Question: If you could give your teaching a theme, what would it be?

Answer:

One consistent underlying theme in my teaching is my intention to create a container where people might find gratitude for their bodies, rather than focusing on how they look. I love closing classes by guiding students into a fetal pose and inviting them to pause for a moment of gratitude for carrying them through their practice, and for all that their bodies allow them to experience.

We are so much more than our physical form, yet our bodies are our vehicle through life. Culturally, we’re conditioned to be critical of them, to see them as problems to solve or projects to fix. My hope is to create a space where the body might be viewed and treated with respect, appreciation, and kindness.

“…Make doing nothing a priority on a regular basis. “

Question: If you could be any animal, what animal would you be?

Answer:

Maybe a dolphin? I love the ocean. If I didn’t live in Asheville, I’d probably live at the beach. It would be great fun to swim with all of my dolphin friends!

Question: What is something unexpected your students have taught you lately?

Answer:

One unexpected lesson my students have taught me lately is to be spontaneous. Sometimes I walk in with a carefully crafted plan, only to realize that it doesn’t fit the energy or needs of the room that day, and I have to throw it out the window. My students remind me that yoga isn’t just about a balanced sequence or alignment cues, it’s also about connection, presence, and meeting students where they’re at. It’s been a lesson in vulnerability to go off-script and off-plan, but that spontaneity has been one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching lately. I’ve found that the most profound moments have been from going off plan.