Hi, we’re Ellen and Ede of Gourmet Yoga.

We have spent our lives bringing people together and nourishing them, an extension of the love we share for each other, travel, and great food!
We originally met in high school and after a 6 month wooing by Ede, we started going out, and have been ever since.* Our lives together have taken us around the world.
We’ve lived in Brazil, Portugal and the UK. We returned to Australia in 2018 and founded Gourmet Yoga.
*We celebrated 25 years together in 2019!

dinner-on-the-terrace-monplaisir — Throughout our lives we’ve brought people together in gatherings. We hosted the lounge bar Il Gattino, the Hobart Fringe Festival Club, birthday parties, dinner parties and other festivities. At one time, our apartment was known as *The White Lounge*, from the frequency of parties we hosted for Is Theatre Ltd in Hobart. Our dedication is to our guests, doing everything within our power to provide an environment that feels nurturing, supportive and fun.
Gourmet Yoga is our opportunity to share our love of yoga and food with people who can benefit from taking time out to nourish their spirits and indulge their senses.

“In our fast paced world, slow is a luxury.”

— ELLEN BLACKMAN

I invite you to find the still point, move mindfully and reconnect with your spirit.

My gentle flow and restorative classes are influenced by a desire to help you connect to your subtle body through a focus on somatic and embodied movement that allows you to move into the calm side of your nervous system.

Having a practice that is slow and considered gives you the space you need to develop an internal awareness of what is happening in your body and to respond and move in a way that best serves you.

My classes are themed around elements, the chakras or subtle body focal points such as the spine or the organs and they interweave elements of the Tantric philosophy of Kashmir Shaivism and poetry.

Learn how to unlock the subtle energy flow of the body so that you come back to a sense of yourself as a whole, one of health and strength as well as a vehicle for love and awakening.

My classes are suitable for all ages, all levels of fitness and flexibility and those who prefer moving slowly and with curiosity.

“I’m driven by my curiosity about the process of food as a human endeavour. ”

— EDE STRONG

I’ve always loved the process of preparing and sharing food with others. One of my earliest memories is baking a cake “from memory” whilst mum and dad were out. It was so rubbery you could bounce it! My cakes have improved since then, and I’ve spent my life cooking and sharing food with people. When I was a teenager I had the chance to go into a career as a chef, but I turned it down, preferring to keep it as a non-vocational pursuit.

My cooking is heavily influenced by my travels with Ellen. We’ve lived in Brazil, Portugal and the UK, and have travelled extensively in Europe, South America and India. All this influences how I cook. With a focus on cooking with in-season, locally sourced ingredients, I seek to nourish and delight. Gourmet Yoga gives me the chance to share my love for cooking and sharing food with those who want to indulge their senses.

I’m driven by my curiosity about the process of food as a human endeavour. I love churning my own butter, experimenting with homemade cheese, or fermentation in its many guises. My kitchen bench often has a jar with something that looks like a jellyfish in it! This is all in pursuit of finding new, interesting flavours to integrate into my down-to-earth cooking, to share with friends and family.