When Ellen Goldlust graduated from the University of Virginia in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree in history, she never dreamed she’d return more than 30 years later to teach, let alone teach aquatic fitness.
When Goldlust hit 50, she said she felt the familiar midlife urge to do something big and spontaneous, “like sell everything and move to Italy. But one of the kids was still home.”
Instead, she leaned into her love of yoga and decided becoming a certified instructor was more sensible than fleeing to Europe.
“I don’t have a naturally soothing, safe voice, and when I mentioned that to my kids, one of them said, ‘Use the voice you use when you’re talking to the cats,’” she said. “It’s been really fun. I feel like I’m doing my little bit to make the world calmer and better.”
A return to Grounds
Goldlust demonstrates a pose for her Thursday night paddleboard yoga class. (Photo by Matt Riley, University Communications)
In 2023, while living in Durham, North Carolina, and feeling a need for a change, she came across a UVA job listing that matched her skill set. Today, she is a senior editor of the Papers of James Madison, a project launched in the late 1950s to publish all of the former president’s writing and correspondence. The work is estimated to be finished by 2033, according to Goldlust.
Beyond her editorial role, Goldlust also teaches two classes through UVA Recreation. In aqua yoga, she and her students practice movement in the water, while paddleboard yoga challenges participants to balance on inflatable paddleboards in the pool as they pursue their practice.
“It’s more of a challenge because you have to stabilize yourself on the water, but also forgiving because, if you fall, you just get a little wet,” she said. “It’s a good way of working on balance and proprioception, which is the perception of your body in space.”
Making wellness fun
She said she aims for her classes to focus on enjoyment. “Life is full of things we have to do that we don’t have a whole lot of choice about,” she said. “I don’t want this to feel like another chore.
