STUDENT TESTIMONIALS

Todd and Stephanie both have an incredible knowledge of both the theory and practice of Ashtanga yoga, and they bring different yet complementary approaches to their teaching. I have also had the pleasure of getting to know both of them outside the studio, and the way in which they bring the larger practice of yoga to their lives is inspirational.

In my own personal practice, I have run into challenges related to my fairly severe scoliosis (curvature of the spine). Both Todd and Stephanie have worked with me as my practice has developed to ensure that I can still get the full benefits of my practice, despite the occasional limitations my scoliosis presents. I have appreciated and admired their sensitivity and pedagogical flexibility when it comes to modifying poses throughout my practice. Since I began studying with them, my practice has deepened tremendously – and my scoliosis has even improved slightly! (It is commonly believed that scoliosis cannot be improved without surgery after late adolescence.)

In addition to the personalized instruction, the aspect I find most valuable about the Mysore style is that the practice really becomes your own. Since it is based on memorization that builds cumulatively over time, you are truly gaining knowledge that eventually becomes independent of the teacher.
I feel so grateful to Todd and Stephanie for giving me this gift - one that I will have for the rest of my life, regardless of where I am living, which studios I have access to, etc. I would recommend Ashtanga Yoga Atlanta without hesitation to anyone who is interested in furthering their yoga practice, and developing a personal and intimate understanding of their own bodies and minds.
- Wendy Hasenkamp PhD


Im finding it really difficult to ‘sum up’ what the practice and Todd’s teaching has meant to me over the years! It is an integral part of who I am at this point. I am so grateful for the techniques of awareness and breath, the challenges, the ‘I feel so clear, alive and Well- and hungry!’ feeling after practice. It has done so So much for me….. Strength, good health, self reliance, ability to handle stress, body awareness, enjoying my body, moving freely- all these things I associate with dedication to this practice.

I met Todd about 8 years ago after a year of practicing Ashtanga in a lead class with Jennifer Elliot in Charlottesville, VA and a ‘Teacher training Course’ at a Sivananda ashram. I found that Mysore was a preferable method- allowing more space for learning poses from a focused awareness of my body. Where in lead class, I spent effort trying to ‘keep up’ with the instructor; my focus in Mysore could remain more internal. Moving and breathing in my own pace provided also the space for understanding internal mental-emotional tendencies. I think with this method, asana (physical practice) could serve as a vehicle for awakening through greater understanding of the self. The practice has become essential to me; I am so rewarded daily by the practice….

As for Todd, his teaching style is so unique. He provides a solid, positive foundation that can only be born of a dedicated grounding in the practice. The depth of experience present in his direct approach helps me to feel safe in what often feels like unchartered, difficult territory. His ability to adjust physically in a solid and unwielding way helps engage me more fully in practice. Also, he facilitates a level of confidence in me that I might not naturally have for the practice, through his selflessness. Its not about his ego; it is about facing my practice, daily… okay, almost daily.

Stephanie has recently come into my practice and I find her insights refreshing, supportive and intuitive. She has a patient and compassionate approach while firm and confident in her understanding of the practice.
The best mix of gentle and strong, her approach creates an atmosphere of healing. I greatly admire her solid dedication and determination in facing the practice daily and in her service as teacher. I am so grateful for her help.
The practice as physical exercise deserves recognition too- nowhere else (dance, swimming, running, tennis, bicycling) have I found such a balanced test of strength, flexibility and cardio- and on one mat! I’m discovering through practice the difference between perceived and actual limits. I think Im realizing the only actual limits are ones we decide to create.
- Lindsey Mann


I have been practicing yoga regularly for over 8 years and Ashtanga Yoga for over 6 years. I had never taken a Mysore class when I started under Todd’s tutelage about 4 years ago and my practice was immediately taken to the next level. My confidence in my own knowledge and understanding of the practice grew, my practice itself improved, and my inner peace grew.

The biggest challenge that my practice has faced was when I found out I was pregnant – I wasn’t sure if I could maintain my 6 days a week practice. Todd worked with me diligently throughout my pregnancy to help me continue my daily practice, modifying poses as I got closer to my due date, adding exercises to prepare my body for childbirth, and giving me moral support as I went through this amazing journey. I was able to keep my practice up until the day I went in to labor.

Todd’s knowledge and passion for the Ashtanga Yoga practice and all that it encompasses is apparent in his teaching methods and everything that he does. He is both insightful and compassionate with every student and keeps a watchful eye on everyone, from the most experienced to the beginner. I highly recommend Todd to everyone that is interested in the Ashtanga Yoga practice, he is an amazing teacher and person and I am honored to have him as a friend and a teacher.
- Tiffany Krista


The only thing a yoga class with Todd or Stephanie has in common with a class at a health club or average yoga studio is the mat. Their professionalism, expertise, and years of experience separate them from the pack, and the Mysore approach is the perfect showcase for their talents. How many teachers have the poise, stamina, and depth of knowledge to give a personalized experience to over a dozen students varying in level from beginner to advanced in one session? Because they have the unique ability to offer such a high level of personalization, every single class I’ve taken with Todd and Stephanie since starting my yoga practice two years ago has been challenging, enriching, and fun!
- Sarah Hankamer

The Mysore method, evolved by Sr.Pattabhi Jois, is a powerful tool for moving into the inner self. Mysore taught in a group setting allows the practitioner to observe in others within the sangha space what is possible. Mysore taught individually by a senior student of Sri Pattabhi Jois, such as Todd, is a powerful means to begin to observe yourself within the safety and attention provided by a master Ashtanga teacher serving in the style of Guruji Pattabhi Jois.. I have studied many methods of yoga for the past 20 years. I keep going back to my Mysore roots which feels like I am home when I now apply the different emphasis of other related yoga methods. I highly recommend taking Mysore with Todd. Todd’s expertise can guide you to discover a personal practice that is cost effective over time and incredibly beneficial when experienced in either the group sangha or individually.
- Dian Dowling Evans, PhD, FNP-BC


I started Ashtanga Yoga over two years ago. I have always been an active person and have dabbled in aerobics classes, yoga classes, running, etc. I tried Ashtanga before I knew anything about it. I hate weight training, and thought this might be a way for me to get stronger. From the very beginning I knew that I had found something different. For one teachers (Todd and Stephanie) are direct, intuitive, sensitive, and incredibly knowledgeable. At first I was skeptical of a "non led" class, but now I would never want it any other way. In most led yoga classes you do what you're told, very often not really understanding the posture (and probably doing it incorrectly). You are also not able to progress beyond what is being taught. In Mysore that doesn't happen because you get one on one attention. It truly can take your body beyond what you ever thought you were capable. I started off looking around the room thinking that I was never going to be strong enough or flexible enough to do what other students were doing, and now I'm actually able to do those same postures!

I also used to have neck/upper back tension and headaches nearly daily, which I attributed to a stressful job and lack of sleep. Both have virtually vanished. While I have always been a generally healthy person, I usually got a few minor illnesses a year. Now, I haven't had so much as a cold in over a year. I have found so much more than an exercise program, but a way of life. I find my outlook on everything so much more optimistic. When I am feeling uneasy or anxious, I literally crave yoga. It has been an amazing experience, and so far beyond what I imagined.
- Dena Patacca


Compared to instructor-led classes, Mysore classes are a genuine self-learning environment in which my focus can stay with me instead of on a cheerleader at the front of the room. I am in charge of my pace and the length of my practice so I don’t feel forced into someone else’s rhythm or expectations, and if I have a specific question or need for assistance, I can speak up without the burden of feeling that I have interrupted the class. Also, it’s nice not being rushed to get to class at an exact time or having to wait for others because I’m able to start whenever I arrive, but I still get the benefit of being with a group.

Mysore style is so completely different from an instructor-led class that a person really needs to experience it to understand all of the advantages.

Both Todd and Stephanie are knowledgeable about what a perfectly correct practice should be, but they also are flexible in allowing students to not have to be perfectly correct. Last, Todd is able to adjust and guide me in postures that would physically challenge most woman instructors (even Stephanie, who does do a good job at meeting the challenge).
- Paul Clement


I started yoga in 2000 to address rotator cuff problems I was beginning to have. I had seen a number of men in my age group (I was in my 40s then) go through shoulder surgery for rotator cuff problems, and all of them seemed to come out of the surgery significantly hobbled by it. I didn't want to follow that example, so I started taking yoga classes at my gym. My first teacher taught in the Kripalu style, which I found very beneficial. After taking classes about once a week for a couple of years, I had occasion to take an Ashtanga class and found it appealing in its rigor, so I gradually moved towards Ashtanga and away from Kripalu. Over time I practiced Ashtanga with several teachers, and eventually found my way to Todd and Stephanie. So, by the time I started taking classes from Todd and Stephanie, I'd been doing yoga of some sort for about six years.

Measuring Todd and Stephanie against other Ashtanga teachers I know, I found they struck the balance I needed, a balance between challenging me to move deeper into tougher asanas and pausing along the way to deepen my experience and understanding of each asana I was doing. I think the measure of a good yoga teacher is how clearly s/he directs students to focus on breathing, letting the movement of the asanas evolve from a focus on well-measured, focused, balanced breathing in and out. This measured breathing is what Todd and Stephanie always return to, and what they clearly hold as being the center of the practice.

I like physical challenges: I lift weights, I hike, I swim, and kayak as much as I am able. My style of being in my body focuses on pushing myself to my limits. Ashtanga helps me with this style of being in my body by reminding me to slow down, to focus on being right here right now, on focusing where I am rather than on where I'm going. Todd and Stephanie have helped me enormously to work on this slowing down, on this growing down (rather than up) into a moment. I'm constantly humbled by and grateful for their patience and their great focus in helping me in this way.

Recently I sustained a knee injury: after almost 60 years, my right knee began to show wear and tear (hiking with heavy packs and leg lifts with 850lbs probably urged that process on), and I had surgery--repair of the cartilage in my right knee. After the surgery, my doctor said my knee damage was so great he couldn't believe I'd been able to walk before the surgery. It's now three weeks after the surgery, and I'm back in Mysore class, doing most of first series and immensely grateful for the practice. I was just laid off of work, too, so between recovering from surgery and coping with reinventing myself at the age of 56, I know that if I didn't have something like Mysore practice, I'd be hard-pressed to find a way to cope. Friends and family are very loving, but in times of stress, having a practice like Mysore offers an incomparable way to stay grounded, to stand one's ground.
- Michael Sanders, PhD


Since practicing the Mysore approach to Ashtanga yoga with Todd, my practice has transformed. Much of the pain I have held in my body has dissipated and I have a greater understanding of how the body can release pain through the practice over time. The Mysore approach to practicing Ashtanga yoga is a revelation of one's self, both the physical and spiritual selves. At face value, it is a self practice, with the guidance and support of a teacher. Each pose is learned over time and memorized in the correct order, with the breath, bandhas, and gaze the focus of attention. But so much "happens" in that space- so many indescribable things transpire- that it is so much more than what it first appears to be. Yes, it can be challenging, difficult, and even emotionally taxing, but I have come to understand it as a process of shedding layers of one's self to reveal what is real and true. Todd is a very knowledgeable, supportive, and sensitive teacher, someone that gained my trust very quickly, which is very important to the practice. The really great thing about practicing in a Mysore class is the group energy- the people practicing around me are always a source of inspiration and even support for me, although they might not know it. It is also a very reassuring part of my life- when work is too much, when unexpected stressful situations occur, my practice- and the class- is a constant. It is orderly and it makes sense, especially when everything around me seems so much the opposite sometimes.
- Jackie Tyson