Practicing with Ellen regularly has made a positive difference for me. Within a few months I've gotten stronger, my alignment has improved, I've learned essential pose nuances, and continue to learn new things. Ellen's teaching style is exceptional. She gives clear detailed instructions on moving into and out of a pose, correct alignment, and modifications, all of which I've found very valuable. As you move through a pose, breath is emphasized as well as muscle direction, and where body strengths and relaxations should be. If needed, she'll beautifully demonstrate and one can see the full potential of that particular pose. She's attentive to all and won't hesitate to gently help or adjust you. Her sessions are well-organized and challenging, and the time is used to the fullest. I've also come to appreciate the use of yoga props in her classes. She's introduced a variety of ways to use them for different benefits. She's extremely knowledgeable in many aspects of yoga, inspirational, and her own practice is truly beautiful. She's welcoming, sensitive to your concerns, and encourages questions.
-Joan, Los Angeles
I am a yoga enthusiast who has been practicing yoga for the last 20 years. During this time, I have encountered many great and well-known yoga practitioners, but Ellen, to me, is a particularly outstanding and exceptional teacher. Ellen always makes me feel present and welcome in her class. She has the ability to guide students through a clear, formulated and unique class sequence, while her voice is calm and her instructions clear. I always feel energized, fulfilled, and content after her class.
-Ken, Los Angeles
Ellen is by far one of THE BEST yoga instructors my partner and I ever had. Many yoga instructors tell their students that body alignment is important—Ellen goes a step beyond that. She shows (models to) her students what the proper alignment is for a particular pose, and gently corrects your alignment if needed. Ellen is very attentive to detail in movement AND breath, and seems to know exactly how far to sensitively but firmly “push” her students to get the best out of their practice. Her class is seamless, and she always conveys a genuine grounded and peaceful presence. Also, Ellen transmits that she not only LOVES the practice, but also wants her students to love it too. Ellen is a wonderful, powerful and inspiring yoga instructor.
-D&E, Tucson
Ellen introduced me to yoga when I was looking for a new athletic activity. Having been a highly competitive soccer player for most of my life, I wasn't used to being a beginner, but Ellen's patient, detailed instruction made me feel comfortable with the new challenge. Due to my schedule I was unable to attend regular classes at a studio so I asked Ellen to help me develop my own home practice. With her guidance I've successfully adopted and maintained a regular home practice for seven years running with excellent physical and mental results.
-Chris, NYC
Ellen’s approach to yoga has been a transformative ingredient to my yoga practice. I haven’t ever thought of myself as an athletic person or a yogi – some people have described me as being “in my head” – but Ellen’s focused teaching style has been a beacon inviting me to get “in my body.” Her impressive knowledge of yoga, expressed elegantly in precise cues that are easy to understand and follow, has been a powerful tool for calibrating my physical alignment and listening more lovingly to my body. Her teaching has helped me feel like I’m moving closer to my personal goals of listening more deeply to myself and, hopefully, to others.
-Alex, Los Angeles
The longer I do yoga the more I value the integrity and depth of a teacher’s own practice, defined very much to include meditation as well as asana. When I encountered Ellen Huang, I was immediately struck by the grounded, elegant and ineffable way her long engagement with dharma practice quietly infuses her teaching of asana, making her classes a kind of sanctuary for transformative work. A sparkling lightness also distinguishes her teaching, and this is a very good thing as well – she is among the very best.
-Guy, Los Angeles
I have had the extraordinary good fortune of encountering Ellen’s yoga classes just as I was looking to take up a more dedicated yoga practice. I credit her gentle presence and focus upon heart-centered mindfulness with restoring my faith in this practice.
I am immensely grateful to Ellen for providing a safe, grounded space to build strength and face challenges on and off the mat. She has a keen ability to discern students’ individual weaknesses and recommend appropriate modifications and exercises. More significantly, she imparts subtle lessons that resonate far beyond class-time and the studio walls. Often her classes end with “a prayer, or a dedication” and I know that studying yoga with her has marked a return to center for me, helping me to approach certain life difficulties with greater peace and compassion.
-Elaina, Los Angeles
I met Ellen in 2011 when our studio Yplus Shanghai invited her to teach. Back then I had only been practicing yoga for one year and was struggling like most beginners do. The first time I attended Ellen's class, I felt the impact of her teaching on my practice. She led us into meditation with a very unique method, and has a such a soothing voice too! :) I began to realize the greater psychological benefits of yoga in addition to the physical benefits. After practicing with her consistently during her stay in China and receiving encouragement from her to one day teach yoga, I realized I wanted to share the love and happiness I receive from yoga with others. Now I am a 200-hour certified yoga teacher, and work in a yoga studio full-time. I am very grateful to Ellen for her teaching and inspiration.
-Eliza, Shanghai, China
