Page 184 - Adhiyoga Purana

Stephanie Koteles – Retired Teacher, California
Stephanie first met Adhiyogi in the spring of 2015 when she attended a lecture he gave at her yoga studio. His depth of knowledge and clarity of explanation left a lasting impression. So, when the studio announced a 200-hour Teacher Training with him, she knew she had to be part of it. It took some effort to arrange, but soon she was halfway through the course at Clayton Yoga Shala — and her entire understanding of yoga was shifting.
Before, yoga for Stephanie had mostly meant asanas. Under Adhiyogi’s guidance, she came to see it as “bringing focus to the mind.” His Adhiyoga system led students inward from the very start. He emphasized building capacity step by step, ensuring each practitioner could enter a pose correctly and safely. Everything began with defining a goal and logically moving toward it.
Adhiyogi himself impressed her deeply — caring, positive, and beyond knowledgeable. He taught the group yet made time to meet with each student individually, helping them clarify their goals and create a personalized path toward them. His lifetime of study — from Sanskrit texts to travels across the globe — infused every session. In the first part of the training, the curriculum included meditation, chanting, Om, philosophy, yoga nidra, and the fine details of teaching: how to begin and end a class, what points to highlight in each pose, how to cue sensations, and how to transition in and out of postures.
By the second half of the training, Adhiyogi expanded into more exotic topics — deeper meditation practices, advanced chanting, and rigorous teaching exercises. When it came to teaching, he was uncompromising. He even went as far as visiting trainees at home to fully understand their situations and guide their growth.
Stephanie herself faced a unique challenge: an injury that limited her movement. Adhiyogi adapted her training completely, asking her to sit on a chair throughout the entire course while others worked on the floor. He also encouraged her to teach another person with limited mobility, turning her own limitation into an opportunity for service. Stephanie embraced the challenge, and the experience brought her a deep sense of fulfillment.
By the end of the course, she had not only expanded her yoga knowledge but had also discovered a new confidence in her ability to serve others — no matter their physical condition.
OM Shantiḥ.
184