Yoga People: Ellen Mathews

When Tolstoy wrote that ‘all happy families are alike,’ he certainly wasn’t speaking about the yoga family I’ve been blessed to enjoy. If you’re in the Los Angeles area, you won’t regret making a trip to the San Gabriel Valley – or reaching out on Zoom – to take a class with the incandescent Ellen Mathews. She is living proof that yoga changes us for the better, and her classes are renowned throughout the yoga community in Sierra Madre, California.

Ellen finished her first teacher training at Yoga Works, and took time to teach and reflect on what she learned there before signing up for the 300 hour advanced training with Yoga Madre. “I’m technically a 500 -EYRT by now,” she states, “but have not applied for that certification. I just teach.” She began her career in the city of Long Beach but then began teaching at Yoga Madre when she moved to northeast Los Angeles County in 2003. There, she wore many hats – yoga teacher, training assistant, manager and social media developer.  Unfortunately, the pandemic led to the closure of Yoga Madre, forcing Ellen to strike out on her own, developing private classes on the Internet.

In addition to studio teaching, Ellen’s been active in bringing yoga to the workplace.  For many years, she taught twice a week at Von’s corporate center, as well as at an aviation company which offered after-work classes for employees. There, as in every other setting, she was revered for her commitment to the people she taught. “I want to know my students, from their health issues to who they are as people,” she notes. Developing long-lasting relationships is a priority for her, and she works hard to maintain the connection while she verbally cues and mirrors poses.

Ellen follows the sri vidya- tantra branch of yoga philosophy, using daily mantra, meditation, and pranayama to keep herself balanced. While she’s worked hard to achieve a variety of physical poses, she realizes that the practice is about more than achievement. “Honestly, who cares if you do a handstand?” she says. “But if yoga has calmed your anxiety and changed your perspective about issues in your life, then that’s success for me as a teacher.”

Need advice from this wise woman?  Ellen recommends that newcomers as well as veterans try practicing asana three times a week to keep muscle memory and improving flexibility and strength. She also suggests familiarizing yourself with the entire Eight-Fold Path as delineated by Patanjali, noting that it’s a “lovely road map to follow to get into a meditative state.”

With Zoom classes currently supplanting in-person teaching, now is the time for students all over the world to contact Ellen about her online offerings. Beyond her classes, she offers private instruction. She can be reached at ellen.mathews@roadrunner.com for those of you interested in reaching out to her.

Disclaimer: I have taken classes from Ellen, most recently over Zoom during this last year.  While we are personal friends, I have received no financial compensation for this article and have paid for my classes with my own funds.