All our instructors are Bikram-certified and in good standing with Bikram’s Yoga College of India.

Eric Jennings

My background is largely in theatre and performance art but several years ago I gave up the starving artist lifestyle and began working in the computer graphics industry, eventually becoming a web designer. I started practicing Bikram Yoga in Spring 2000. I was initially a reluctant yogi and very resistant to the idea of practicing in a heated room but the rewards and benefits — not least of which was finally finding relief after a lifetime of living with intense back pain — kept me coming back. When it became clear to me that my work schedule was interfering with my ability to practice as frequently as I wanted to I decided to become an instructor. I became certified in the Fall of 2001 and opened Bikram Yoga Decatur in November of 2002. It was the best decision I’ve ever made.

I absolutely love our studio and I feel blessed that so many wonderful people have chosen to practice here with us. I still find the practice challenging and I continue to see myself growing deeper into it year after year. My biggest hope for our students is that they stick with it long enough to realize that the benefits will continue to accumulate at an exponential rate. When people ask me if this practice is good for beginner’s I reply that we are all beginner’s. Every day is a new opportunity to embrace the challenge of self development.

Ivey Claire Eldridge

I graduated from Medical College of Georgia in 1982 with a degree in Dental Hygiene. I am married and have one daughter, Claire, who is 23 years old. I ran my first marathon in 1999. After my third one, I was taking time off to heal from the wear and tear when my daughter got me to go to a Bikram yoga class. I was completely hooked after one class. I found it so satisfying that I didn’t go back to marathon running. In fact, I loved the yoga so much, I decided to retire after 21 years of practicing dental hygiene to go Teacher Training. It was a great decision! I got certified to teach March 2004 and love teaching and continuing with my practice. I Iove the challenge of the Bikram yoga both physically and mentally. I also get lots of satisfaction watching our students (the best!) get excited about their practices. In addition to my yoga practice, I enjoy water skiing, roller blading, making jewelry, and our dogs - Bear, Roxie and Mo.

Jenny Niederitter

I grew up in Cheyenne Wyoming and was very involved in athletics and dance. I received my degree in Psychology from Colorado State University in 1999. From there I moved to Denver CO and began full time work at a brokerage firm. My boss at this firm started taking Bikram Yoga and I started to notice a huge change in her. She lost quite a bit of weight, was walking taller, and had an overall balanced presence about her. She one day took me to my first Bikram class with no detail as to what was involved. I had no idea what I was in for. After my first class I was hooked.

I enjoyed the simplicity of the practice but most of all I enjoyed the fact that I didn’t have to think for an entire 90 minutes. I just showed up to class and it seemed I began to make better decisions and take care of myself in a way I never had before. When I got news of our firm downsizing due to the market I decided this was my opportunity to do something different with my life. I went to Bikram Yoga training in the fall of 2002, again with no idea of what was in store for me. I loved training more than anything I have ever done in my life. I learned more in this nine week period than I did in four and a half years of college. I felt better than any other time in my life. I was finally energized and very clear minded. The practice, for me, was paramount to my whole being. When I went to training I had gone for the experience, not necessarily to teach. By the time training was over I was very eager to share what I had learned.

I came out of training and started teaching full time. I was and am still so amazed at the depth of this practice. There are so many different reasons that bring people in and so many different types of people. This practice is for anyone, at any time in their life, and can be a remedy for whatever ails. I am still as energized about sharing this practice as I was five years ago. The changes I have seen take place in my time teaching are amazing and it is my pleasure to be of service in this process.

Susan Lippert

While growing up in Cincinnati, Ohio a large part of my childhood was spent playing competitive sports. By the time I had reached high school, basketball had become my main focus and I continued playing through college at Emory University. I played all 4 years, graduating in the spring of 2004 with a BA in applied math. After college organized sports slowly faded from my life. I began running to keep in shape, and it wasn’t long before my body was telling me to stop. After all the years of basketball combined with impact on my joints from running, my body had had enough. I remember waking up one morning with aching hamstrings and a throbbing back, thinking, “I am 24 years old and I should not be feeling this way”. It was then that I turned to yoga.

Initially I started practicing Ashtanga yoga at another studio in Atlanta. While there I took classes under Anna Hughes and it was she who encouraged me to try a Bikram class. I will never be able to thank her enough. Like most people, I remember struggling through my first class but for one reason or another I kept coming back. Slowly over time, I began to truly love the practice. I loved how it made me a calmer, more accepting, more patient person. I loved how it gave me the same sense of accomplishment that I felt after playing a hard fought basketball game, only this feeling was even more profound. With yoga, there are no wins and losses, ups and downs, tears of joy and sorrow; yoga is not about that.

Bikram Yoga is a constant in my life and I am grateful for it. No matter how different my body feels every day, no matter how much my mind fluctuates, I know I will always walk out one step closer to finding peace of mind.

Susie Fryer

While studying Indian philosophy at UGA I decided to take my first hatha yoga class. I practiced occasionally through college until I graduated in 2002 with a BA in Religion and Philosophy. I moved to Maui, Hawaii where I discovered Bikram Yoga. I Loved it! I remember thinking to myself “this is challenging and it will always be that way.” Five years later, it is still that challenging and it remains a huge accomplishment every time I practice. It seemed like a natural progression from the gymnastics I had done in my earlier years. I practiced Bikram in Maui everyday for 4 months.

In 1999, I was severely injured in a car accident. Although I recovered from most of the injuries, I was in pain 90% of the time. From age 19 to age 22 I went through all sorts of different techniques prescribed for dealing with this pain. I tried all sorts of Chiropractors, Massage Therapy, Reiki, Acupuncture, and the list goes on and on. When I finally began to practice Bikram Yoga, the pain began to diminish. I noticed that as long as I practiced, I was pain free. A few years later I decided to go through the teacher training and now here I am with you practicing and teaching at the best studio in the country.

Yoga, in its essence, is the realization that we are able to synthesize our minds with our bodies to produce a more efficient life. Yoga is a vehicle towards self-realization and it is an internal journey of learning to love with undeniable compassion. If you put your mind/faith to it, you truly can achieve anything. I believe that Bikram Yoga heals the myriad of pains that we as human beings experience in life. This includes physical, emotional, and spiritual pain. If you truly want to feel better in your body and in your mind, come and practice this yoga. You will not regret it!