Taylor Hunt, Level 2 Authorized Teacher
Taylor Hunt is a devoted practitioner and teacher of Ashtanga yoga. He makes yearly trips to Mysore, India to further his studies under the guidance of his teacher, Sharath Jois. In 2013, Taylor was granted Level 2 Authorization to teach and has had the honor of assisting in the shala on several occasions. Taylor is dedicated to sharing the healing practice with others and providing a community where practitioners can find support in their practice and daily lives. Seeking to preserve the traditional method, Taylor teaches Mysore classes at Ashtanga Yoga Columbus and Ashtanga Yoga Savannah as well as offers workshops around the world. He is also the author of A Way From Darkness and director of the Trini Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to sharing the life-changing practice of Ashtanga with those suffering from addiction. He continues to inspire others through his story of personal transformation and accessible approach to the practice.
To learn more about Taylor’s story and life’s work, please visit his personal website at www.taylorhuntyoga.com.
Melissa Ratkovich
Melissa (E-RYT 500) is a devoted yoga teacher and practitioner. A school teacher by trade, she has a passion and curiosity for learning and sharing. Melissa decided to leave public education and pursue a career in the wellness and fitness industry. In 2017, while teaching indoor cycling, she received an invitation to take her very first yoga class. With her unwavering commitment to growth, she soon found herself immersed in a 200 hour yoga teacher training. After teaching and practicing yoga for a couple of years, there was a yearning for more. In 2019, while searching for a more structured and discipline approach, she found Ashtanga yoga. She loved and appreciated the dichotomy of this method. The stark contrast between strength and power compared to grace and surrender would encourage her to continue showing up daily for herself.
For the love of continuous learning, she simultaneously enrolled in a 300 hour yoga teacher training, and a 200 hour Ashtanga yoga apprenticeship with her teacher Stacy at Ashtanga Yoga School Raleigh. She began to assist and teach in the Mysore room, as well as teach Ashtanga led classes.
Melissa currently lives in Savannah, Georgia. She teaches and practices with her teacher Taylor Hunt at Ashtanga Yoga Savannah. She is also in one of Taylor’s community-leveled mentorship programs. This is a 12 month commitment that involves community, connection, and accountability.
Melissa encourages everybody to come learn and explore their depths of being through the practice of Ashtanga Yoga.
Amy Jackson
Amy has been practicing Ashtanga Yoga since 2014. She began as a home practitioner when her kids were young, using videos and books to help her. Currently, Amy practices at Philadelphia Ashtanga Yoga under the guidance of her teacher, Melissa Matt. Over the past 2 years, Amy has completed the Level 1 and Level 2 Mentorship program with Taylor Hunt, preparing her to teach the practice she loves. She has been teaching evening Mysore and Led classes at PA Yoga for the past 2 years.
When she is not practicing or teaching yoga, Amy is a Special Education Teacher at a small nonprofit for kids with Autism. Her greatest accomplishment has been being a mother to her 5 sons. Amy understands the value of community and is excited to continue her yoga journey as both a student and a teacher both in person and with the online community.