Get to Know Grace Stephenson – Your Memphis Yoga & Wellness Instructor
Hello, I’m Grace Stephenson, a yoga teacher based in Germantown, TN, serving the greater Memphis area.
Before moving to Germantown, I lived in Germany for 10 years, where I completed a four-year yoga teacher training at Yogaschule Miltenberg “Der Indische Weg” (The Indian Way) under Barbara Nagel. This intensive program included over 800 credit hours and was rooted in the classical yoga tradition of T. Krishnamacharya and T.K.V. Desikachar.
I’ve always been fascinated by the human body and mind. That passion first led me to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and later to deepen my study through yoga. When I began practicing, I loved how yoga made my body feel — stretched, strengthened, and energized. Over time, my training revealed that yoga is much more than physical postures. It is about the profound connection between body, breath, and mind.
For me, the true purpose of yoga is not just to tone or stretch muscles, but to use the body as a tool to quiet the mind and explore deeper layers of the self. My goal as a teacher in Germantown and Memphis is to help students experience this balance — building strength and flexibility while cultivating inner calm and clarity.
“Yogaścittavṛttinirodhaḥ”
“Yoga is quieting the movements of the mind.”
—Patanjali's Yogasutra Yoga
Yoga is an ancient practice that originated in India. It includes self-reflection, physical postures (āsana), breathing techniques (prāṇāyāma), meditation, mantra, and mudras.
In my teaching, I focus especially on the breath—noticing its natural rhythm, exploring the relationship between movement and breath, and learning how to control and deepen it. The breath is our life-force (prāṇa) and serves as the bridge between body and mind. Through this connection, yoga becomes more than physical exercise; it becomes a path to inner awareness and balance.
