We were lucky to catch up with Todd McLaughlin recently and have shared our conversation below.
Todd, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.
One of my biggest risks was opening our yoga studio 20 years ago.
Todd, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Todd and Tamara McLaughlin, founders and directors of Native Yoga Center in Juno Beach, Florida, have been dedicated to teaching and sharing yoga for over two decades. Since opening their doors in 2006, they have built a thriving community rooted in tradition, consistency, and personal connection—all from the same beloved studio location for the past 20 years.
With a global teaching background spanning the United States, Australia, Thailand, and India, Todd and Tamara bring a wealth of experience to their students. Both are Experienced Registered Yoga Teachers (E-RYT 500) with Yoga Alliance and have studied extensively with some of the most respected teachers in the world. Their Ashtanga training includes studies with K. Pattabhi Jois and Sharath Rangaswamy in Mysore, India, as well as years of mentorship with Tim Miller at the Ashtanga Yoga Center, where Todd completed teacher trainings in the Primary, Second, and Third Series. Todd also holds an advanced 800-hour certification in Philosophy, History, and Literature of Yoga from the late Georg Feuerstein, Ph.D., and Brenda Feuerstein. Together, Todd and Tamara also completed Bikram Yoga Teacher Training in 2002 and directed a Bikram Yoga College of India in San Diego before returning to Jupiter, Todd’s hometown, to establish Native Yoga Center.
Complementing their yoga teaching, Todd has been a Licensed Massage Therapist since 2000, and both he and Tamara are certified in Traditional Thai Massage through the International Training Massage School in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Todd is also a dedicated practitioner of Vipassana meditation as taught by S.N. Goenka, bringing mindfulness and depth to his teaching.
At Native Yoga Center, Todd and Tamara offer a full spectrum of classes, including Ashtanga Yoga, Native Vinyasa Flow, Gentle & Restorative Yoga and Thai Massage Certification courses. Through their long-standing commitment to yoga education, practice, and community, they have established themselves as trusted leaders in the field—guiding students locally and globally in the art and discipline of yoga.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
When COVID hit we had to get very resourceful keeping our brick and mortar space open. Going through this challenge really taught us so much about how to make things work when we felt against all odds.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
We showed up every day and taught in front of a camera and slowly rebuilt our business again from the ground up. It was really challenging to keep the momentum going when very few people were showing up. However, through consistency and dedication we are thriving and overjoyed to be celebrating 20 years as a local and global hub for authentic yoga.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nativeyogacenter.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nativeyoga/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nativeyogacenter/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-mclaughlin-503686126
- Twitter: https://x.com/nativeyoga
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/NativeYogaCenter
Image Credits
David Scarola