Kim Godsen & Irene Leat

I started with Matt on the Shore and then moved to Newmarket, I thought Mike was a remarkable teacher and appreciated his total dedication to yoga. His pranayama teaching was deep and enduring; it has assisted me many times with subsequent teachers to hold and deepen asanas.  Sometimes Mike’s classes went on longer than the time allowed, he simply had to get through everything.  When I started the self practice at the Newmarket studio I would spend hours to try and do the whole gamut of back/forward/standing/inversions etc. So exhausting, but utterly stood me in good stead for later. I am very grateful to you Mike. Much appreciation and love. 
- Kim

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 I started yoga with Mike in late 90's shortly before giving up shift work to stay at home . I went to his Takapuna classes. Only expected to do a beginner's course but I continued on for many years. Even long after Takapuna place was closed down. Despite traffic and parking problems, I drove to Newmarket every Friday without fail. That was the best time of my life. I even managed to get to Newmarket two evenings a week. So I practiced under Mike 3 times a week for many years. I even bought unlimited ticket to his practice. He is awesome teacher and he has the knowledge too. I like his style so much that until today, I cannot find any yoga teacher as good as Mike. Sadly I stopped doing yoga for many years now. My eldest son, Ali used to go with me too. In 2003, Ali broke his left hand during his final National competition in Judo. It was with Mike's help that Ali avoided surgery to recover. Under Mike's supervision and teaching, Ali got his hand healed perfectly doing yoga. I'm forever grateful to those beautiful years of practicing yoga under Mike's fantastic knowledge and dedication to yoga. When I think of yoga, I think of no one, not even Iyengar but Mike!
​I last spoke to Mike on the phone after my son, Ali took his life in Bulgaria on 3 Feb 2014 while trying to qualify for Commonwealth Games in that same year. Mike had a lot of time for Ali and I felt that I owed it to Mike to let him know that Ali had taken his life. Thank you Nicole for doing this for Mike. You are amazing ❤️❤️❤️❤️
- Irene 

When we went out of an asana too soon for Mike he would say “what, you want a cup of tea now?”  We didn't like doing certain poses that caused too much pain, if one of us came out too early, he would make the whole class do it all over again:(:(.  We had the best shavasana but if we started snoring, he would kick our feet!!!!  If we were rough with the equipments, he would say to us “do you want me to come to your house and trash your furniture?”


Sometimes, Mike would sit on our back while we were in cross leg and he would start chatting to the whole class, he actually forgot that he was sitting on us!  And in the meantime, we would be thinking “I’m in agony, please shut up and get off me!”.


I got caught chewing gum when arriving in class one day and got told off severely in front of everyone.  


Kim and I always loved to have our coffee fixes after our yoga sessions but Mike is such a purist about organic food, and simple living, we were too scared to get caught so we made sure we drove to another suburb.  


We really love his dry English humour and we miss it to this day even though we were so embrassed when we got told off! ​

- Irene and Kim