Meet Our Teachers
We’re proud to introduce our Certified Iyengar Yoga Teachers (CIYT). Every teacher at IYISF continues their studies with teachers in the direct lineage of B.K.S. Iyengar and is certified in the Iyengar Method. Earning an Introductory level of certification represents approximately 800 hours of training. Achieving Junior and Senior levels constitutes thousands of hours of dedication, study and practice.
Sharon Hawley
“…Balance is the state of the present – the here and now. If you balance in the present, you are living in Eternity.” B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on Life,... more
Patti Martin
Patti Martin is a warm, encouraging and upbeat teacher who inspires confidence in her students to explore their potentials. Patti is inclusive and respects... more
Kathy Alef
I am inspired by the profound and sensitive teaching of yoga master B.K.S. Iyengar and his children, Geetaji and Prashantji. My regular visits to Pune enrich... more
Osha Hanfling
Osha has been studying and teaching in the Iyengar system since 1984. She has studied in Pune with the Iyengars twice, has attended most of the conventions and... more
Victoria Austin
I began practicing yoga in 1971, after a near-death experience showed me some home truths about my limitations and delusions. In 1983, I came to IYISF to do... more
Chad Balch
I bring to my teaching an enthusiastic belief in yoga as a practice that can infuse each moment of our daily lives and bring gifts of personal transformation,... more
Anne Barbaret
I got interested in yoga when I saw someone practicing yoga on the beach with the San Francisco Bay as the background - she was an Iyengar teacher, who like... more
Nathan Blum
I value yoga because it allows us to explore and expand the boundaries of our bodies and mind. The short term benefits are immediate, and the long term... more
Nora Burnett
I bring to my teaching a warm heart, knowledge of anatomy and well-being informed by 30 years of practicing and teaching Iyengar Yoga, plus an intention to... more
Maria Calabria
I fell in love with yoga in 1985 and began studying Iyengar yoga in 1996. From my native Argentina, I also hold degrees in physical education and Expression... more
Rita Cruz
My first introduction to yoga and to the teachings of B.K.S Iyengar was in 1993. It was what I found to be the best method of healing for my back issues due to... more
Jeanne Elliott
I wrapped my arms around Iyengar yoga over 20 years ago. I am grateful for my excellent teachers who inspire me. The excitement I feel in practicing yoga... more
Yelena Faynburd
When I was a child I had a hand typed book about a sickly boy, who ran away from his home village in India to live with ascetics. They taught him to meditate... more
Ana-Mari Hamada
Since 1996 the practice of yoga has been a daily exploration and remembrance of the value of understanding who I am. I am inspired by the Iyengar method, the... more
Brian Hogencamp
I aim to bring a spark of yoga to each student through the teachings that I’ve received in the Iyengar tradition. These teachings have been filtered through... more
Magi Khoo
Yoga has brought joy, ease, and freedom to Magi’s life: balancing a hectic corporate life and grad school over a decade ago, to recovering from a motorcycle... more
Sandy Lamerson
Iyengar yoga has helped me to establish personal discipline, self-awareness, greater health and balance in body and mind. I trained to teach at the Iyengar... more
Janet MacLeod
I fell in love with Iyengar Yoga while living in London, England. I moved to California in the late 70’s and enrolled in the teacher training program at the... more
Theresa Marks
Nothing makes me happier than finding new ways to transform myself. Always a seeker, I lived in a commune for years, became a Registered Nurse and then a... more
Jaki Nett
I took my first yoga class in 1975 and received my first certification in 1977 with Indra Devi, the only non-Indian female who studied under Tirumalai... more
Mimi Pajo
I was amazed when I found that my yoga practice helped manage both my depression and my chronic tendonitis and bursitis. Iyengar Yoga is for everyone and I... more
Athena Pappas
Athena has been practicing yoga since 1989; she is a Senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher with twenty years of teaching experience. Athena’s teachings inspire... more
Renee Razzano
I am inspired by a quote from Bessel van der Kolk, MD: “Once you start approaching your body with curiosity rather than with fear, everything shifts.” I... more
Anne Saliou
By sharing my experience and knowledge of Yoga, anatomy and philosophy in a precise, creative and supportive fashion, I strive to help my students achieve... more
David Sirgany
The conjunction of the seer with the seen is for the seer to discover his own true nature –Yoga Sutra II.23. I am inspired by the inner light that practice... more
Julia Sterling
I discovered yoga after a long relationship with dance and movement and was immediately drawn to its rejuvenating properties. I’ve always been inspired by... more
Valerie Velardi
As a child, I enjoyed all forms of movement. I received a Masters Degree in Dance Arts from Mills College and I danced and taught until 1983 when I found... more
Sachiko Nishizawa Willis
As a teenager in Japan, I was fascinated by a yoga book my mother gave me, but it took 20 years and a foreign land for me to begin the practice in earnest.... more
Take a Workshop! Join a Community Event!
Garth McLean: Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s, or other neurological and movement challenges
February 21, 2020
Ambulatory students with Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s or other neurological or movement challenges are welcome on one or all of Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday classes. Though individual cases vary, symptoms manifest in similar ways. Base
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Dynamics of Practice with Brian Hogencamp
February 24, 2020
We learn what to learn in the classroom. Our personal practice transforms what is learned into our own experience, opening the doorway to the vastness of the subject of yoga. Not sure how to practice? Seeking guidance and motivation? Already pra
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Yoga for Sciatica Kathy Alef and Guest: Candy Doran, PT
February 29, 2020
This workshop will include a brief and basic introduction to the anatomy of the Sciatic Nerve with Physical Therapist Candy Doran. Kathy Alef will teach how to elongate the spine and how to lengthen and soften the column of muscles that supports
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Winter Introductory Course with Sandy Lamerson
February 8, 2020
This 8-week Introductory Course is designed to provide a solid foundation in the Iyengar method of yoga. It is recommended for students new to yoga or to the Iyengar method. Students will learn basic actions in the introductory asana, develop st
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