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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Ana-Mari Hamada
“There is only one Creation and we are its members. “ Wendell Berry The practice of yoga for me is a daily exploration and remembrance of the... 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
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
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
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
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
Athena Pappas
I began practicing yoga when I was 18. Feeling better physically and mentally keep me coming back to my mat day after day. Yoga has brought me inner peace and... 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Take a Workshop! Join a Community Event!
Pranayama in the Morning: A Five-Day Class for Six Months’ Practice with Victoria Austin
April 22, 2019
Pranayama, the communion of life energy and breath, is best learned through several days’ progressive study. This intimate, joyful, refined subject is suitable for experienced practitioners for whom the effort of asana practice has matured. Work
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Arm Balances & Backward Extensions: A Weekend Workshop with David Sirgany
April 26, 2019
The focus of this practice intensive weekend will be on the foundational and intermediate arm balances & back extensions. Key principles of the Iyengar Yoga method will be explored including action, extension and balance. Emphasis will be on est
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How to Use the Ropes: Exploration of Basic Asanas with Sachiko Willis
May 4, 2019
Ropes are wonderful tool for our asana practice and there are many ways to utilize them. Usage of the ropes not only help us create stability, traction and freedom in our body, but also guide us into developing deeper awareness and intelligence
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Yogathon 2019! with IYISF Teachers
June 1, 2019
Established 45 ago as one of the first non-profit organizations dedicated to the practice of and teaching of yoga in the United States, IYISF is recognized as one of the country’s pioneering yoga schools. It has trained some of the best-known yo
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