I became interested in yoga in my early thirties seeking relief from scoliosis and pelvic pain. I found myself in San Francisco, where many gifted teachers were available. Being of a mind to organize all knowledge in structured ways, I decided to take the 500-hour teacher training program in the San Francisco Iyengar Yoga Institute in 2003, and later obtained my certification from IYNAUS. I have been practicing yoga for 22 years. I have taught public and private classes, and currently I embed yoga in my physical therapy practice.
I use yoga as part of my physical therapy practice in many ways. I incorporate Asana and Pranayama, yoga therapeutics, and yoga restoratives in the therapeutic exercise programs for my patients. But most importantly, I convey a kinesthetic “sense-understanding” of posture and movement that I have gained by my own journey with yoga, as well as a sense of ownership of one’s physical space in the world that transcends the performance of a pose.
Iyengar yoga
Iyengar yoga is named after his founder B.K.S Iyengar (1918-2014) who is recognized as the most influential modern Yoga master who, amongst many merits, created a unique application of Yoga to the field of therapeutics. B.K.S Iyengar’s daughter, Dr Geeta S. Iyengar (1944-2018) applied the work of his father for women and wrote, amongst others, the influential book: Yoga: A Gem for Women, a pioneering work on yoga for every stage of a woman’s life. To read more about B.K.S Iyengar, his lineage, and his yoga approach and philosophy go to https://iynaus.org/
My teachers
I was influenced by the work of many outstanding and gifted Iyengar yoga teachers, each of whom has excelled in their own fields, and here I would love to mention some of them to honor their teachings and how they influenced me:
Kathy Alef, my main teacher and tutor during my certification process, and to whom I will be forever indebted for paving the way of my understanding about how to use Yoga to manage scoliosis and back pain. Kathy’s passion, gift for explaining difficult matters with clarity and beauty, technical skills, and experience changed my life. To read more about Kathy: https://www.kalefyoga.com/
Elise Browning Miller, who is internationally recognized as a master in Yoga for scoliosis and has written numerous books on the matter. To read more about Elise: https://ebmyoga.com/
Janet Macleod, who has devoted her life to the teaching of Iyengar yoga, and whose unique style combining pristine techniques, light and joy, makes her a sought after teacher everywhere in the world. To read more about Janet: http://www.jmacleodyoga.com/
Jaki Nett, senior teacher who, through her own path of recovery from fibroids has contributed enormously to the understanding of the pelvic floor and Yoga. She has patented her own method to bring consciousness and strength to the pelvic floor, which she describes in her book “The Felt Sense Method: A Holistic Approach to Managing Incontinence”. To read more about Jaki: https://www.iynv.com/jaki-2/
Shosan Victoria Austin, zen priest and senior yoga teacher, whose presence and unique blend of Yoga and Zen illuminates both traditions for her students.Victoria’s pranayama classes are inspirational. To read more about Victoria: http://victoriaaustin.org/about-victoria/
Judith Hanson Lasater, who is also a physical therapist, has written numerous articles and books on Yoga, and Yoga and therapeutics. To read more about Judith: https://www.judithhansonlasater.com/
Thank You