TEACHING TEAM

Pat McLoughlin

Pat McLoughlin began her Iyengar yoga practice in 1987. She enjoyed the benefits that weekly yoga classes brought to her and over time she developed her own home practice and eventually trained to become an Iyengar certified instructor.

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Radhika Ponda

Radhika Ponda has practiced yoga since early childhood. Growing up in India, it was part of the regular school curriculum. Yoga taught Radhika the importance of discipline; it also helped her channel her overflowing energy in the right direction and helped her focus

Heidi Smith

Heidi Smith has been studying yoga since the late 90’s, and shares her love of the subject. Soon after learning Iyengar Yoga she felt the fit, trained at the Center, then started teaching in January 2012.

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Bonnie Szumski

Bonnie Szumski was introduced to Iyengar yoga over a decade ago when she took a yoga workshop from Carolyn Belko at the Plunge in San Diego.

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Judy Harper

Judy Harper has been practicing Iyengar yoga since 1981 and teaching since 1993. Judy became a certified teacher in 2003. She has taught Monday classes since Iyengar Yoga Encinitas opened in 2003.

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Sri Kota

Born in South India, Sri was exposed to the Yoga philosophies and practice at a very young age. After moving to San Diego in 2014, Sri got the rare privilege of deepening his practice in the Iyengar method under the guidance of Carolyn

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Stan Williams

Stan Williams discovered and began practicing yoga in 1976 while a student at La Salle College in his hometown of Philadelphia. He’s successfully completed the rigorous, as well as in-depth, three-year Iyengar Yoga Teacher Training Program in San Diego.

Johanne Lauktien

Johanne Lauktien, E-RYT200, RYT-500 began her Iyengar yoga practice in 2012 while living in London. She continued to immerse herself studying Sanskrit and yoga for Stress Management at the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre London.

Suneel Sundar

Suneel studied with the Iyengar family in India and during their visits to the US. In the practice of asana, he tells stories, gets your body moving, and introduces the philosophy that underlies the true teaching of yoga.

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Stephanie Lavender

Stephanie has been practicing yoga for 20 years and has been studying under Carolyn’s guidance since 2008. Stephanie is certified at the Intermediate Junior 1 level. Stephanie, her husband Suneel, and their daughter Anjali traveled to Pune to study at Mr. Iyengar’s home institute in 2010.

Joanna Haszek

Inspired by “Light on Yoga,” Joanna took her first yoga class in 2002. Over the years she became a keen student of the Iyengar method and has been fortunate to attend classes and workshops with many gifted and enthusiastic Iyengar teachers.

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Courtney Yezzi

In Courtney Yezzi yoga teacher’s words: " I am happy to help and eager to teach what I know. I am lucky to have learned the art of asana from some very solid people. I enjoy studentship and my favorite style of learning is  Iyengar Yoga. 

Owner Carolyn Belko

Carolyn Belko, Director, studied numerous times on monthly sabbaticals with Yoga Master B.K.S. Iyengar at his Institute in India. She was assessed by him and received  Senior Intermediate Level III Certification from him directly in 2010.

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Carolyn’s insight in practice and the art of teaching offers one steady guidance on the yoga path. Through her compassionate teaching, one experiences the artistry of sequencing, carrying one to new realms, all the while providing the practical living philosophy of yoga.