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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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Pat currently holds the Intermediate Junior 2 Level of teacher certification. She continues her own yoga training with senior teachers in San Diego and has made multiple trips to Pune, India to study with the Iyengar family. Pat is happy to share with others the practice of Iyengar yoga with all of its many benefits in the wonderful community that is Iyengar Yoga Source.
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. After receiving her master’s degree from USC, she started a very demanding job. Fast-paced corporate life wreaked havoc on Radhika’s health but she regained it through the daily practice of yoga. Inspired by her experience to share yoga’s health benefits, she took her first teacher training class in 2013, the same year her mentor introduced her to Iyengar yoga. In order to follow her passion of teaching yoga full time, she quit her corporate job in 2017 and began practicing with and receiving mentorship from Carolyn Belko to advance her training as a teacher and earned her certification in 2019. She serves on the board of IYACSR.
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 at the center since 2003 first at Iyengar Yoga Encinitas and now at Iyengar Yoga Source. Her yoga practice has provided the physical and spiritual nourishment to lead an active life of gardening, walking and traveling. Sharing the gift of yoga with others and helping them to find a way to incorporate a yoga practice into their everyday life is her main focus.
STAN
WILLIAMS
Stan 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.
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Stan plans to continue his yoga studies with senior Iyengar teachers Carolyn Belko and Gloria Goldberg. Stan’s goal is to teach yoga joyfully in the tradition of B.K.S. Iyengar with compassion, knowing that true joy comes when a student recognizes his or her own true nature and embraces it fully, which is the very essence of yoga
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. Suneel is a CIYT at the Intermediate Junior 2 level, and immediate past president of the Iyengar Yoga Association of California Southern Region.
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. They continue to practice “family style” yoga at home together. She is the Vice President of IYACSR. Stephanie is inspired by the dynamic changes that occur with a daily practice and teaches her students how to cultivate a home practice. She teaches students how to practice yoga and how to be open to receive the many benefits that Iyengar yoga provides. Her classes are playful, precise, and encouraging.
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 and started teaching in January 2012. Heidi teaches in a dynamic, friendly manner and presents artistic poses. Certified since 2013, Heidi has been to India and studied with the Iyengars.
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 and from some of the experienced teachers at the center - Heidi and Suneel.Sri has completed the teacher training program under Carolyn and is now a CIYT at Intro I and II level.
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. The quality and precision of the teaching immediately captivated her and she has devoted her practice to Guruji’s teachings. She received her CIYT in 2017 and completed the three year Iyengar Yoga Therapeutics program. Bonnie continues to train and assist in weekly therapy classes. She also studies sacred chant with Gitte Bechsgaard of Toronto, Canada.
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. She is currently studying under the guidance of Carolyn Belko and shares her experience with the students in a precise and compassionate way.
“Yoga is a transformative journey for me, it has different meaning every day - wholeness, discipline, humbleness, discovery, art. It gives courage, clarity and joy. I believe that everyone is able to explore the gifts yoga has to offer, as a method and as a philosophy, and see the changes it manifests. As BKS Iyengar once said, ‘Words cannot convey the value of Yoga - it has to be experienced." Joanna is CIYT at Intro I and II level.
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. In 2014 under the guidance of Swami Brahmavidyananda Saraswati she received parampara in and meditation.
Johanne advanced her training recently graduating from Scottsdale Community College & the Iyengar Yoga Center of Scottsdale completing an Occupational Therapy Certification in Yoga based on the Iyengar Yoga Method. She served as Vice President for the IYASW in Arizona. She is currently training under the guidance of Carolyn to further advance her training as a teacher. Her classes are fun, energetic and engaging. “I am passionate about studying and teaching the impact of yoga and healthy lifestyles changes for disease management and its positive effects. I believe Yoga as a practice and philosophy contributes to our community’s overall health and wellbeing.”
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. I enjoy the form of Iyengar Yoga and the discipline of right knowing and right action. I believe the way Mr. Iyengar and his family teach asana to be the truth, the light and the very correct way to be in our bodies.
What I can say about my own style of teaching is that I take what my teachers have taught me, apply it to my body and then offer what comes out with as much sincerity and joy as I can muster up. I am currently training to become a Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher under the care of Carolyn Belko. I have never felt more alive or connected to the divinity of people as when I am teaching. I know that it is only from a place of stability and alignment that we can express ourselves fully with creativity and ease.”