Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher
About
I wasn’t always a yoga instructor…. In fact, I have been many things and strive to be many more. Once an advertising exec, working in a frenetic Creative Services and Operations Departments, my nervous system was in a constant state of a “fight-or-flight” response. Supervising tight deadlines while refining production lines became less about the creative high, and mostly about time and money. I suppressed my stress and began to develop recurring digestive issues that wreaked havoc throughout my body in different ways.
Quite by accident, I found Iyengar yoga, which is considered to be the MOST practiced form of yoga worldwide! A system that focuses on the purity and classical nature of the pose, a method that emphasizes the tradition over popular trends in yoga.
This disciplined and structured approach spoke deeply to my body, then my mind, and along the journey, my ailments began to disappear.
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Becoming an Iyengar Yoga teacher begins with a long-term and dedicated practice. After applying for and being accepted into a teacher-training program endorsed by Sri B.K.S. Iyengar, the rigorous teacher-training process, which can take up to five years begins.
An assessment process, overseen by a national association to maintain high international standards, follows the candidate's yoga journey and is carefully observed and evaluated. With as few as 375 Certified Iyengar teachers all across Canada, this system is able to maintain high standards of teaching, training, and excellence in delivering authentic yoga.
When yoga is practiced with some regularity, integrity, and with balanced sequences, this discipline can behave much like a therapeutic tool for all things body-mind-soul.
What is Iyengar Yoga?
In an Iyengar class, poses (especially standing postures) are typically held much longer than in other schools of yoga, so that practitioners can pay close attention to the precise muscular and skeletal alignment this system demands.
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Samantha Bederman is a certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher based in Toronto, Canada.
Is Iyengar Yoga Right for You?
No matter if you are a beginner or experienced in Yoga, if you're interested in starting (or deepening) your yoga practice, Iyengar yoga is one of the best yoga practices. Not only will you get a good physical workout, but you'll also learn to be more mindful and self-aware, both on and off your mat.
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Samantha Bederman is a certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher based in Toronto, Canada.
