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Teacher Biographies
BKS Iyengar Yoga Centers of San Diego
Mary Obendorfer & Eddy Marks | Beth Birenbaum | Jay Budai | Cyndy Cordle |
Elaine Hall | Rob Harris | Kim Kolibri | Pat McLoughlin | Vince Valente
Mary Obendorfer & Eddy Marks, Co-Directors
Mary & Eddy direct the BKS Iyengar Yoga Centers of San Diego with locations in Normal Heights and Ocean Beach. From 2003-2004 they spent a year in India studying with the Iyengars in Pune, India. They are Senior level Iyengar teachers certified by Mr. Iyengar to teach. They adhere strictly to his methodology and continue their education by studying 2 months every year in India with the Iyengars. Eddy is a Senior level certified Iyengar Teacher, has been to India 12 times and has practiced yoga for 32 years (1976). He has been a presenter for the Yoga Journal conferences. He is currently an assessor for the National Board for Iyengar Yoga Teacher Certification. He has a degree from UCLA in Kinesiology (the study of human movement) and teaches anatomy & physiology for yoga practitioners. Before he moved to San Diego he was employed as an exercise physiologist and taught yoga in the cardiac rehabilitation program of the famous Pritikin Longevity Center. There with the guidance of Mr Iyengar, he was the first to introduce yoga for cardiac rehabilitation which was a great success. He has served as president of his local association (IYASC) and has been a board member on the national association (IYNAUS). See his schedule at the Normal Heights location. Mary is a Senior level certified Iyengar Teacher, has been to India 12 times and has been practicing yoga for 27 years (1981). She is currently an assessor for the National Board for Iyengar Yoga Teacher Certification. She was one of the few people from around the world to attend the invitation only Back Bend intensive given directly by Mr. Iyengar. She also worked with Dr. Mary Schatz in India documenting the therapeutic yoga that Mr Iyengar is so famous for. She has served as president of her local association (IYASC). See her schedule at the Ocean Beach location. Together they own and direct the BKS Iyengar Yoga Centers of San Diego which has been in existence for 29 years (est. 1979). At their center they conduct the rigorous 2 year Teacher Training Course (TTC) in San Diego, California for those interested in teaching Iyengar yoga or furthering their knowledge of yoga. They conduct teacher trainings, workshops, and yoga vacations nationally & internationally. They have been instrumental in starting yoga programs in corporations through their yoga demonstrations and by providing instructors from their Teacher Training Course. At least three new yoga centers have resulted from yoga instructors trained by them. Mary and Eddy acknowledge the governing influence of BKS Iyengar on their practice and teaching and are grateful to him for his inspired teaching, for his unending efforts to uplift the lives of all those who come in contact with him, and for always being the superlative example of a life skillfully lived. Teaching Staff Beth Birenbaum began studying Iyengar yoga in 2001 and is currently finishing the 2 year Teacher Training Course (TTC) here at the Center. Before teaching yoga, Beth taught gymnastics, surfing and snowboarding. She is full of life and intent on bringing yoga’s life-enhancing benefits to her students. Jay Budai has been practicing Iyengar yoga since 1987. He studied Iyengar yoga in Chicago before moving to San Diego in 1999 where he completed the 2 year Teacher Training Course (TTC) taught by Eddy and Mary. Jay strives to help his students find balance, strength and ease in their lives by exploring these qualities in the practice of yoga. Jay is now a certified instructor in the Iyengar method. See his schedule at the Ocean Beach and the Normal Heights locations. Cyndy Cordle has been practicing yoga in the tradition of Shri BKS Iyengar since 1993. She began studying here at the BKS Iyengar Yoga Centers of San Diego as a beginning student and went on to participate in the 2 year Teacher Training Course (TTC) offered at this center. She is now a certified instructor in the Iyengar method and has been a teacher at the center since 1998. Jennifer Gold has been studying Iyengar Yoga with Eddy and Mary since 2000. She completed the 2 year Teacher Training Course (TTC) with Eddy and Mary and has been apprenticeing with Mary since 2006. She started doing yoga due to a back injury but has also discoverd that yoga helps her mentally and spiritually as well. Her students tell her they like her classes because she is encouraging and her instructions are clear. See her schedule at the Ocean Beach location. Elaine Hall is a certified Iyengar yoga teacher who has been practicing Iyengar yoga since 1995. She was first introduced to Yoga in the mid-seventies. In 1993 when she came to California, it became very clear to her that she needed to get back to Yoga in a serious way. As fate would have it, she ended up renting a guest house from a certified Iyengar yoga teacher. It was definitely a case of "when the student is ready the teacher will appear." She immediately embraced the technique and philosophy behind the Iyengar teachings. Observing all the benefits that she has experienced from her own practice the path became clear to teach and share. Elaine has completed the 2 year Teacher Training Course (TTC) with Eddy Marks and Mary Obendorfer and travelled to Pune in 2005 to study with the Iyengars & is looking forward to returning in late 2008. See her schedule at the Ocean Beach location. Rob Harris began his practice of yoga when he received a gift certificate for 4 classes at the BKS Iyengar Yoga Centers as a Christmas present. It must have come at a perfect time in his life because it has become a passion for him to say the least! Within the first year he had enrolled in the intensive 2 year Teacher Training Course (TTC) taught by Eddy and Mary. He is finishing his second year of the course and we are pleased to offer him an opportunity to teach here at the center. A husband, father of two, construction foreman and avid surfer - Rob brings a lot of energy to his classes. See his schedule at the Ocean Beach location. Kim Kolibri is a certified Iyengar yoga teacher who has been practicing Iyengar yoga since 1997. She completed the 2 year Teacher Training Course (TTC) taught by Eddy and Mary and started teaching in 2000. Prior to her discovery of Yoga, Kim coached and participated in competitive sports. Kim embarked on her first journey to India to study at RIMYI in 2005 and will be returning again in 2008. While yoga is her primary subject, she continues her studies in anatomy, physiology, psychology, religion, and nutrition. She is also the business manager of the BKS Iyengar Yoga Centers of San Diego. Kim's classes are friendly and enthusiastic. See her schedule at the Ocean Beach location. Pat McLoughlin Pat McLoughlin has been practicing Iyengar yoga for over 10 years she has completed the 2 year Teacher Training Course (TTC) taught by Mary and Eddy. Pat's experience began as a casual interest taking one yoga class per week. Gradually her commitment to yoga deepened leading her to develop her own home practice. Having learned first-hand the benefits of Iyengar yoga at every stage of her experience, Pat looks forward to sharing those benefits with her students. Pat is now a certified instructor in the Iyengar method. See her schedule at the Ocean Beach location. Vince Valente has completed the 2 year Teacher Training Course (TTC) course here at the Center and has been practicing Iyengar yoga since 1996. He worked for several years as a personal trainer and is certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Vince holds a Masters degree in counseling psychology and is currently working toward his license in Marriage and Family Therapy. He has done research on the effects of yoga in the personal and professional lives of psychotherapists and is very interested in yoga psychology. He is a spirited teacher intent on helping his students. |
