Who we are

We are a diverse community of teachers and students practicing yoga together in the Iyengar tradition. At JLYC we are passionate about yoga because we believe that yoga offers a tangible, rapid improvement in quality of life on a variety of levels.

Yoga was designed to address the whole person. At JLYC we endeavor to create classes that not only strengthen and stretch muscles, but relieve stress, support the immune system and healthy organ function and give students practical tools that will help improve their quality of life physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

The teachers at JLYC are committed to the highest standards of teaching. Through daily personal practice and on-going professional education, our teachers pursue the path of classical yoga with an emphasis on its relevance to contemporary life. We study and teach the Iyengar method of yoga, which specializes in adapting yoga for individual needs. The teachers at JLYC provide an environment for learning, both safe and supportive, that invites a growing curiosity and a deepening exploration of yoga.

We invite you to join us, regardless of age or ability. We hope you find your experience of yoga as transformational as we do.

Explanation of Classes

Yoga, like much of life, is a continual process of learning and growth. We have structured our program to reflect a progression based on experience, depth of understanding and skill level. This natural progression provides a foundation for growth based on the previous level. Although we have provided guidelines, we encourage you to move from one level to the next at your own pace. Always feel free to ask the advice of your instructor or give our office a call if you are uncertain which level is most appropriate for you.

Level 1: Introduction for beginning students or students new to the Iyengar method. Emphasis is on the fundamentals of alignment through stretching and strengthening to achieve balance. Focus on basic postures, with special attention to standing poses and breath.

Level 2: For students who have completed a minimum of one year of Iyengar yoga. A wider range of basic poses including standing poses, beginning inversions, back arches, forward bends and twists will be introduced and refined. How to link these poses into home practice sequences will be addressed. This will assist you in bringing the benefits of yoga into your daily life.

Level 3: For students who have taken level 2 for at least one year: you should be able to do headstand (at the wall), full arm balance against the wall, shoulder stand, and back arches from the floor. In addition to refining familiar poses, variations of the inversions as well as more challenging back arches and twists will be explored. As understanding of the poses deepens, the inner experience of yoga reveals itself.

Gentle Yoga: The gentle class is offered for students who want a slower paced, less rigorous class. Focus is on increasing mobility and flexibility while enhancing physical and mental vitality. Ideal for seniors.

Yoga for MS
Barbara Steif
Tuesdays • 10:00 - 11:30 am • $185
Location: Sunset Yoga Center, 10200 SW Eastridge St., #125, Portland

This class is designed specifically for people with multiple sclerosis or other diseases that may limit strength, mobility and/or balance. This ongoing class will focus on increasing range of motion and balance, and maintaining the healthy functions of the internal organs. Personal attention will be emphasized and sequences will be modified to accommodate individuals' varying needs.

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Special Classes

Early Morning Immersion Series
Tonya Garreaud
April 14 – May 2 • 6:30 – 8:00 am • $168
Four days a week: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday

The immersion series offers students the opportunity to discover the value of consistent, uninterrupted practice. When we practice yoga daily, we are rewarded with physical change and a deeper understanding of ourselves. The focus of this immersion will be on exploring the gunas, the qualities of nature, and how they manifest themselves in the asanas and in life. We will use the practice of the standing poses, inversions, twists, forward bends and back arches to examine the gunas and our ability to work with them on and off the mat.