Barbara Steif took her first Iyengar yoga class in a walkup apartment in New York City in the 1980s and immediately felt at home. As her practice deepened, her desire to teach grew, and in 2008 she became a certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor. Barb traveled to India to study with the Iyengars at the Institute in Pune in 2007 and plans to return there in 2010. She continues to study with senior Iyengar yoga instructors and particularly enjoys week-long Iyengar Intensives at the Feathered Pipe Ranch in Montana every July.

About her philosophy of teaching, Barb says: "As a teacher, I hope to convey that yoga is a process, a progressive interplay between stability and movement, stasis and growth. In every class, I want students to learn something about the powerful interaction between body and mind. Yoga practice should be enjoyable in the sense that it challenges us to wake up – physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually -- as well as teaches us how better to relax. It should be fun and, at times, profound, helping us to be more open, inclusive, and curious about life."

Barb brings aliveness, warmth, and depth of understanding to her teaching. She integrates classical yoga philosophy, humor, and respect for individual needs in her classes. She credits Iyengar yoga with helping her overcome a serious childhood leg injury and providing the basis for her view that everyone can benefit from Iyengar Yoga, no matter what their limitations may be.

Barb also maintains her first career as a clinical psychologist and finds balance in the interweaving of yoga and psychology. In her free time, she is amused by her dogs, Mr. Tucker Upper (also known as Tuck) and Goodness Gracious (also known as Gracie), who are masters at living in the present.