Kristal Clark Member of the BKS Iyengar Yoga Teachers' Association

Kristal Clark

yoga teacher

My studio in Leeds 8

Iyengar yoga posture


Iyengar yoga posture


Iyengar yoga posture


Iyengar yoga posture


Iyengar yoga posture

My yoga practice started in the 1970s when I bought a book and began to find out about yoga. I would leaf through the book trying different postures, then I came across my first and only yoga class which consisted of relaxing, meditation and some postures. I was amazed by how relaxed I felt afterwards so my book became an extra resource. Both meditation and yoga poses helped me during my university exam finals.
I then came upon an adult education class which was held in a local and rather cold school hall and it was this experience that ignited my passion for the subject - my thanks go to Lorna Walker who was the teacher. I was one of about 25 students and she had us stretching and jumping and twisting and then lying down to relax - wonderful! The class left me feeling that I had stretched parts of me that I had never stretched before and I felt a good sense of balanced well-being.

The classes I attended in the school hall happened to be Iyengar Yoga which I did not know until some time later and I was not aware of any other style of yoga at that time. I eventually found the Iyengar Yoga Institute in Maida Vale and started attending several classes a week for many years.
I completed a 2-year preparation and a 2-year training at the Maida Vale Institute in 1993 and spent 3 weeks in Pune attending a daily Intensive Course. Since then, I taught weekly classes at the Iyengar Institute for 4 years, and also at private fitness centres, public gyms and sports centres. In 1996 I relocated to West Yorkshire where I teach 5- 6 weekly classes in small groups. I decided that teaching in local gyms and fitness centres with large classes of people who dropped in and out was not the best way for students to learn or for me to teach. I therefore started teaching small groups. Yoga is best taught individually so that specific needs are dealt with but as this is not always possible, my small classes are a good substitute.

My aim is to provide a safe space where you can explore your physical possibilities and limitations. My classes are small and relaxed so that we can sometimes have a discussion about a specific point.

I hold teaching certificates for Introductory and Intermediate levels in Iyengar Yoga and a Teaching Diploma in Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. I have recently been training at Advanced Intermediate level.
I hold a certification for Pranayama (yoga breathing) after following a one year training.
I draw from the experience of many teachers and I am committed to my on-going personal learning through yoga. I participate in Iyengar teachers' workshops and Iyengar 're-accreditation' sessions.

I have worked with numerous teachers over the years both Iyengar and non-Iyengar and have learnt a great deal from all of them. Among them I give my thanks to: my very first Iyengar teach Lorna Walker, my initial trainer and regular Intermediate teacher - Mira Mehta, and others: Donna Holleman, Shandor Remete, Pixie Lilias, Faeq Biria, Christian Pisano, Mr. Iyengar, Philip Xerri, the late Derek Ireland and many others in the circuit.

Kristal Clark
BKSIYTA and Yoga Alliance Registered