Mahyar Raz is the founder, director and senior teacher of the Iyengar Yoga School of Toronto (IYST). She is no stranger to tackling such an ambitious adventure. She is also founder, director and senior teacher of the Iyengar Yoga School of Tehran, Iran, her place of birth. The latter has grown into a thriving operation with more than 500 students and 20 teachers. Mahyar's annual December return to that school is eagerly awaited during which she upgrades the teachers and conducts a variety of workshops.

She has studied with the Iyengar family in India at the Iyengar Yoga Institute in Pune (RIMYI) for more than a quarter of a century and is the only practitioner in Canada to hold Junior Advanced certification. Mahyar returns to Pune each June to learn at the foot of B.K.S. Iyengar, his daughter Geeta and son Prashant, who have been entrusted with carrying on the Iyengar tradition. Her teachings strongly reflect the influences of all three and she also provides unique, valuable insights she has absorbed simply by observing them in their personal practices.

She has completed the Modern Techniques in Medical Yoga course at Gupta Yoga Hospital in Lonavla, India . Mahyar's teaching is flavoured with a vast medical background and her classes and private one-on-one sessions are well-known for their depth of knowledge of human anatomy, illness and disease.

Mahyar has translated B.K.S. Iyengar's seminal book, Light on Pranayama into Farsi. This in itself is an exraordinary accomplishment. Explaining pranayama - by far the most complex of all yogic concepts to comprehend - to regular yoga devotees, let alone the lay person, is the most challenging of all assignments placed on the shoulders of a yogi. To have translated these exceedingly difficult to grasp ideas into another language is a testament to the depth of her understanding of yoga.

She teaches workshops and intensives across Canada , the United States and overseas. Mahyar is becoming more and more in demand as the years go by. She could teach just about every weekend in a different city, if she so desired, but she chooses to limit her engagements to a select few every year, to focus on her own students and student teachers. Her template is her school in Iran . She is devoted to building the IYST into a school of similar stature.

And last and certainly not least, Mahyar's symbolic and spiritual sensitivity has been enhanced by her longtime studies with Dr. Elahi Ghomsheie, a Sufi guru. In addition to her many and varied yogic experiences, Mahyar also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Industrial Accounting and recently obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drawing & Painting from the Ontario College of Art and Design. Many of her inspirational paintings adorn the walls of IYST side by side with pictures of Mr. Iyengar.

All of these accomplishments paint a fascinating picture of her, but they barely scratches the surface of who Mahyar is, what makes her tick and what she brings to those who study with her.

Those people who have been lucky enough to go to Pune to study with the Iyengar family say that taking a class with Mahyar is like learning yoga as it is taught in India.

Her depth of yoga knowledge is boundless and her capacity to explain things clearly uncanny. Mahyar doesn't just show students how to do a pose, she helps them understand when and why you do it. Mahyar says there is no learning without understanding. Going that extra mile to ensure that her students do understand is the hallmark of her teaching.

Each class with her is a wonderful journey -  challenging, informative and entertaining. You hate to see it end and you can't wait for the next one to begin. Meanwhile, you leave class energized and serene and ready to take on the challenges of life with new found enthusiasm and confidence.

People who study regularly with Mahyar are inspired to become teachers themselves, or add in other ways to the studio community. After receiving so much from her, students often feel the urge to give something back. Mahyar sheds light on the teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar in a way that would make him proud, if pride were a part of constitution.

The IYST grows thanks to the tireless dedication and commitment of Mahyar Raz.