Yoga Teacher Training Teachers

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Eileen Muir – Principal Instructor / Director

Eileen Muir began her yoga training in 1969 at the age of 13, and her studies led her to India, China, and Japan. She has been devoted to studying and teaching the Iyengar method since 1983 and is a 20-year practitioner of Vipassana meditation. In addition to being a Yoga Alliance certified teacher, Eileen is also an AOBTA-certified instructor of Shiatsu therapy and she teaches a year-long 200-hour teacher training program and a 300-hour advanced teacher training. Eileen’s teaching is infused with the passion and understanding that comes from her commitment to yoga as a spiritual path to relieve suffering. Each class is an exploration into stillness, moving from gross to subtle while gently penetrating the layers of our being. She brings compassion and vitality to her classes along with close attention to every student. A native of Scotland, Eileen also brings a lively Celtic spirit and humor to her teaching.

Edwin Bryant – Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Edwin Bryant received his Ph.D in Indic languages and Cultures from Columbia University. He taught Hinduism at Harvard University for three years, and is presently the professor of Hinduism at Rutgers University where he teaches courses on Hindu philosophy and religion. He has received numerous awards and fellowships, published six books and authored a number of articles on Vedic history, yoga, and the Krishna tradition. In addition to his academic work for the scholarly community, Edwin’s Penguin World Classics translation of the Srimad Bhagavata Purana, the traditional source for the story of Krishna’s incarnation, is both for Indology specialists as well as students and those interested in Hinduism from the general reading public and the yoga community.

As a personal practitioner of yoga for 28 years, a number of them spent in India studying with traditional teachers, where he returns yearly, Edwin strives to combine academic scholarship and rigor with sensitivity towards traditional knowledge systems. In addition to his academiccourse load, Edwin currently teaches workshops on the Yoga Sutras, Bhagavad Gita, and Hindu Philosophy at yoga studios and teacher training courses throughout the country. His translation of and commentary on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (North Point Press, a division of Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2009) is specifically dedicated to contributing to the growing body of literature on yoga by providing insights from the major pre-modern commentaries on the text with a view to grounding the teachings in their traditional context.

Qurban Khalsa – Yoga Philosophy

Qurban Khalsa has been studying, practicing and teaching yoga for over 30 years. He spent 20 years living in an ashram, where he practiced Bhakti yoga, Karma yoga, and Jnana yoga. He believes yoga asana is too often taught with no real understanding of the goal of yoga, and he is passionate about integrating the eight limbs of yoga as both an ancient mystical path and as a practical guide for modern living. Qurban has a degree in psychology, an MBA, and has completed teacher training at Karuna.

Megan Frazier – Experiential Anatomy

Megan Frazier has always loved the exploration of the body, both as a dancer and as an anatomist. She holds an MS in physical therapy as well as an MFA in Dance and a BS in biology. She currently practices physical therapy in both pediatric and geriatric settings, and is an adjunct neuroanatomy instructor at Springfield College. Megan was first introduced to yoga in high school by her modern dance teacher, and finds that yoga practice deeply enhances her anatomical exploration.

Mark Hart – Insight Meditation

Mark Hart has practiced Insight Meditation since 1981, studying primarily at Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts. Since 2000 has also studied with teachers of non-dual awareness, including Adyashanti, and has incorporated that into his teaching. He is guiding teacher of the Bodhisara Dharma Community in Amherst, Massachusetts, on the teacherÕs council at Insight Pioneer Valley in Easthampton, and is the adjunct religious advisor to Buddhist students at Amherst College. Mark holds a Ph.D. in theology and an MA in counseling and has a private practice of psychotherapy in Amherst.