COLLEEN FONTES

CERTIFIED IYENGAR YOGA TEACHER

Colleen Fontes is a certified Iyengar yoga teacher and a long standing member of the Bergen County yoga community. Her classes are attended by students of all experience levels and abilities - from brand new beginners to seasoned yoga practitioners. During the past 14 years she has taught at dance studios, churches, gyms, corporations, and schools. Her pupils have included athletes, weight lifters, dancers, senior citizens, children, university students, pregnant women, and other yoga teachers. As the former Director of Fitness and Dance at the YWCA of Bergen County, she founded the Iyengar program there which is still running.

Colleen began to practice hatha yoga during the late 1980's and had the good fortune of becoming involved in Siddha Yoga Meditation. In the early 1990's she began teaching yoga classes while studying and completing teacher training at the Himalayan Institute.

In 1997 she met her first Iyengar yoga teacher and mentor, Kim Peralta. The dynamic way of practice and teaching, the experience of meditation in action, and the study of yoga philosophy through the practice of asana was a profound experience that deeply affected her from her first lesson. Se is very grateful to have been a pupil of the late Mary Dunn, beloved senior Iyengar teacher, and has had the privilege of studying with Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar and Dr. Geeta Iyengar during their recent U.S. visits. Colleen became Iyengar certified in 1999, and is strictly and completely dedicated to teaching the Iyengar method. She currently studies with Lara Brunn in NYC, where she continues to attend workshops regularly and to be inspired.

Colleen Fontes was on the faculty of the Iyengar Yoga School of Northern NJ until its closing in 2007. As well as teaching at Individualist Yoga LLC she offers a program of Iyengar yoga classes at the Unitarian Society of Ridgewood and is available for private instruction.