ABOUT US

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Leonor Castilho

Certified teacher according to the IYENGAR® Yoga Teachers Certificate under the name of B.K.S. IYENGAR, part of an internationally regulated education community and linked to a set of rules, in order to remain faithful to her training and the teaching she regularly receives.

Born in Oporto in 1952. Teaches yoga since 2002 and is a certified teacher by the RIMYI - Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute since 2004. She did her teacher training with Patxi Lizardi and has been his student since 2001. Was the first Portuguese, residing in Portugal, to obtain the certification that allows to teach this method. Each year she travels to Pune where she attends classes at the RIMYI and also travels regularly to Madrid to attend classes with her teacher. Her path on Yoga began in 1993 with a different Yoga method and from 1996 she dedicated herself totally to IYENGAR® Yoga. Has a degree in Philosophy by the Oporto University and worked in a bank for several years. Has a strong affinity with India, its philosophy, its people, costumes and traditions and with Yoga. Since 1996 regularly travels to the 'subcontinent'. In the first years the North and the charismatic places of Buddhism were the destination. Later on she found the magical place with the Indian saint Sri Ramana Maharshi lived in Tiruvannamalai, south of India. After having been admitted to the RIMYI classes in 2007 and being Yoga the priority, all travels were then to Pune. She loves reading and poetry. Herberto Helder and Herman Hesse were read and re-read for years; nowadays the books that she is passionate about are about IYENGAR® Yoga, personal development and alternative therapies. She loves helping everyone that comes to her and does it continuously through Yoga. Teaching was the way she found to give others a tool that completely transformed the perspective and the way she sees life. Leonor believes that IYENGAR® Yoga has practically all ingredients for a balanced and enjoyable life and helps to go through the complicated phases that inevitably are part of life, with serenity.

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A bit of our story - about the Centro Iyengar Yoga Porto (2002-2020)

The Centro IYENGAR® Yoga Porto was the first centre open in Portugal for the exclusive teaching of IYENGAR® Yoga. It opened in 2002 as “Centro de Yoga Patanjali” and in 2020 - the year of its 18th celebration - had to turn this page of its history and end the chapter of being an Iyengar Yoga centre. Over all these years, the centre had classes with the certified teachers Leonor Castilho, Joana McAlister and Dan Mcalister. Many students were also a big part of it, and all together were part of a growing community dedicated to teach, study and promote Yoga according to the teachings of Yogacharya Sri B.K.S. Iyengar. The centre was located in Porto, on Rua do Campo Alegre, had a big open space with direct sunlight and was totally equiped with all the props created by Guruji BKS Iyengar - ropes on the walls, blankets, pillows, belts, blocks, benches, trestle and others.
The centre had daily classes for different levels and over the years also promoted various workshops and trainings, with the participation of Iyengar Yoga teachers from Spain and UK.

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Joana McAlister
Born in Oporto in 1975, is married and has two children. Has a degree in Financial Management. She began practicing IYENGAR® Yoga to correct some back issues resulting from previous sports practice. Completed her Teacher Training in Paris with Faeq Biria and became a IYENGAR® Yoga Certified Teacher in 2007. She took part in Teacher's Education Sessions and in exams of subsequent levels. 
In her path as a teacher she has had the chance to collaborate with IPO do Porto (Portuguese Oncology Institute of Oporto), with the faculties of Fine Arts, Sciences and Engineering of the Oporto University as well as with the Teatro Nacional de S. João (National Theatre of S. João). In addition to studying Yoga she loves to read about Education, Food and Healthy Life Styles.  

Dan McAlister
Dan is a musician and a composer. IYENGAR® Yoga influenced him deeply as a musician. He was drawn to the IYENGAR® method mainly due to the excellent teachings from his teacher Jayne Orton, in England. After years of practice he began to appreciate more deeply the genius of BKS Iyengar, through the system of teaching he created and the precise and simple way through which the great master accessed (and so allowed us to access) the science of Yoga structured by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras. Dan particularly likes Bach and finds the same logical and precise methodology of IYENGAR® Yoga in the balance of the great composer's music.