It's Yoga is a teacher training school attracting students from all over the world. As an internationally recognized Yoga Center, It's Yoga is honored to certify students of yoga from over 10 countries this year. Our teachers are better viewed as instructors, practicing the art of sharing their practice and bringing yoga to the masses. At times, we ask them to fill in and teach beginner classes here at It's Yoga with the belief that beginner teachers can teach beginner students, and in the end, we are all beginners of this ancient practice. The It's Yoga philosophy believes that we should only teach what we practice, and practice what we teach. We trust you will support us in giving our recent graduates the playground to explore teaching - we believe that everyone has something to give in the yoga room.

Namaste, Larry and the It's Yoga Staff
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's Yoga Instructors
Larry Schultz, Katie Cariffe, Marie Hajjar,Yariv Erez

::Larry Schultz

Larry has studied extensively under K.Pattabhi Jois of Mysore, India. Larry's Ashtanga Yoga practice of 23 years has given him a refined teaching style. His teaching style includes four basic elements: discipline, humor, generosity and kindness. Larry’s fun and modern approach to the classical Ashtanga system assists students in using the transformative power of the practice to experience personal growth, vital health and a reconnection to their inner kingdom.

As the founder of the teacher training program, he is amazed at how international and well received the It’s Yoga Teacher Training Program has become.  Larry brings his evolving practice to the circle.  His love of teaching shines in the training program as he shares his expertise on manifesting your dreams and sequencing the art of living. His abillity to captivate and inspire is endless. 

::Katie Cariffe

Katie Cariffe has been practicing Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga since 1993 when she took her first yoga class with K. Pattabhi Jois. In this class, her journey with yoga began. She arrived at It's Yoga in 1994 and immediately knew she found home. She graduated from the It's Yoga Teacher Training program in 1997 and hasn't looked back since. She began teaching yoga full time in 1998 and has been Director of the Teacher Training program since 2000, Katie used the birth of her first child to support her pregnancy as well as her journey into the sacred realm of motherhood. In her classes, Katie emphasizes breath awareness in order to still and quiet the mind. She supports students in fully inhabiting their bodies in present time with steadiness and joy.

Katie has been a prime facilitator of the teacher training since its inception in 1997.  As a participant in the first teacher training, she has been consistently contributing and expanding the program.  Her main function is to provide students with a strong base in their knowledge of alignment, technique, ethics and history.  Her 12 years on the mat give her a strong foundation to share her deep and developing practice.

::Marie Hajjar

Marie made her way to It's Yoga in 2000 while in Columbus, Ohio where she attended Ohio State University. Coming to her mat after what would be the first of two hip surgeries, she was consistenty drawn to the healing powers of Ashtanga. After graduating college and briefly working in public policy in Washington, DC and Columbus, her busy lifestyle and lack of a personal practice urged her to pursue other dreams. Recognizing her inner desire to learn and experience yoga more fully, she made a jump into the yoga world and found herself at home in San Francisco for the It's Yoga Teacher Training with Larry Schultz. Upon graduating in November of 2004, she was honored to stay on, spending most of her days barefoot and breathing.

In her three years of teaching, she has been blessed to serve the teacher training program in various capacities.  As a main facilitator, she brings her deep love and commitment to Ashtanga, blending the spiritual and philosophical elements into the asana practice.  Her main piece is to lead discussions on how the practice goes beyond the mat.

::Yariv Erez

Yariv Erez began his yoga practice in 1993 in NYC. Starting with Hatha yoga,dabbling in Iyengar and other styles, he was introduced to ashtanga yoga when he moved to San Francisco in 1999. Seeing the effects of ashtanga yoga on himself others, he took the It's Yoga teacher training four years later in 2003,and joined the It's Yoga staff shortly thereafter. In 1993 Yariv also began his studies to become a massage therapist at NYC's Swedish Institute, where he later became an instructor, teaching Swedish and medical massage. Over the years he has taken thousands of hours of continuing education courses in such varied subjects as myofascial release, shiatsu, neuro-muscular therapy, cranio-sacral therapy and Reiki ,to name a few,as well as Feldenkreis(ATM)and about eight years of tai-chi and qi-gong. He has been taking Alexander lessons since 1996, and has continued taking Iyengar classes in addition to the Ashtanga classes.

Having started his yoga practice relatively late in life, coming from very poor postural habits, many injuries to his own body and having a background in manual therapies,Yariv's classes tend to focus on improving alignment and usage of the body,helping to prevent and remedy injuries. His classes are for beginners as well as for more experienced students who are interested in deepening and fine-tuning their practice. He also presents anatomy and the application of anatomical principles in hands-on adjustments, to the students at the It's yoga teacher training program. In addition to teaching yoga,Yariv is a massage therapist in private practice,working with clients who are dealing with myofascial pain and dysfunction.

<back to top>