LEVEL 4
James Murphy began practicing yoga in 1988 and has taught since 1990. He has made ten extended trips to India to study with B.K.S. Iyengar and Prashant and Geeta Iyengar. James began his study of Iyengar Yoga with Mary Dunn and Kevin Gardiner after a ten-year career with the Alwin Nikolais Dance Theater.
Describing his experiences in classes in India, James says, “Besides gaining invaluable insights into the physical aspects of yoga, I observed how Mr. Iyengar works on a psychological level to challenge students to go beyond their limits.”
At the Institute, James teaches a full range of classes, including a class for those living with HIV/AIDS. He also does mentoring and training in the Institute’s teacher training program. Currently the director of the Iyengar Yoga Association of Greater New York, James continues his leadership role in working to create evolving programs and an active interchange of teachers and practitioners in our three-state area.
In addition to his study of yoga, James is keenly interested in people and cultures around the world. Providing yoga study and experiences in people-to-people understanding, James leads groups to such fascinating places as Cambodia, Bali, and Turkey through Yoga Out There.
A yoga practitioner of unusual integration and ability, James is featured in the Yoga Journal book, Yoga, has appeared in the Yoga Journal calendar, and has been interviewed for numerous articles in national magazines.
Through rhythm and sequencing, James creates an experience of integration in his classes that is both challenging and sensitive to the subtler aspects of the practice.