Who is Sudha Iyer?
Sudha's yoga journey has been one of constant self-discovery. She was born and raised in a Hindu Brahmin family where asana, yogic scriptures, mantras, and devotion were an integral part of daily life.
However, it took her living in the West and regular mat practice to appreciate and value what she had taken for granted in her childhood.
Yoga made her realize that all change starts from within, embodying the phrase ‘when things change inside you, things change around you’. That’s when Sudha's practice came full circle; she decided to transition from a career in finance and technology in Wall Street, evolve into a mindful and conscious lifestyle, and embrace a personally-meaningful and socially-impactful purpose. Today, it is Sudha's mission to help others find their path and share in their yoga journey. She teaches skillful and sustainable practices that resonate both on and off the mat. She leads retreats and trainings all over the world and particularly enjoys teaching anatomy and philosophy, thanks both to her love of the amazing human body as well as her traditional Vedic upbringing.
Sudha uses traditional yoga practices, modern science, humor, humility and compassion to create space for her students as they become more aware, accepting and mindful. She teaches from a place of personal experience and empathy, and believes in the power of yoga to find peace.
Sudha is nourished by travel, community, tennis, golf, laughter and coffee.
Sudha's Degrees and Certifications:
300-hour yoga teacher training
Jason Crandell Vinyasa Yoga, San Francisco, CA
200-hour yoga teacher training
Yoga Garden, San Francisco, CA
55-hour Myofascial Release teacher training
Tiffany Cruikshanks, Yoga Medicine
32-hour Essential Yoga Anatomy
Jason Crandell Yoga Method
30-hour Restorative Yoga Teacher Training L1
Alex Rossi, Yoga Garden
20-hour Common Yoga Injuries and Prevention
Rachel Land, Yoga Medicine
Adult, Child and Baby First Aid/CPR/AED (2025) American Red Cross
MS in Environmental Studies, University of Pennsylvania, USA
Certificate in Human Health and Climate Change, Harvard University, USA
Retreats, Workshops, and Trainings:
Lead Teacher YTT 200 training, Mexico
Master Instructor, Adhara Yoga School YTT 200 training, New Mexico, USA (Aug 2024)
Yoga and Meditation Retreat, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Spirituality and Yoga Workshop: St Anthony's Foundation, San Francisco, CA
Backbends Workshop: 3-part series on safe transitions, Yoga Health Center, CA
Upper back Workshop: Mobility and eccentric strength in shoulders, Woodside, CA
Arm balances and inversions Workshop: An upside-down perspective, Yoga Health Center, CA
Pranayama and Meditation Workshop for Stress Reduction, Woodside, CA
Meditation for Mindful Living: 4-part global online workshop for moms
MFR for pain management and injury rehabilitation workshop, Woodside, CA
Yoga Classes
Modern Hatha, Vinyasa Flow, Stretch+Release MFR Instructor: Yoga Health Center, CA
Hatha Yoga and Vinyasa Level 2-3 Instructor: Bay Clubs Tennis & Squash, CA
Yoga for Seniors with Dementia, Silverado Memory Care, CA
Corporate Yoga, Cytokinetics, CA
Professional Experience
Senior business executive in financial services and digital enterprises
Adjunct Professor of Environmental Sustainability and Systems Thinking
EDUCATION & CERTIFICATION
Yoga
Hatha + Vinyasa 200hr YTT – Frog Lotus Yoga International
Hatha, Vinyasa, Restorative + Yin 300hr YTT – Yandara Yoga Institute
Yoga Medicine 300hr YTT – Yoga Medicine
Yoga Biomechanics 300hr YTT – Jules Mitchell
Yin
Yin Yoga 50hr YTT – Bernie Clark
Yin Yoga Functional Approach 20hr YTT – Paul Grilley
Yin Yoga for Your Body 16hr Training – Bernie Clark
Traditional Chinese Medicine 30hr Training – Yoga Medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine 5hr Training – Tiffany Cruikshank
Yin + Meditation 55hr Training – Yoga Medicine
Restorative
Restorative Yoga + Nervous System 60hr YTT – Yoga Medicine
Anatomy
Cadaver Lab Dissection 64hr Training – Anatomy Trains
Yoga Anatomy 20hr Training – Yoga Medicine
Anatomy 101 20hr Training – Tom Myers
Cadaver Lab Dissection 20hr Training – Leslie Kaminoff
Essential Yoga Anatomy 20hr Training – Jason Crandell
Cadaver Lab Dissection 18hr Training – Gil Hedley
Integral Anatomy 15hr Training – Gil Hedley
Yoga Medicine Essentials 12hr Training – Rachel Land
Yoga Therapy
Shoulder Intensive 55hr YTT – Yoga Medicine
Trauma-Informed Yoga 20hr YTT – Yoga Medicine
Yoga for Mental Health + Wellness 55hr YTT – Yoga Medicine
Yoga + Myofascial Release 55hr YTT – Yoga Medicine
Yoga for Stress + Anxiety 20hr Training – Yoga Journal
Biomechanics
Yoga Meets Science 26hr Training – Jules Mitchell
Biomechanics Intensive 15hr Training – Jules Mitchell
Resistance Stretching 15hr Training – Jules Mitchell
Kundalini Yoga + Meditation 100hr YTT – Yandara Yoga Institute
Other
Sequencing With Purpose 20hr Training – Yoga Medicine
Yoga History + Philosophy 12hr Training – Doug Keller
Yoga Nidra 6hr Training – Sri Dharma Mittra
Thai Yoga Massage Level I + II 60hr Training – ITM School of Thailand
