BKS Iyengar Center of North County

AHHMAAZING! is the word that comes to mind when taking a class from Carolyn, owner and master instructor Iyengar yoga. She teaches with such call calmness and confidence which is absolutely contagious! No physical obstacle that anyone had was beyond her ability to correct and adjust for. The emphasis on posture is something I think everybody could benefit from, regardless if you like yoga or not. The true test is how you feel afterwards– I left with much better posture and awareness … And very accomplished too!

If you are looking for the real deal, this is the place. The instruction is so thorough and precise the body finds new depth with ease. Highly recommend Carolyn’s classes, she offers direct instruction and brings the consciousness of the practice to life. Truly a gifted teacher.

Carolyn Belko, the Director of the center, is one of the top instructors in California if not nationwide. This is a real school of yoga, with a strong emphasis on fundamentals and truly following the practice, not necessarily just getting a workout. If you are interested in deepening your practice and learning from staff who are rigorously trained and really know their stuff, this is the yoga studio for you.

Iyengar yoga is interesting partly for its focus on precise alignment and body mechanics. The North County Center has a peaceful vibe, partly because the windows face a courtyard garden, and the (five) instructors I have had are all excellent teachers, maintaining the high standards of the center.

Iyengar style yoga is not for everyone, but for those who want to learn and practice this method, Carolyn is a premier teacher. Her knowledge of the practice and her dedication to and insight into individual students is breathtaking. We are visitors from Philadelphia, and this is our third year visiting the studio. While most of the students are well acquainted with each other, we have felt warmly welcomed. This is a rare gem of a place and those lucky enough to live or be visiting nearby should count themselves lucky.

This and the ocean beach iyengar studios are perhaps the best yoga studios in San Diego. I used to go to the Ocean beach studio and then I moved to north county and found this gem. The teachers are extremely knowledgeable. You get to learn all the pose names in sanskrit as well as understand how to do the asanas correctly (especially if you are a tight individual like me). I wish they would have more 7pm classes so I can come after work.

I am SO fortunate that I live right around the corner from this fantastic studio! People come from all over San Diego and out of state to take classes here, and now I know why…
Carolyn, the Director, is an incredible teacher who will teach and share her tremendous skill and knowledge of anatomy, asana and yoga philosophy. She is able to precisely adjust form, in order for the student to fully realize the pose energetically and physically. All of the teachers at Iyengar Yoga North County are outstanding and know their stuff as well.
«A MUST visit if you want to take your practice to „another level“ — Safely and effectively!»
Thank you for doing what you do, and adding to my life in such a unique way: o)

I just took Carolyn’s Introduction Iyengar Yoga class, and I have to say, I was impressed. I’ve never taken an Iyengar class (which is the reason why I took the intro course), although I schooled myself a little bit about B.K.S. Iyengar and his philosophy prior til.
As other Unilocalers have said, Iyengar is VERY form focused. Great for me because I always need alignment cues during class. Carolyn is obviously very knowledgeable and contrary to what someone else has said, I thought she was extremely nice. Her style is very straightforward, though, so that might be a little too much for people who don’t like to be called out in the middle of class. However, I am a perfectionist and I don’t mind being corrected, especially since I’ve hurt myself a couple times (due to poor alignment or incorrect posture). We only did a few poses for the introduction class, but Carolyn broke each posture step by step, emphasizing on where we should place our hands, hips, and feet, and how our bodies should feel within each posture.
This studio is very small, although the class was not big at all; there were about 6 of us in the introduction class. The class before mine was a higher level, but there couldn’t have been more than 10 people there. Plenty of straps, blankets, blocks to use; there were TONS of props furnished within the yoga space. The energy was very warm and welcoming, and I loved how the cool, Encinitas ocean air permeated within the room. Iyengar definitely emphasizes the importance of safely getting into poses… so, if your body is not ready/​not well enough to get into a certain asana, you are encouraged to use modifications so you can have the same effect as the full posture. Using props has nothing to do with «not being good/​advanced enough», which is what our egos will say when we practice yoga.
My only complaint? It’s too far from me! Haha. I really respect and admire Iyengar, and Carolyn is obviously very privileged to have studied under him directly. If I lived within the Encinitas area, I would totally take another class with Carolyn. I will say that if you regularly practice Vinyasa Flow or Hot Yoga, Iyengar is nothing like that. At all. But if you want to learn more about alignment and proper posture, you may enjoy it. I certainly did!

Impressions– very form focused. There were a ton of alignment cues, very few breathe cues (except just a reminder to breathe). Many cues were about «pulling bone to muscle» or «spreading rib cage and collarbone» and «stetching arms away from each other»… Very visual which was helpful. I came away with new ideas for cues for postures we worked on (I just finished my 200hr certification) particularly as it relates to feet and trunk during tadasana.
The intro class I attended did a limited number of poses — tadasana, warrior 2, triangle, extended side angle and prasarita along with a floor pose feet up on the wall. Despite the limited number of poses, repetition was also low… Each pose was only done twice.
Would I go back?
Cons: I did not break out in a sweat and believe that the number of calories burned is less that ¹⁄₆ a vinyasa class. Nor was I able to leave my head and «bliss out». I paid very close attention what teacher was saying.
Pros: I felt safe, which I don’t often or usually feel or am not consciously aware of feeling safe in a yoga class. I often feel unsafe in vinyasa classes with inversions like headstand, shoulder stand, handstand… Because there is zero coaching, crowded classrooms and minimal wall space. In the Iyengar class the focus was on alignment and the teacher had us moving our mats at various points in class. This is the place I will start going to perfect my form and to learn inversions (which I can bring into other classes).
Hours later, I feel relaxed and «blissed out».
Studio– no mirrors, no heat.

I have taken classes at many yoga studios in this country and this yoga center clearly is at the top. Very welcoming and loving place to go and practice yoga and gain precise instruction of the poses and beyond! The owner, Carolyn is a rare find in this world today and every time I go I feel so lucky to be able to receive her knowledge and teachings which she is passing down directly from the Yoga Master B.K.S. Iyengar. People fly in from all over the country to take classes and workshops here. So incredible and you will feel amazing after the classes!

WOW! I still love this studio. I love the teachers, I love the space, I love that my back pain is gone.

This studio is gorgeous and all the teachers are really knowledgeable. It is great place for beginners and they really helped me grow as a practitioner.