Dmitri Shapira

Dmitri began practicing Iyengar Yoga in 1994. First drawn to yoga for its physical benefits and for the relief of back pain, yoga’s ability to steady the mind is what held his interest. He studied with Mary Dunn, whose insightful, empathetic and sincere approach to teaching inspired him to become a teacher. Dmitri assisted Mary’s classes and completed a two-year teacher training program at the Iyengar Yoga Institute of New York and received his certification from IYNAUS in 2006.  He has made six trips to Pune, India to study with the Iyengar family over the years.

Dmitri earned a Master of Music degree from New England Conservatory in 1997 and he enjoys finding parallels between his two pursuits. He strives to approach both with a balance between practice and a turning away from the familiar.

For Dmitri, Yoga happens when an asana becomes less a series of discrete actions and more of a unified whole where the various parts are balanced and synchronized. His straightforward teaching style is challenging yet sensitive to those with physical injuries or limitations.