Julie Lawrence

With four decades of practice and teaching, Julie Lawrence has a life-long passion for Iyengar Yoga. She holds an Intermediate Senior Iyengar Yoga teaching certificate and brings enthusiasm and commitment to every class.  Julie stepped back from regular teaching in December of 2022.

Julie’s influence on Iyengar Yoga is widely recognized, both in Portland and nationally.  After becoming Iyengar Yoga-certified in 1984, she founded the Julie Lawrence Yoga Center, which was accredited by Shri B.K.S. Iyengar. She has studied directly with B.K.S. Iyengar and his daughter, Dr. Geeta Iyengar, many times.

She also served as a board member for the Iyengar Yoga National Association of the U.S., chaired its national convention in 1996, and was co-chair of the 2010 Iyengar Yoga Certified Teachers’ Convention. She has participated in several scientific studies examining the effects of yoga on human health, including OHSU studies of multiple sclerosis, healthy seniors and a Kaiser study on reducing obesity in teens.

Julie loves the challenge of world travel and has visited India many times to study yoga with the Iyengar family. Other favorite destinations include Bali, Machu Picchu, the Galapagos Islands and the city of Tret, Italy—the birthplace of her grandfather.

She lives with two enormous cats, whose enviable abilities to stare for hours at a single spot on a blank wall and do “extreme savasana” provide inspiration for her own practice.

Julie’s Schedule