About Deborah

Deborah Saliby was raised in New England and graduated from University of Massachusetts Lowell with a BA in Psychology and Art. After receiving her B.A. and following her interest in mental and physical well-being, she moved to California in 1979. Fortunate to discover Yoga in college at the YWCA,  she embarked upon a new path in life and never turned back. Her yoga teacher at the time Sue Luby, directed her to the Iyengar Yoga Institute in San Francisco  (Back  then  called, The Institute  for  Yoga  Teacher Education, a  two  year,  500  hour  certification  yoga  program).  Three years later she completed the Iyengar yoga certification training and moved to Berkeley.   

At 28 years old, Deborah now a trained yoga teacher and teaching in private venues in the East Bay, went on to study and practice different forms of meditation and healing, (i.e. Vipassana, Zen, energy work, hypnotherapy and hypnoBirthing). Today her yoga classes are informed by 44  years of practice, study and teaching. Some of her most revered yoga teachers through the years are; Donald Moyer, Judith Lasater, Melinda  Perlee,  Larry  Hatlett, Mary Dunn, Aadil Palkhivala,  Rammanand Patel and Jaki Nett. She presently take classes with Michael Lucey and Janet MacLeod. She continues to be inspired by her students and the therapeutic method of Iyengar yoga.   

In 2001 Deborah attended the Iyengar convention with Geeta Iyengar in Pasadena Ca. In 2006 she attended the Iyengar convention with B.K.S. Iyengar in Estes Park, Colorado. Following that she attended  workshops and intensives  with Sunita Iyengar and Jaki  Nett  at  the IYISF as well as Patricia Walden and Lois Steinberg.   

In 2008 Deborah furthered  her  education in yoga, studied through the intensive apprenticeship approach IYNAUS (Iyengar Yoga National Association of the United States), and received the National Yoga certification of Iyengar yoga in 2011.  She  also  is  a  C-IAYT  with  the  international  Association of  Yoga  Therapist.  Following her yoga training Deborah revisited earlier academic interests, attended graduate school and earned a teaching credential as an Education Specialist. She is currently retired  from  teaching severely handicapped children, and teaching  yoga  more  full  time in the East Bay.  Deborah also holds private Iyengar yoga  sessions,  hypnotherapy   sessions and  hypnosis  for  Birthing by  appointment.  510-541-1395