Peter Thomson is a senior teacher of Iyengar Yoga, whose practice began in 1979 and a dedicated student under the Iyengar family commencing in 1981. Over the years, he has made around fourty visits to the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI) in Pune, India, participating in most special intensives, including the 1991 backbend intensive led by B.K.S. Iyengar from which Peter drew great insight and developed his approach to teaching.
Thomson’s contributions to the Iyengar Yoga community are substantial. He has been instrumental in the establishment of several significant yoga schools in Sydney, such as The Yoga Space, The Sydney Yoga Centre, and Mosman Yoga Room. In 1988, he founded the Glebe Yoga School, and later, in 2002, he opened The Sydney Yoga Space. His teaching philosophy emphasizes the depth of perception and understanding that sustained practice can develop, aiming to make this understanding accessible to students so they can internalize it as their own.
Beyond Australia, Thomson’s influence extends internationally. Since 2007, after closing The Sydney Yoga Space, he has focused on conducting intensive courses for yoga students and teachers in various countries, including New Zealand, Singapore, Europe, and the USA.
Central to Thomson’s teaching is the belief in a structured and methodical approach to asana practice. He advocates for a sequential progression, where each posture builds upon the previous, ensuring that students develop a comprehensive understanding of foundational poses before advancing. This approach mirrors the architectural integrity of a dome, where each component supports the whole.
Thomson encourages students to cultivate a deep perceptual awareness during practice. He believes that asanas should be experienced from within, allowing the body to guide the movement rather than the intellect. This internal focus fosters a more authentic and sustainable practice.
Through his extensive teaching, mentorship, and contributions to teacher training and certification processes, Peter Thomson has significantly influenced the propagation and integrity of Iyengar Yoga both in Australia and internationally.
This conversation with Peter Thomson and Alan Goode was recorded on 29/05/2025 in Canberra