Stéphane Lalo is a senior Iyengar Yoga teacher based in Marseille, France, whose path in the Iyengar tradition spans more than thirty‑five years. He first came to yoga in 1973, exploring various traditions, ashrams, and meditation centres. In 1985 he discovered Iyengar Yoga and from then on devoted himself exclusively to the Iyengar method.
In 1996 Stéphane founded the Centre de Yoga Iyengar de Marseille, establishing a dedicated Iyengar‑Yoga centre in southern France. His certification places him at the Advanced Junior Level 3, awarded directly by B.K.S. Iyengar and Geeta Iyengar.
He has been a regular student at RIMYI (the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute) in Pune, returning each year to deepen his practice, particularly through general classes and therapeutic classes.
Stéphane’s teaching is marked by clarity of structure, attention to foundations, and a thoughtful integration of alignment, stability, and balance. His technical precision is balanced with sensitivity to the body ‑ he often emphasises rooting (stability) and alignment in standing poses as a foundation for equilibrium in more complex asanas. In workshops and courses he often returns to core themes: how posture arises from a well‑grounded base, how small adjustments can make large differences, and how breath, alignment, and awareness must work together.
Stéphane is also known for creating teaching that is accessible to “all levels” while maintaining rigorous standards. His courses are open to practitioners who have one or more years of regular practice. He does not hurry students past where they are, and emphasises understanding over doing.
At his Centre in Marseille he also offers teacher‑training cycles, intensive workshops (often including pranayama, inversions, and responsive therapeutic elements) and retreats.
Stéphane Lalo’s contribution has been important in establishing and nurturing a mature Iyengar Yoga culture in southern France: preserving fidelity to the tradition as handed down by Guruji and Geeta Iyengar, while adapting teaching to the needs of Western practitioners. His steady presence, his careful pedagogy, and his yearly pilgrimages to Pune all help to anchor his teaching in both the source and the living tradition.
This conversation was recorded between Stephane Lalo and Alan Goode on 02/01/2026