Dar Vander Hoop
ERYT-500ERYT-500 (Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher, 500-hour), a Yoga Alliance designation for teachers who have completed 500 hours of training and logged at least 2,000 hours of teaching experience. | YACEPYACEP (Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider), a credential recognizing teachers who are approved to offer continuing education hours to other yoga professionals. Home Studio West Current Classes Yin Also Subs Slow Flow, Power Flow, Inner Fire Flow, and Original Hot Yoga Specialty Certifications Yin Yoga, Original Hot Yoga, Mindfulness/Meditation, and Meridian Yoga
Dar Vander Hoop has spent the last 25 years teaching, studying, and leading workshops and teacher trainings at Inner Fire Yoga, half of her 50-year teaching career. She’s taught hundreds of Hot Yoga classes worldwide since 1977, and is also credentialed in Power Flow, Slow Flow, Inner Fire Flow (which she created with owner Marit Sathrum), and Yin Yoga.
“I love teaching, and the intimacy of practicing with others. Inner Fire Yoga is my home base, and this vibrant community continues to enrich and inspire me.”
Dar has an extensive background of yoga practice and studies, drawing from all styles of yoga. After receiving her B.S. (with honors) in Dance/Movement Therapy from U.W. Madison (1973), Darlene performed in San Francisco and N.Y.C., but soon discovered the brilliance of yoga by casually attending Bikram’s Beginning Yoga Class one fateful day in 1977 in LA.
She completed an Advanced Yoga Training with Mark Whitwell (30 hours) at Esalen Institute (2009), a 50-hour training in Yin Yoga with Bernie Clarke (2014), a 45-hour Mindfulness Meditation training at the Omega Institute with Jon Kabat-Zinn, and an 18-hour training with Jennifer Reis (online) in Meridian Yoga and Vagus Nerve theory (2020-2021).
Dar’s teaching style is inspired by a variety of incredible master teachers including Max Strom, Theresa Murphy, Tias Little, Yogiraj Alan Finger, Paul Grilley, Anna Halprin, and those at Jivamukti in NYC and Yoga Works in LA. Her worldwide travels training teachers and presenting classes have taken her to Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Dublin, Paris, and the Netherlands. She has certified over 250 Yin Yoga teachers.
Dar also instructs seniors online, serving over 2,500 students per week through the online service called SilverSneakers (2022-present).
A published writer, magazine publisher (LA WOMAN), syndicated newspaper ‘love’ columnist, fitness model, talk-show host, actress, and model, Dar’s photos grace art books of illustrious photographers Lynn Davis and Robert Mapplethorpe. You can find excerpts of her memoir on Substack, darlenevanderhoop.substack.com.
Learn more about Dar on her website: darvanderhoop.com
Training | Certificates
- B.S. in Dance/Movement Therapy (with honors), UW-Madison, 1973
- 200-Hour Certification, The Yoga College of India
- ERYT-500 and YACEP, Yoga Alliance
- Advanced Yoga Training (30 hours), Mark Whitwell, Esalen Institute, 2009
- 50-Hour Yin Yoga Training, Bernie Clarke, 2014
- 45-Hour Mindfulness Meditation Training, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Omega Institute
- 18-Hour Meridian Yoga and Vagus Nerve Theory, Jennifer Reis (online), 2020-2021
- 26&2 Hot Yoga