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Biographical Information

Larry Payne, Ph.D. is an internationally respected yoga teacher and back specialist. The L.A. Times named Dr. Payne "One of America's most respected Yoga teachers." He is co-author of “Yoga Therapy Rx”, “Yoga for Dummies” and “The Business of Teaching Yoga”. Dr. Payne is founding president of the International Association of Yoga Therapists, founder of the corporate Yoga program at the J. Paul Getty Museum, the first Yoga teacher to offer Yoga classes at the World Economic Forum, co-founder of the yoga curriculum at The UCLA School of Medicine, and the founding director of the new Yoga therapy certification program at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

In 1979 he was an advertising executive, plagued with chronic back pain and stress. His quest for relief led him to study Yoga and health in 11 countries and inspired his career change upon certification in India.

In 1981, Payne founded the samata Yoga Center in Los Angeles and later earned Doctorate and Masters Degrees in fitness education with emphasis in Hatha Yoga from Pacific Western University. His background is in Psychology, and he has also completed graduate work in Physical Therapy at Cal-State University Long Beach. He was the U.S. representative to the first World Congress of Yoga in Montevideo, Uruguay, and has received Outstanding Achievement Awards for Yoga in Europe and the United States, the Golden Lotus Award from South America, as well as, was a panelist & yoga instructor for the World Economic Forum 2000 in Davos, Switzerland. In addition, he is the founder of the “Healthy Back Program” at the world-famous Rancho La Puerta Fitness Spa.

Dr. Payne has helped thousands of chronic back sufferers and high stress professionals including, Warren Beatty, Michael Keaton, Dolly Parton, Cybill Shepherd, Ringo Starr, Carol Burnett, The Disney Company executives and numerous professional and Olympic athletes.

Payne has been a frequent guest on national television and syndicated radio programs. His work has been featured in numerous national and international magazines, as well as in the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. Most recently he is featured in six new DVD’s as part of the  “Yoga Therapy Rx” series.

Dr. Payne resides in Los Angeles, California and has a thriving practice in Marina del Rey and Malibu. In addition to speaking engagements and workshops, he leads Yoga and health vacations worldwide.

Lecture, Workshop, Instruction

Conference and business executive planners are finding Dr. Larry Payne's presentation to be a unique and welcome addition for a wide variety of formats. Whether he lectures on health, how to control stress, keeping our backs and mind healthy or giving simple Yoga instructions for busy people, Payne educates and informs by using methods from his international education and hands-on experience. Many of his seminars are participatory workshops; Dr. Payne's range of instruction enables him to tailor-make relevant contributions to seminars and business meetings. Dr. Payne specializes in preventing back injuries and stress reduction through Yoga, and his audio/video products have been recommended by over 300 doctors.

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