Tell us about yourself, Mark.
I have two grown children, Jonathan (29) and Anna (26), who are my inspiration and treasure. Apart from my passion for Bikram yoga, I also practice a Japanese martial art called Aikido. And I do occasionally brave the cold waters in Pacifica or Half Moon Bay, to paddle out and catch some fun waves with my surfing buddies.
How long have been practicing yoga and how were you introduced to yoga?
I first started practicing yoga when I was 20 years old. I taught myself from a book when I found myself at a summer job with few social outlets. I don’t remember which style of Hatha Yoga it was, but every now and then, I’ll run across a yoga pose that reminds me of those days.
What styles do you practice, how often, and what do you like about each style?
I am practicing Bikram, diligently striving for a 5?day a week schedule which I think is sustainable, given my work and other life commitments. I have tried Ashtanga, Yin, Integral and a few other forms. I like the heat and consistency in Bikram’s Yoga ? it allows me to easily stretch and measure myself from day to day. I enjoy the long held poses in Yin, and Ashtanga and Integral have focused on more upper body and inverted poses, which I enjoy as a change of pace.
Why do you practice yoga?
I started practicing yoga 7 years ago. Last year I took a few months off from yoga practice. I missed the practice; and I eventually decided it was time to get yoga back into my life. After that first return class I was driving home and experienced a most unusual, liberating and refreshing feeling of well?being. It’s hard to describe. Someone thought it might be endorphins – perhaps. I don’t know. It was different from anything I had ever experienced before. I realized that even though I might not reach that state of well?being after every class, the feelings were coming from a core experience of my body responding to a healthy way of living. My body was telling me to keep practicing yoga.
How has Being Yoga helped you on your journey?
Oh my. Being has been a fabulous sponsor on my journey. All the wonderful teachers, all the beautiful students and all the shared moments of struggle, effort, achievements and peace…I am blessed to be a part of this community.
What inspires you?
I am inspired more by people who share their love and share themselves with me, than by any book or story. Movies, books, can of course be the medium for that sharing; but I am most inspired by personal interactions that at times astound and amaze me. I try not to look too shocked when someone says something incredibly profound or brilliant, and I realize that they just made it up ? from the heart, so to speak. It happens a lot in my life.
And final words of wisdom for our students?
Go Team, Go! Stretch ? Stretch ? Stretch! It’s a fine line between stretching with effort in order to improve; and stretching with so much effort that the stretch can cause damage. One way I’ve learned ? the hard way, which I do not recommend ? is by going just a little bit too far, and having my body tell me the next day. If you can, it is much better to listen very closely and focus on your body ? your breathing, your muscles that are contracting and
those that are stretching and monitor how you feel in the moment in order to adjust in real time.