Meet Mark Stevens
What got you interested in yoga?
One could say that it was almost
an accident that sparked my interest in yoga, if anything
in this world is by chance. For most of my life I have been
reading and experiencing different spiritual paths, which
include my roots as a Methodist to Zen and even Wicca & Celtic,
and I've also been active in sports or other physical recreation.
Then about 10 years ago, I read The Way of the Peaceful
Warrior by Dan Millman, which gave me a clearer insight
about life. In his book, he talked about Aikido being not
only a physical discipline, but also a spiritual one. So,
I thought it was for me. However, before I had the chance,
a friend of mine dragged me to my first yoga class and I
agreed reluctantly to go only because the first class was
free at Sun & Moon Yoga Studio. I always thought that
yoga was a "girly" thing. How could it give me discipline
with a physical challenge? Well, I felt great and had more
energy after class. The following day confirmed that I did
have a good workout as a result of sore muscle, especially
those I didn't even know I had or forgotten. That got me
hooked for good and I have been regularly practicing yoga
ever since.
Who or what has been the greatest influence
on your teaching?
To say who or what has been
the greatest influence in my teaching is hard. Everything
in life influences us. All my yoga teachers, especially JJ
and John Friend, have provided beautiful examples that have
inspired me and have given me a strong foundation for teaching.
However, I believe the greatest influence in my teaching
has been my own practice, which evolves around the 8 limbs
of yoga that include asanas, meditation and pranayama. Through
my practice, I have learned that the source of knowledge
comes from within, it is our greatest teacher. I have grown
by working through my resistances, physically, emotionally
and spiritually, in life and from there I am able to share
what I learned through those experiences. It is ever evolving
since new challenges come all the time. I refer to it as
the "Great Adventure."
Describe your style of yoga teaching.
Through my teaching, I like
to share my love for yoga. I believe yoga should be a heart
opening experience that is empowering and supportive, where
laughing and sharing of experiences are encouraged. The practice
of poses gives us the opportunity to open ourselves to our
innate beauty, and we do them mindfully with the Anusara
Universal Principles of Alignment and balanced energetic
actions.
I know that you're an avid rock-climber,
can you talk a bit about the similarities between
climbing and yoga?
I call rock climbing, "yoga
on the rocks.' When climbing, we stretch to reach our next
hold letting go of the old one. We are constantly moving
and challenging ourselves to move beyond the place where
we are. Otherwise, we tire, lose energy, and eventually falter,
in this case sometimes we fall. So, climbing challenges us
not only physically, but also mentally. It empowers us to
place our bodies in precarious places and positions. Additionally,
it is similar to yoga because rock climbing encourages one
to have a strong mind-body connection. It becomes a form
of meditation in motion when our minds wander, we falter
and possibly fall. When climbing, you are constantly reminded
to be "in the moment." I encourage anyone interested to go
to Great Falls, Virginia or Carderock in Maryland, it is
even enjoyable watching someone else climb. You will see
grace in movement, watching Virabhadrasana (Warrior) II or
other pose transform into another pose.
What other hobbies do you have?
I enjoy lots of outdoor activities
such as rollerblading, hiking, and backpacking. When indoors,
I like to kick back with a book, watch a movie, or hang out
with friends.
What is your favorite asana practice?
My favorite practice is similar
to my Power class. It begins with several rounds of sun salutes,
then standing poses to create heat in the body. From there,
I'll do handstand and Pincha Mayurasana. Then come my favorite
poses, the backbends, followed by headstands and shoulderstand,
then forward bends, twists, and savasana.