Twenty years ago yoga found me...
With a serious back problem the Doctors said a return to active and impact sport was impossible. Surgery beckoned but Hatha Yoga intervened and after a long and patient road a slow return to normality ensued. First came the physical benefits. Along the way I grew a bit bolder and experimented with Ashtanga and other styles but it was always Hatha for me and the deeply inspiring and medititative teachings of Fausto in West London - a teacher I still go back to today.
As my body healed and lengthened and I returned to other fitness and strength training, yoga became a constant in my life. The perfect antidote to hard training - medicine for my body. Soon I began to yearn for it to need it - especially after a long flight.
Stephen Marks
As I sat at my desk bound job for long hours yoga began to then assist me in other ways.
Re-calibrating my back, shoulders and hips - correcting the hunched and over flexed spine and ironing out the tightness from computer neck and phone neck. Again it was yoga that corrected me always.
Next came the mental benefits. It took a while but I one day I realized probably what I had subconsciously known all along – that yoga was deeply beneficial and calming for the mind. By chance I found that moment in my practice - within my own stillness - which led me to quieten the mind.
My Grandfather
Working more with the breath and meditative techniques I began to see how yoga could help reduce stress. Just by being present on the mat time and time again we get to know ourselves. This has taken me to study and become trained in Yoga Nidra - sleep yoga - a deeply relaxing techniques that I particularly enjoy working with.
I've been lucky enough to have been to over 80 countries as travel is my other passion. I've been even luckier to have combined both and I have practiced yoga in India, Thailand, Bali, the Middle East, Central America, and Europe. There is nothing more enriching and inspiring than a yoga class outdoors with the sun shining.
I love the way yoga constantly evolves and you could equally find me at a hot yoga or boxing yoga class as at a more traditional class. I particularly like to practice flow and yin and hatha and am fortunate to have practiced with great teachers like Simon Low, David Sye and Les Leventhal.
In the yogic tradition there is emphasis on Dharma (life purpose) as well as Karma. It's funny but my Grandfather was one of the first true Londoners to get into yoga in the 1950's and 1960's and my mother too practiced as young woman. I like to think in some way I'm continuing what they started.