Review
------
"Whether you're already a yoga teacher, aspiring to be one,
or just seeking to deepen your understanding and practice of
yoga, Mark Stephens' thoughtful, eloquent, and thorough book
would be a valuable addition to your library... In Teaching Yoga,
he covers all the basic topics you'd hope to find in a
comprehensive teacher training class... Stephens' deep
understanding of, and appreciation for, the practice and fruits
of yoga constantly illuminate his writing. That spirit gives
force to his gentle insistence that all yoga teachers must look
inside to find - and share with their students - their own
authentic expression of yoga."
--Yoga Journal
"Mark Stephens's all-encompassing tome for both new and
experienced teachers [offers] an exhaustive overview of
philosophy, history, yoga styles, and guidelines for practice...
Authoritative and engaging, but never dogmatic, Teaching Yoga
will help instructors fine-tune their classroom skills and
empower their personal practice."
--Yoga+Joyful Living Magazine
"Teaching Yoga by Mark Stephens is a great resource, not just for
yoga teachers but for practitioners of all levels. It covers
everything from yoga philosophy and history to the intricacies of
the poses, breathing practices and meditation... The foreword is
sweetly written by Mariel Hemingway and only serves to enhance
this must-read for any practicing or aspiring yogi."
--Wisconsin State Journal
"Mark Stephens, a teacher of teachers, has created a
comprehensive and inspiring guide for yoga teachers and serious
practitioners alike. In these pages, he offers us the fruit of
his years of rigorous practice, his deep contemplation, and his
understanding of what really matters in yoga. Filled with tips
and secrets for finding the inner core of asana, gently but
firmly puncturing myths, this book is a brilliant merger of
traditional wisdom with contemporary rigor and in. It should
be on the shelf of everyone who loves the practice of yoga."
--Sally Kempton, Yoga Journal's "Wisdom" columnist and author of
The Heart of Meditation: Pathways to a Deeper Experience
"Comprehensive, deeply inful, and chock full of tips and
techniques for teaching and doing yoga, Mark Stephens's Teaching
Yoga will be required reading for yoga teachers, teacher
trainers, and serious students alike. We heartily recommend this
essential new contribution to the conscious evolution of yoga."
--Joel Kramer, coauthor with Diana Alstad of The Passionate Mind
Revisited: Expanding Personal and Social Awareness
"Teaching Yoga is an urgently needed manual that will be a
valuable tool in the arsenal of aspiring yoga teachers to add
perspective and to hone their skills. It provides a wealth of
foundational information, advice, tips, guidance, and grist for
the mill."
--Ganga White, founder, White Lotus Yoga Foundation, Santa
Barbara, California, and author of Yoga Beyond Belief: Ins
to Awaken and Deepen Your Practice
"Teaching Yoga is friendly, well thought out, helpful, clear, and
tremendously thorough. Many people will benefit from this gift,
it being exactly what is needed to help a growing teacher teach
at his or her best. I'm glad it is finally in print and it is
coming out just in time for my next teacher training!"
--Erich Schiffmann, author of Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of
Moving Into Stillness
"Mark Stephens is making a real offering to yoga teachers,
providing practical tools and inspiration for the path that
embraces all forms of embodied yoga. There are hard-to-find gems
that make this a great resource, from the section of the
mythological meaning behind the asanas to teaching cues for the
core asanas and sequencing tools from vinyasa krama. Enjoy this
great resource and dive deep into your own transformation of
teaching yoga."
--Shiva Rea, leading instructor of Transformational Prana Flow
Yoga and Yoga Trance Dance
"Yoga teachers and their students will love this book. Mark
Stephens untangles the complexities of yoga philosophy, history,
and energetics, offers clear and compelling techniques for
teaching and exploring asanas, pranayama, and meditation, and
gives teachers a rich array of practical tools for planning and
sequencing classes, working with diverse students, and teaching
with integrity and authenticity. Teaching Yoga should be in the
hands of every teacher and dedicated student."
--Seane Corn, yoga teacher and founder, Off the Mat, Into the
World
"Yoga luminary Mark Stephens has written a book that embodies
Hatha yoga itself, offering a highly informative guide for all
yoga teachers. Teaching Yoga answers our questions and addresses
our controversies. This comprehensive and scholarly guide is now
required reading for our teaching staff."
--Mary Lynn Fitton, founder and director of programs, The Art of
Yoga Project
"Dedicated yoga students and their teachers will find Mark
Stephens's comprehensive book an essential and timeless resource.
Filled with profound ins presented with clarity and
intelligence, Teaching Yoga is a wonderful resource that
beautifully models the practice of yoga itself; it unites many
diverse threads of truth into a cohesive, vibrant whole. It has
quickly become an indispensable part of my teaching library."
--Daniel Stewart, cofounder and director, Rising Lotus Yoga, Los
Angeles, California
"Fifteen years after starting a successful movement to bring yoga
into inner city schools, prisons, centers, and
veteran's facilities, Mark Stephens is back with a treasure trove
of wisdom and in drawn from years of training teachers for
success in those settings as well as more traditional yoga spaces
such as studios, retreats, and conferences. Teaching Yoga is
destined to be a classic that every yoga teacher and student will
consult for years to come."
--James Wvinner, yogi and cofounder, Yoga, Tribe, and Culture
"Teaching Yoga is a wonderful addition to the growing collection
of books being created for yoga teachers... [Stephens'] writing
is friendly, clear, helpful and thorough."
--YogaBasics.com
"Teaching Yoga: Essential Foundations and Techniques is the first
comprehensive guide written for practicing and would-be yoga
teachers and their students, covering yoga's history, philosophy,
and basic teaching methods. It follows the teacher training
curriculum standards set by Yoga Alliance and blends traditional
yoga with modern techniques and over 150 photos and anatomy
illustrations. Any new age or yoga collection must have this!"
--Midwest Book Review, Reviewer's Choice
"Mark Stephens' Teaching Yoga offers a fantastic primer for the
beginning teacher or those interested in learning more about the
many facets of the philosophy and practice of yoga. Stephens is
obviously a seasoned student and teacher, and even though the
book is written at an expert level, it is still accessible and
easy to understand. Stephens' text offers a great gift for coming
generations: what a pleasure to have all of this information in
one place."
--CirclesOfLight.com
"Steeped in the knowledge of classical yoga and modern
adaptations, Stephens manages to make the practice of yoga
accessible to experienced teachers, new teachers, and students."
--A Garden Carried in the Pocket
"This has to be the most comprehensive book on yoga I've ever
read. It is definitely more than just your typical 'how-to' yoga
book... I have been thoroughly impressed."
--Kari, Reading For Sanity
About the Author
----------------
An esteemed yoga instructor who has trained over 1200 yoga
teachers, Mark Stephens conducts classes, workshops, and retreats
worldwide. The founder of Yoga Inside Foundation, L.A. Yoga
Center, and the recipient of Yoga Journal's first annual Karma
Yoga Award in 2000, he lives and teaches in Santa Cruz, CA.
Foreword contributor Mariel Hemingway is an actress and longtime
yoga practitioner and teacher.