As both a student and a teacher of yoga, this thought passes through my mind on a regular basis: I am so glad I did my teacher training with Mark Stephens!  My understanding of anatomy, sequencing, modifications, exploration, prenatal yoga, working with injuries and the history of yoga is beyond what I ever thought I could glean from a teacher training.  My own practice has become deeper, more rewarding and just plain feels better.  My confidence as a teacher is ten-fold what I expected it would be this early in my teaching experience.  I can see bodies in a way I couldn't before, I can assess more readily what might benefit one student versus another AND I can offer those options to students all within the same class.

 

When I think of my training with Mark I feel as though I opted for an experience that would be more challenging, more focused on anatomy in the beginning and, in the end, would leave me phenomenally more prepared to teach than if I had decided to go down another training path.  What I didn't realize I was opting for was an experience that would change my life as a student and a person, and that I would meet amazing people I would connect with and look forward to seeing every weekend and miss until I saw them again at workshops.  I'm incredibly grateful for both the expected and the unexpected!