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ISBN: 978-1-55643-885-1 (1-55643-885-0)

Trade Paperback, 8 x 10, 432 pages

Health & Fitness - Yoga; Philosophy - Mind & Body; Education - Teaching Methods

North Atlantic Books/Random House

 

 

 "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 insight. It should be on the shelf of everyone who loves the practice of yoga."

– Sally Kempton, Yoga Journal's "Wisdom" columnist and author of Meditation for the Love Of It

 "Yoga teachers and their students will love this book. Mark Stephens untangles the complexities of yoga, giving teachers a rich array of practical teaching tools. 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"

 "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' offering to yoga teachers provides 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

 "Comprehensive, deeply insightful, and chock full of tips and techniques for teaching and doing yoga, Mark Stephens' 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: Insights to Awaken and Deepen Your Practice

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Foreword by Mariel Hemingway

Introduction: The Art and Science of Teaching Yoga

Chapter 1: The Ancient Roots of Modern Yoga

• The Vedas
• The Upanishads
• The Bhagavad-Gita
• The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
• Tantra
• Early Hatha Yoga
• Toward Modern Hatha Yoga

Chapter 2: Modern Hatha Yoga

• Yoga's Journey to the West
• Contemporary Hatha Yoga Styles (Ananda, Anusara, Ashtanga Vinyasa, Bikram, Integral, Iyengar, Power, Sivananda, Vinyasa Flow)
• A Teacher's Palette of Styles

Chapter 3: Subtle Energy

• The Five Sheaths
• Prana
• Nadis
• Bandhas
• Chakras
• Gunas
• Doshas
• Highlighting Subtle Energy in Classes

Chapter 4: Body Structure and Movement in Yoga

• The Feet
• The Knees
• The Pelvis
• The Core
• The Spine
• The Shoulders, Arms and Hands
• Functional Anatomy in Teaching

Chapter 5: Creating Space for Self-Transformation

• The Physical Setting
• Classroom Setup and Orientation
• Class Levels and Prerequisites
• Class Etiquette
• Waking Up the Spiritual Environment
• Archetypes and Mythology
• Creating a Happy Space
• Creating Space for Healing and Awakening
• Holding Integrated Space

Chapter 6: Techniques and Tools in Teaching

• Teaching Who Is In Front of You
• Voice and Language
• Basic Elements of Asana Practice
• Instructing Asanas
• General Principles in Giving Hands-On Cues and Adjustments
• Modifications, Variations, and Use of Props: An Overview
• Bringing It All Together

Chapter 7: Teaching Asanas

• Surya Namaskara: The Sun Salutations
• Standing Asanas
• Core Refinement
• Arm Balances
• Backbends
• Seated and Supine Twists
• Forward Bends and Hip Openers
• Inversions
• Savasana

Chapter 8: Teaching Pranayama

• The Discovery and Development of Pranayama
• The Modern Science of Respiration
• Teaching Basic Breath Awareness
• Refining the Flow of Breath
• Ujjayi Pranayama
• Deepening the Pranayama Practice
• When and Whom To Teach Pranayama
• Consciously Cultivating Energy

Chapter 9: Teaching Meditation

• Patanjali's Path of Meditation: Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana
• Taking One Seat
• Six Guided Meditation Techniques
• When to Meditate
• Meditating Amid the Flow of Body and Breath

Chapter 10: Sequencing and Planning Classes

• Principles of Sequencing
• The Basic Arc Structure of Classes
• Sequencing Within and Across Asana Families
• Planning Specific Classes
• Sequencing for the Menstrual Cycle
• The Chakra Model of Sequencing
• Popular Hatha Yoga Sequences
• Creating Your Classes

Chapter 11: Specialized Teaching

• New to Yoga
• Working with Injuries
• Working with Depression
• Working with Pregnant Students
• Teaching in Alternative Settings

Chapter 12: The Yoga Profession

• Teacher Training and Certification
• Apprenticing
• Teaching Opportunities and Remuneration
• Liability Insurance
• Regulation of the Profession
• Cultivating Abundance
• The Path of the Teacher

Appendices
Appendix A: Resources
Appendix B: Glossary of Terms
Appendix C: List of Asanas
Appendix D: Asana Elements

References
Bibliography
Index

From the Foreword

by Mariel Hemingway

 “When I met Mark Stephens I had been a practicing yogini for nearly twenty years and yet I knew that Mark would be a significant teacher in my life. He was and still is an inspiration to me because of his grounded understanding of the principles of yoga and the relationship of the body to asana. What really moves me about Mark is his relationship to the spirit of yoga and his depth of understanding of the science behind yogic tradition. He understands the template of what is needed to become the best you can be as a practitioner and especially as a teacher. . . . He is a teacher’s teacher.”