Yoga Intensive with Mark Stephens
This four-day Yoga Intensive at La Expositiva offers in-depth workshops for teachers and serious students, plus Master Classes open to beginning to seriously advanced students and teachers. The in-depth workshops cover topics from Yoga Adjustments: Philosophy, Principles, and Techniques, and Yoga Sequencing: Designing Transformative Yoga Classes. Each class and workshop draws from ancient-to-contemporary yoga philosophies, a variety of yoga styles and techniques, and offers a practical application of functional anatomy, biomechanics, and kinesiology.
Thursday, 16 June 3 sessions
o Morning (9:00–11:30) § Topic: Master Class: Balanced Pranayama & Heart Opening Backbends
· Description: This Master Class begins with exploration of the breath, introducing natural breathing, ujjayi, viloma, sama/visama vrtti, kumbhaka, and kapalabhati pranayama techniques. We then move into a balanced Vinyasa Flow asana practice designed to guide students deeply into a series of heart-opening backbends, followed by asanas to help integrate and balance energy on the path to Savasana.
o Afternoon (13:30–17:30) § Topic: The Art & Science of Guiding Yoga Practices – Part I: Philosophy, Principles, Techniques – Applied to Standing Asanas
· Description: This Yoga Teacher Intensive focuses on how to best give refined guidance, with a primary focus on giving effective hands-on adjustments that accompanied by related verbal cues and demonstrations. This first session starts with theory and principles and then applies these insights to Standing Asanas. We will explore a wide range of externally- and internally-rotated hip standing asanas, including modifications, variations, and uses of props for each asana.
o Evening (19:00–21:00) § Topic: The Art & Science of Guiding Yoga Practices – Part II: Deeper Exploration of Standing Asanas
· Description: In Part II of the Yoga Teacher Intensive, we continue with the practical applications we started in Part I, focusing on the refined teaching of a wide variety of Standing Asanas and how best to guide them in flow-style and individualized classes.
Friday, 17 June 2 sessions
o Morning (9:00–11:30) § Topic: Master Class: Arm Balances in Vinyasa Flow
· Description: This master class begins with warming Surya Namaskaras and Dancing Warriors designed to open and stabilize the hips and shoulders in preparation for a series of beginning-to-advanced level arm balances (including Bakasana, Parsva Bakasana, Bhujapidasana, Tittibhasana, Astavakrasana, Eka Pada Koundinyasana, Galavasana, Urdhva Kukkutasana and Uttana Prasithasana). This complete practice also includes wrist and shoulder therapy practices to ensure the full integration of the practice.
o Afternoon (13:30–17:30) § Topic: The Art & Science of Guiding Yoga Practices – Part III: Backbends & Seated Twists
· Description: In Part III, first we explore guiding students in each type of Backbending Asana – Contraction, Traction, and Leveraged– including Salabhasana ABC, Bhujanghansana, Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, Dhanurasana, Unstrasana, Kapotasana, Setu Bandha Sarvanghasana, Urdhva Dhanurasana and Eka Pada Raj Kapotasana. We will focus on hands-on guidance and adjustments, use of props, and modifications that make the asanas more safe, accessible, and deeper.
Saturday, 18 June 3 sessions
o Morning (9:00–11:30) § Topic: Master Class: Balanced Pranayama & Heart Opening Backbends
· Description: This Master Class begins with exploration of the breath, introducing natural breathing, ujjayi, viloma, sama/visama vrtti, kumbhaka, and kapalabhati pranayama techniques. We then move into a balanced Vinyasa Flow asana practice designed to guide students deeply into a series of heart-opening backbends, followed by asanas to help integrate and balance energy on the path to Savasana.
o Afternoon (13:30–17:30) § Topic: Yoga Sequencing – Part I: Philosophy & Principles – Application to Designing Beginning to Intermediate Level Classes
· Description: This Yoga Teacher Intensive beginning with a lecture on the philosophy and principles of Yoga sequencing. We will then work collaborative to design a variety of Beginning to Intermediate Yoga classes with different Peak Asanas, emphasizing how to make the asanas more accessible, sustainable, and deeply transformational.
o Evening (19:00–21:00) § Topic: Yoga Sequencing – Part II: Designing Advanced Classes
· Description: This session continues the Yoga Teacher Intensive on Sequencing with the practical applications we started in Part I, focusing on designing integrated classes for more advanced students.
Sunday, 19 June 3 sessions
o Morning (9:00–11:30) § Topic: Master Class: Deep Hip Opening & Calming Forward Bends
Description:
We often carry tension in the more hidden parts of bodies, especially in the hips and all up and down the back of the body from our heels to our neck. With tightness in our hips we are more limited in our mobility, even more so if we are are with strong yoga, sports, and other intense activity. The tension across the back of the body, especially in the hamstrings, along the spine and around the neck, can make even simple activity in daily life uncomfortable and more stressful. This class is designed to work slowly, gradually and deeply into these areas of tension with a balanced set of asanas (postures) and breathing techniques. You will learn simple techniques of sequencing for making a wide variety of hip openers and forward bends more accessible as we explore stretching and bringing greater awareness to areas where we hold on to things that limit us in daily life.
o Afternoon (13:30–17:30) § Topic: Yoga Sequencing – Part III: Designing Chakra Balancing and Restorative Yoga Classes
· Description: This session continues the Yoga Teacher Intensive on Sequencing with the practical applications we started in Part I, focusing on energetic balance. We will look closely at the subtle energetic of chakras and at how to design classes for the greatest restorative and therapeutic benefits.,
For more information or to sign up, please click here
