Remixing & Refining
Surya Namskaras
WITH MARK STEPHENS
Starts March 13, 2026 – 15-Hour CourseÂ
Marina Deetjen, RYT 500, Germany
"Amazing course! One of the best I've ever attended- very well prepared, carefully structured, and full of valuable information! Mark is unbelievably knowledgeable and has a talent of explaining most difficult concepts with clarity and ease. I didn't know anatomy could be so interesting! I highly recommend this course to any new or experienced yoga teacher who wants a better understanding of the human body and to learn how to put this theoretical knowledge to practice. Having completed the course, I now feel more confident when preparing my own yoga classes and guiding my students. Thank you so much!" - Marina
Why Remix and Refine
the Sun Salutations?
After 108 years of global postural practices, we've gained deep insight into the beauty, power, and problematic elements of Surya Namaskaras – the "Classical" forms introduced by the Sivananda tradition and Surya Namaskara A/B from th Krishnamachrya tradition.
In looking at every element – every moment of action, form, and movement – we can now refine our approach in ways that make doing Sun Salutations safer, more accessible, and more sustainable in all flow-style yoga classes.
There are several specific issues or potential problems in the conventional approaches. These include prematurely deep forward bends, repetitive stress in the wrists, premature and unrefined placement of Warrior I, and movements that unnecessarily disturb the integrity of the breath.Â
The remixes address these issue with simple alternatives.
The refinement happens within the forms and transitions.
Learn Several Key Proven Techniques for Each Transition Plus a Few Innovations That Make the Flow More Accessible and Sustainable for All
The entire foundation of all flow styles of yoga is rooted in the dynamic movement of the Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskaras). It is here that we warm the body and set the rhythm and mood for all that follows, connecting breath and bodymind in the gradual opening and refinement of the overall practice. Â
With deep bows to the teachings of early 20th century yoga gurus and their proteges, we stand on the shoulders of history to see more clearly into the present and future – not to be held back by the early pioneers or our contemporaries who insist on strict adherence to tradition.
There are 12 asanas in the Classical and A/B forms: Mountain (Tadasana), Upward Arms (Urdhva Hastasana), Chair (Utkatasana), Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana), Half Standing Forward Bend (Ardha Uttanasana), Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana), Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I), Low Cobra (Ardha Bhujanghasana), Plank (Phalakhasana), Upward Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana), and Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Down).Â
In this course, we look in great detail at of these asanas as they appear in both the traditional and remixed forms. In doing so, we also cover the practical, functional anatomy of movement, focusing on stability, ease, and being present in the experience.
Benefits of This Course
Â
Provide Your Students With Clearer & More Well-informed Guidance In Their Practice
Through A Deeper Appreciation of the Living Sun Salutations
KNOWLEDGE
Knowing the alignment elements and energetic actions of each asana and transition – as well as modifications – will enliven your classes and empower your students in their practices.
APPLICATION
All that we do in the Sun Salutations prepares us for all that follows in Vinyasa Flow classes. The detailed refines explored in this course apply to many other asanas and transitions in every class we teach.
CONFIDENCE
 Your expanded and refined knowledge will increase your confidence and ability to teach safe, sustainable and deeply transformational classes to a diverse array of students with various conditions and intentions.
What You'll Learn in This Course
In looking closely at each asana and transition in the three most popular Sun Salutation sequences, we highlight the phases and qualities of breath, the energetics (what one is actively doing), and the bio-mechanical forces.
Each asana and movement asks to both actively engage certain muscles and to relax others. We look closely at each of our major joints involved in each asana and transition, how they are actively mobilized and stabilized, and how these qualities of action are best approached throughout the flowing sequence.
We address healthy range of motion, matters of hypermobility and hypomobility, the role of connective tissues such as fascia and ligaments, differences in bone structure among different students (and differences by age and conditions such as pregnancy), and how best to guide both individual students and entire classes in clear and plain language.
We also address common myths and misunderstandings about the human body that arise from archaic and overly imaginative sources, thereby further highlighting the practical realities of real human beings doing yoga.
This expanded knowledge of dynamic yoga will directly enhance your knowledge and skills teaching Surya Namaskars, including offering modifications and props, giving hands-on adjustments, and more deeply appreciating each one of your students.
TOPICS
- Brief overview of the history of Sun Salutations
- The traditional approaches to Sun Salutations
- Detailed guidance in each of the 12 asanas and the transitions into and out of them.
- The practical, functional anatomy and biomechanics of movement (i.e., kinesiology) of movement.
- Hopw best to introduce and teach Salutations to students who are new to them.
- Modifications and use of props with each of the 12 asanas.
- Â Alignment, cueing, and hands-on adjustments
- Working with injuries and special conditions
MATERIALS & REQUIREMENTS
This online course requires a strong internet connection so that the video content easily streams to your computer or other device.Â
COURSE MATERIALS
- Provided: Printable Workbook with images & ample space for notes (PDF), Course Syllabus (PDF)
- Highly Recommended: Teaching Yoga (second edition), by Mark Stephens
COURSE REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTIFICATIONÂ
- Watch all of the course video content
- Attend the live sessions OR watch the recorded replays of the live sessions
FORMAT & SCHEDULE
SCHEDULE
- March 13, 2026
Course opens - March 6–April 17, 2026
Live Interactive portion of the course - September 13, 2026
Course closes
LIVE SESSIONS
- March 16, 2026
(9:00-10:00am PDT)Â - March 20, 2026
(9:00am-12:00pm PDT) - April 3, 2026
(9:00am-12:00pm PDT) - April 17, 2026
(9:00am-12:00pm PDT)
Time Zone Converter:
9am PDT = 12pm EDT | 6pm CESTÂ
This Live Format course features 10 hours of online learning that blends self-paced pre-recorded videos with live interaction via Zoom. There are three-and-a-half hours of prerecorded video, allowing you to learn at your own pace and according to your personal schedule.
The 3-week interactive portion of this course offers three live sessions via Zoom in which you will directly engage with Mark and other course participants.Â
To make the most of attending the live sessions, we encourage watching all of the pre-recorded videos during the 3-week interactive portion of the course. This makes our live sessions via Zoom far more useful and productive in expanding your knowledge and skills.Â
That said, we know your schedule can change at any given moment and that you may need more time to complete the course. That's why all the live sessions are recorded and available for you to watch at your convenience, and it's why we give you 6 months to complete the course.
Thus, you can either attend the live sessions in real-time or you can watch the recorded replays if you cannot attend live – or both!
This flexibility allows you to complete the course in as little as three weeks or as long as 6 months. It's your choice!
Experience You Can Trust
I’m deeply passionate about yoga and teaching it in the best possible ways. Practicing yoga for over 30 years and training teachers since 1998, I’m here to help you develop your knowledge of anatomy in entirely practical ways.
I started teaching yoga anatomy in the early 2000s as part of Yoga Inside Foundation, helping yoga teachers in serving students in prisons, mental health facilities, drug rehabs, inner city and rural schools, and other settings where we encounter the fullest range of human conditions.
All of my books address and tap into yoga anatomy. From my first textbooks on Teaching Yoga (2010, second edition forthcoming in 2024), Yoga Adjustments (2012), and Yoga Sequencing (2014) to my comprehensive 720-page text on Yoga Therapy (2017, which has 10 chapters on human anatomy and physiology), the theme is the same: provide yoga teachers with a rich set of thoroughly researched resources that meet the practical tests of teaching and guiding a diverse array students in their yoga practices over a long period of time.
Thus, drawing from multiple sources, I bring a non-dogmatic, accessible, and integrated perspective to my teaching, always striving to make yoga a more refined practice for healthy living, including through guidance that is deeply informed by a plain and accurate understanding of anatomy for yoga.
I also take the risk to point out the common distortions and misunderstandings found in much of yoga anatomy instruction, whether in best-selling books or online offerings, in abiding pursuit of jnana (knowledge), satya (truth) and ahimsa (non-hurting).
Who This Course Is For
New & Experienced Teachers and Serious Students Welcome!
Designed for new and experienced yoga teachers (& yoga teacher trainers), this course builds upon your current knowledge and helps you develop the refined skills for guiding students far more safely and effectively in their practice of the Sun Salutations.
With a focus on the most common sequences found in Flow-style yoga clases, this course is for teachers who want to guide the practice from their own knowledge and understanding while informed by the most recent, state-of-the-art understanding of Surya Namaskaras.   Â
- If you've want to teach Sun Salutations and the basic "vinyasa" in the clearest and most informed ways...
- If you ever feel frustrated in giving your students clear guidance in these asanas and transitions...
- If you want to improve your knowledge of alignment and cueing...
- If you want to learn more about helping students with injuries and special conditions...Â
- If you want to teach from a well of your own knowledge...
THIS COURSE IS FOR YOU!
Benefits of Online Learning
Both in-person and online workshops and trainings come with their own strengths and weaknesses, and neither one is superior. My online workshops and trainings offer the same quality as my in-person offerings do, and even include some added benefits. When deciding what's a good fit for your development as a yoga teacher, consider your options and what will best suit your unique needs.Â
FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE
+ BALANCE
Not everyone can take time off work (or from other responsibilities) to advance their learning and deepen their studies. If you are juggling multiple commitments and responsibilities, the flexibility of online learning offers you an opportunity to study when it works best for your unique schedule. In lieu of taking time off work or missing family dinners, you can log-in and learn when it’s convenient for you, making it easier to balance all that you do and love in life.
PLAYBACK CONTROL
+ SELF-PACED LEARNING
Unlike in-person workshops or trainings, online learning allows you to pause, rewind, re-watch and even slow the speed of video lectures and classes. This playback control helps to ensure you don’t miss any critical information being presented when you need to pause to take notes, do additional research or contemplate an idea. Those who don’t speak English as their native language especially find value in slowing down the video speed to help with translation. Plus, you can re-watch the videos repeatedly to make sure you fully understand the material before moving onto the next topic. This added control allows you to work through the material at your own pace and get the most out of your learning experience.
STUDY FROM ANYWHERE
+ GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
Traveling for in-person workshops and trainings can present many challenges, including an added cost and time commitment, that prevent teachers from being able to study with Mark. Online learning means you can train with Mark from anywhere in the world, without the need to travel and from the convenience of your own home. Plus, online learning attracts a wide range from participants from all over the world which lends itself to a deeper, global perspective that enhances the learning experience during live group sessions on Zoom.
MORE ACCESS
+ TIME FOR INTEGRATION
For most people, learning requires repetition, but in-person workshops and trainings are live which means you can’t “rewatch” the material or access it again. With online learning, you can watch the video lectures and classes as many times as you like during your time of access (generally 6 months or more). Not only does this improve your ability to understand the material, it also provides ample time for integration of the information; you have time to go out and apply the teachings, methods and theories in your classes and then revisit the material or ideas that didn’t make sense during application or that you didn’t fully grasp.
Heidi Nelson, RYT 200, USA
Mark's vast knowledge about Yoga and Anatomy (combined with his many years of experience teaching yoga and training teachers) is a huge asset for anyone who is serious about the path of teaching yoga." - Heidi
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FAQs
What if I can't attend a live group session?
How many hours is this course?
Will there be "homework" or additional hours of study?
How long do I have to access to the course?
Is this course approved by the Yoga Alliance?
Will I receive a certificate?
What is your refund policy?
Will I be able to ask Mark questions?
What form of payment do you accept?
Jimmy Corneyre, RYT 200, France
