THE JOURNEY

After returning to Muay Thai following a five year lay off, I returned to the practice only to find I had lost much of my previous flexibility and core strength. On the recommendation of my teacher, I took up yoga in 2012 initially as a means of improving my body movement. Not too long after starting, I began to realise that the benefits of yoga extended well beyond 'improving ones flexibility'. Instead it was the connection between mind and body coupled with the ability to drop the belief of always being 'busy', which led me to turn this once a week yoga practice into a daily routine. I started with Bikram Yoga but within a few months found myself enjoying the challenges and variety of a Vinyasa practice resulting in me joining Hot Power Yoga in Clapham, London. I have continued to practice Ashtanga (Vinyasa) Yoga at various studios around London, with my current home studio being The Yoga Edge. Ashtanga yoga translates literally as “eight-limbed yoga” - This refers to the eight limbs as highlighted by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras*.

 

Whilst this has been my main form of practice, I also enjoy Yin, Kundalini, Dharma and Restorative. You will find that the yoga I teach is Vinyasa Yoga, where movement is coordinated with your breath and as we flow from one pose to another.

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I completed my 200 hr Yoga Teacher Training with The Yoga Edge, London in 2019. Yoga is a journey and my learning is always evolving. 

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For me yoga brings an awareness of ones vulnerabilities, which when embraced and nurtured, can lead to incredible transformations in self perception and attitude. Practicing with me, I will encourage you to take ownership of your practice, listening to your body whilst tapping into your breath and it's ability to help you flow through each class. These are the core fundamentals that I believe you can take with you into your daily lives, after each practice.

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- Mark SK, Founder - Akwaaba Yoga

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Recommended books:

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• The Bhagavad Gita, by Eknath Easwaran

• Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: New Edition, by Sri Swami Satchidananda

• Fierce Medicine, by Ana T. Forrest   

• Functional Anatomy of Yoga, by David Keil 

 

* The eight limbs of yoga are yama (abstinences), niyama (observances), asana (yoga postures), pranayama (breath control), pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (pure contemplation).