Asana Training & Study

Mark Shveima began practicing hatha yoga in 1996 to increase his flexibility and strength in preparation to study martial arts. With a desire to explore on his own, he created a practice inspired by the video tapes of Rodney Yee, Patricia Walden and Bryan Kest, and made a daily commitment to it. Between 1998 and 2002, he studied with a variety of ashtanga-influenced and Iyengar teachers. It was also during this time that he studied kenpo, Tai-Chi Chuan, Pa`Qua, Northern Shaolin Kung Fu, and Qi Gong.

He moved to San Francisco in August of 2002. When he arrived, he had the good fortune to be guided to Jamie Lindsay, whose mix of Iyengar and ashtanga training was what Mark was looking for at the time. Jamie introduced him to Betty Roi, whose creative asana practice and wisdom teachings challenged Mark further. He studied with both of them for two years. It was Betty who then introduced him to his first Anusara® class in 2004.

In 2004 he attended an Anusara immersion led by Katchie Ananda, followed by a teacher training in 2005 hosted by her and Indie Mari. It was Katchie who inspired Mark to begin a meditation practice, while Indie was influential in the refinement of Mark’s hatha yoga practice in key areas of strength and balance.

It was in 2005 that Mark had the privilege to meet and study with John Friend, founder of the Anusara Yoga® tradition. Since then, Mark has completed over 500 hours of training with John, and has assisted him in both America and Japan. John's unsurpassed enthusiasm for life, preternatural intuition of the body, and deep heart wisdom are the fundamental inspiration for Mark's passionate engagement with the teachings of yoga. He has also trained extensively with senior Anusara teachers Sianna Sherman and Desiree Rumbaugh, both of whom have been instrumental in Mark's growth into a more eloquent and insightful asana teacher.

In June of 2009, at the auspicious time of his 40th birthday, Mark was granted the title of Certified Anusara Teacher.

Meditation & Scripture Study

In 2007, at John's Master Immersion, Mark met Paul Muller-Ortega. Paul's clear articulation of sophisticated tantric teachings, and authentic heart wisdom inspired Mark to enroll in a year-long immersion with him. The Nilakantha ("Blue Throat") meditation and lineage that Mark has been initiated into by Paul has become an intrinsic part of his continued growth in every aspect of his life. In January of 2009, Mark began a second level of study with Paul to further explore the ancient teachings and practices of the non-dual Shaivism of Kashmir. Mark is profoundly grateful to Paul for his heartfelt offerings of these exalted tantric teachings, and his unwavering commitment to propel each of his students into the great revelatory light of grace itself.

Teaching Experience & Class Description

Mark has taught hatha yoga for over a decade, first in Philadelphia until 2002, then in San Francisco until 2008. In September of 2008, Mark moved to Kyoto, Japan, to teach Anusara yoga, and immerse himself in a culture he has had a deep appreciation of for over a decade.

His extensive knowledge includes therapeutics, advanced asana techniques, energetic alignment, awareness practices, meditation, methods of stress reduction, and an understanding of the fundamental teachings of the non-dual Shaivism of Kashmir. He has taught beings from all walks of life, including children, the elderly, athletes, dancers, women during and after pregnancy, the physically impaired, and other teachers, in both public classes and private sessions. He considers himself a perennial student, continually seeking to refine the way he teaches and lives, so he may increase his capacity to serve others in even clearer and more skillful ways.

Mark's classes are an ascent into the wilderness of the heart, to harness the vast potential that lies within that unexplored territory. In his classes, each moment is a sacred communion of body and breath, and the asana practice itself is a tool for the cultivation of refined awareness and the awakening of divine bliss. Mark is a compassionate teacher, whose depth of caring, sense of humor, and unwavering attentiveness creates an environment of deep trust, where each individual can explore and expand the boundaries of their physical, intellectual, and emotional bodies, so they may experience their own unique beauty as it blossoms in astonishingly delightful ways.