#014: Mark Robberds

Scott talks to Mark Robberds, a friend, senior Ashtanga yoga teacher and movement educator.

Mark Robberds has been practicing yoga since 1997. He is one of the few people to be certified to teach Ashtanga Yoga by KPJAYI. Over the years he has become one of the leading figures of movement in yoga culture, pushing the boundaries around how yoga and movement can interrelate.

Mark now lives in Bali with his wife Deepika Mehta where they teach Ashtanga yoga and movement intensives. You can find more here.

Mark also shares widely on his Instagram page here.

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Into The Unknown - Mark Robberds

Scott and Mark have been friends since 2018. This engaging, warm and beautiful conversation covers the span of Mark's life as a practitioner and teacher. Over the years Mark has taken leaps of faith and stepped into the unknown. He's had times when he's had to step back but his path has always been one of evolution. In the podcast Mark shares the choices and directions he has made that has turned him into the teacher and pioneering educator he is now.

In this conversation Mark shares how:

• the experience of yoga first evolved in his life.
• his mum introduced him to Christian philosophy as a child.
• from a young age he had a philosophical outlook on the world.
• he reinvented himself aged twenty one by going travelling.
• his mum introduced him to yoga when he returned.
• he met his first teacher Nicky Knoff, who introduced him to Ashtanga yoga.
• he recovered from Dengue Fever through practicing yoga, which changed his mindset.
• he went back to Sydney and practiced at Yoga Moves with senior teacher Eileen Hall.
• he travelled to India for the first time and headed north, before travelling to Mysore to study with Pattabhi Jois.
• his experience of practicing in Mysore for the first month was.
• after leaving Mysore he had a cathartic experience and had to go back to Sydney.
• he apprenticed at Yoga Moves, which really helped him become part of the Ashtanga yoga community.
• he returned to Mysore to study at KPJAYI while continuing to learn from Eileen, which propelled his learning.
• in the early 2000's he started practicing at Yoga Synergy with Simon Borg Olivier, seeing a lot of benefits to his teaching.
• he was exposed to the teachings of legendary teacher Shandor Remete.
• Clive Sheridan became a great influence in his life, his approach to yoga and Ashtanga yoga practice.
• he studied yoga philosophy in Mysore with Professor Nagaraj Rao
• in 2005 he sold everything to go away and discover himself.
• the book The Artist's Way changed his life.
• he went to South America, where plant medicine helped him to clarify his direction and identity.
• in 2015 he discovered Instagram and Ido Portal, who had a deep impact on him.
• Richard Freeman influenced him.
• how he had to break away from the yoga practice to bring it back.
• his next journey is fatherhood.
• it is for him to live a contemplative life.

Mentioned in the Podcast:

Teachers:Nicky Knoff, Eileen Hall, K.Pattabhi Jois, Simon Borg Olivier, Shandor Remete, Clive Sheridan, Professor Nagaraj Rao, Ido Portal, Richard Freeman

Book:The Artists Way by Julia Cameron

'Mark's story is one of a 23 year movement of self discovery. He has never rested on his laurels and once he knew yoga was the path for him he set his focus on going deep. That his destiny was to just discover life unfolding. This conversation really teases out how going into the unknown can be a deep way of discovering where we can find our true path'

Scott Johnson - April 2020

If you enjoyed this podcast then also listen to Scott's conversations with Danny Paradise, Joey Milesand Mark's wife, Deepika Mehta.