I have been teaching Baptiste Power Yoga since 2003. As a part of the Leader Teacher Faculty for the Baptiste Institute, I lead Baptiste programs around the world. Along with Baptiste Power Yoga Boston, I own and operate Shiva Shakti Power Yoga in Northampton, MA.
I grew up in Milford, MA, studying Goju-Ryu Karate at my father's karate school from age 5 to 17. I began wrestling at the age of 13, and became obsessed. I loved it, but it left me injured and disconnected from my body. In my search for healing, I practiced Kundalini and Iyengar yoga in college, and began to connect to the suffering that is part of the human condition.
After graduating from U-Mass Amherst with a degree in psychology, I ended up selling real estate in Boston. I was making a living, but it was unfulfilling. Knowing I needed to return to the yoga mat, I picked a studio randomly off the internet and miraculously landed in Baptiste Power Yoga in Boston. My first class was like returning to a long-lost love. That is the day I reclaimed my life and remembered my work. I felt like I could do anything. I started running marathons and ended up participating in the Boston marathon seven years in a row.
I continued to practice day in and day out and was amazed to find how healing it was physically and emotionally. Over time, I transformed my pain from an obstacle to a stepping stone for a new attitude toward life. As a teacher, my intention is to wake my students up to what’s possible for them in life, beginning with the potential that’s available when living in a healthy body with an inspired heart.
]]>I arrived at my first Baptiste Power Yoga class in 2002, when a friend brought me to one of the original Baptiste studios in Boston. I was looking for a good way to stay in shape, and instead I found a practice that would completely transform my life.
I started running long distance when I was 11 and enjoyed the physical challenge and the success, but did not enjoy the injuries that left me limping by the end of high school. When I went to college at Harvard, my physical discipline went out the window. Needless to say, by the time I graduated, my mind was overloaded and my body neglected.
When I first encountered Baptiste Yoga in Boston, I felt like I had discovered a home I hadn’t known existed. Although it kicked my butt (and still continues to do so!), I felt invigorated in mind and body. As I continued to practice, I realized that I had to share my discovery and signed up for my first teacher training with Baron Baptiste in 2006. I have been a certified Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga teacher since 2010. In 2007, I quit my job as a graphic designer and moved to Northampton, MA, to open Shiva Shakti Power Yoga with Brandon.
In my classes, I encourage students to challenge themselves sensitively and to discover the tools they need to explore on their own. I look at teaching as just another step in my studentship and an opportunity to share my experiences of growth and discovery.
]]>Mark was named the 2013 Best Yoga Instructor by Boston Magazine.
]]>While attending Level 1 Teacher Training lead by Baron Baptiste, I understood that my purpose in life is to be of service and decided to share what I’ve been given through this practice by teaching it to others. In 2017, I completed my 200hr. teacher training through the Baptiste Power Yoga Institute and also became a 300hr. Certified Baptiste Power Yoga Leader. I am deeply grateful for the loving-guidance that my teachers Baron Baptiste, Brandon Compagnone, Luca Richards and Paige Elenson have shared with me and intent to serve others in the same way.
Today more than ever, I remain committed to living a healthy life that is both joyful and free. Through teaching Baptiste Power Yoga, I humbly and open-heartedly hope to inspire others to do the same. My aim is for my students to step off the mat feeling uplifted and with clear vision, inspired to live better moment to moment.
]]>To deepen my practice, I completed my first 200 hour Teacher Training in 2011. This reinforced my intention and commitment to follow my heart and to live fearlessly and I have been happily teaching ever since.
Having a practice that keeps me clear, present, and living moment to moment has built a deeper connection than I ever knew was possible. It opened up a new world of possibility grounded in the understanding that our power lies within. I am committed to serving and sharing this practice with the hope to inspire others to courageously live from the heart!
]]>The truth is, I wasn't a “yoga person” when I discovered Baptiste Yoga in 2014. I was just on vacation and wanted to get a workout in, so I walked into a local studio and rented a mat. But over the next hour, I was blown away by the practice and the sense of clarity and centeredness I left the room with. I went back the next day. And when I found the Brookline studio back home, that was it. I was all in.
Over time, I was inspired to complete Baptiste Levels 1 and 2 and begin my teaching journey. Today, my intention in teaching is simply to create space for students to connect with and move from a deep inner centeredness and a trust in self that’s always there for us, waiting to be uncovered again and again.