Apr 25, 2020
#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.