Teaching Yoga, Second Edition: A Comprehensive Guide for Yoga Teachers and Trainers: A Yoga Alliance-Aligned Manual of Asanas, Breathing Techniques, Yogic Foundations, and More

by Mark Stephens

The bestselling guide for yoga teachers and trainers, revised and updated—a comprehensive Yoga Alliance-aligned manual of asanas, breathing techniques, yogic foundations, and more.

Revised and updated, Teaching Yoga by yoga expert Mark Stephens is one of the most popular resources for new and experienced teachers, and has been a trusted guide since its publication in 2010.

This classic resource covers fundamental topics of yoga history and philosophy, as well as each of the 11 major styles of contemporary yoga. There is also practical advice for every stage of the teaching process, including tools for teaching 108 yoga poses (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama), and meditation.

The 2nd edition—adapted to meet the needs of the modern yoga teacher—

Updated sections on yoga history and philosophyDiscussions of trauma-sensitive yogaCoverage of cultural appropriation, racism, and sexism in yoga An inclusive approach that expands beyond the traditional vinyasa flow styleNew photos and illustrations1-page summaries after each chapterAn extended list of references for further learning
Developed to meet 100% of the teacher training curriculum standards set by Yoga Alliance, the world’s leading registry and accreditation source for yoga teachers and schools, Teaching Yoga is ideal for use as a core textbook in yoga teacher training programs.

436 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 2, 2024

About the author

After dabbling in yoga in my teens (1970s!), I've been passionately devoted practicing yoga since January 1, 1991, and since January 1, 1996 I've been equally passionate in sharing yoga as a personal practice for making every moment of one’s life better – healthier, clearer, and altogether more joyful. While Yoga Journal referred to me as "the teacher's teacher," I steadfastly believe that the best teach you will ever have is inside of you. At the same time, with practice and study, we can offer meaningful guidance to others, and this is precisely the intention in my textbooks for yoga teachers: Teaching Yoga (2010/2024), Yoga Sequencing (2012), Yoga Adjustments (2014) Yoga Therapy (2017), and Yoga for Better Sleep (2019.) I now writing a book on Yoga Histories and Philosophies from Ancient to Modern Times. All odf this taps into my background in Ashtanga Vinyasa, Iyengar, Vinyasa Flow, Tantra, and Yoga Therapy, plus fairly deep academic study of things like anatomy, philosophy, research methods and more. I try to bring an eclectic perspective to the practice that's all about making yoga more accessible, sustainable, and deeply transformational.

Reviews

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I own the first edition of this book, which was originally published in 2010. This comprehensive book on Yoga is essential for Yoga Teachers. There have been some changes between the 2010 version and this one that are notable. Some sections from the original have been renamed, condensed or left out entirely. It appears that the original text had some references to Ayurvedic practices and principles and, perhaps in order to not verge into that lane, those sections have been removed. There are is also a section in the original text that speaks more in depth on well-known western teachers and gave short biographies on those lineages, and that section has been condensed a great deal. Perhaps this is the result of at least one of the teachers mentioned in that section being associated with abuse (sexual and otherwise) of his students. The new edition seems just as thoughtfully written and edited as the original, and give some basic historical context as well as foundational knowledge to teach Yoga, no matter how long you've been teaching.

[AMAO · Rating 5 out of 5]

Teaching Yoga, Second Edition: A Comprehensive Guide for Yoga Teachers and Trainers: A Yoga Alliance-Aligned Manual of Asanas, Breathing Techniques, Yogic Foundations, and More
Mark Stephens Pub Date 02 Apr 2024

🧘🏻‍♂️I was totally impressed how detailed and inclusive this edition is. I am a wanna be teacher but a devoted practitioner of Yoga, Meditation and Breath Work. To have all these disciplines so well researched and brought together was so impressive. His passion for this genre is so evident! I believe new practitioners or those who are curious will find a wealth of knowledge in this book. It is one of the best resources for all the above practices. It will not disappoint!🧘🏽‍♀️


This classic resource covers fundamental topics of yoga history and philosophy, as well as each of the 11 major styles of contemporary yoga. There is also practical advice for every stage of the teaching process, including tools for teaching 108 yoga poses (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama), and meditation.

The 2nd edition—adapted to meet the needs of the modern yoga teacher—features:

Updated sections on yoga history and philosophy
Discussions of trauma-sensitive yoga
Coverage of cultural appropriation, racism, and sexism in yoga
An inclusive approach that expands beyond the traditional vinyasa flow style
New photos and illustrations
1-page summaries after each chapter
An extended list of references for further learning

Developed to meet 100% of the teacher training curriculum standards set by Yoga Alliance, the world’s leading registry and accreditation source for yoga teachers and schools, Teaching Yoga is ideal for use as a core textbook in yoga teacher training programs

[Joselyn Moreno · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very comprehensive and good guide for teaching yoga, it does has a lot of information on anatomy, asanas and the vedas that will do the teaching process a little easier for the new teachers.

It's too a good book to have as an informative one, just to remember this or that at different parts of your life and your teaching, we are constantly learning and re learning things.

So if you´re beginning your preparation or are already a yoga teacher and want to expand your knowledge totally recommend this book.

[JadersCorner · Rating 5 out of 5]

NetGalley review.

This edition is amazing, everything is clearly payed out, and explained. Even expanded on some topic from other books I’ve read on this topic.
I will absolutely be referencing this book in my learning and career as a teacher.

[MarkD60 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a textbook for my YTT

[Chloe Parks]

Dnf at 22%. Listening to the audiobook and the narration was just so so difficult to focus on because it didn’t feel like a person talking, weird and choppy.