We caught up with Urban for teams pro Mark to chat about all things yoga including his top tips for relieving stress.

Hey Mark! How long have you been practicing yoga?

I’ve been practicing yoga since 2016, when I started going to classes to help de-stress from my role in corporate PR. It was a natural progression from exploring guided meditation, but little did I know then it would eventually lead to a complete career change! I now teach yoga, Pilates and meditation full-time.

What do you enjoy most about working with corporate clients?

I love working with corporate clients because I was part of that world for many years, so I know how stressful it can be both physically and mentally; I love that you really have an opportunity to help clients strengthen on the inside as well as the outside with practices like yoga, pilates and meditation.

What are your top tips to clients to get the most out of a yoga practice? 

Arrive early to the session so you have time to relax and get into the right headspace.

Stay hydrated.

Leave your phone behind!

How do you like to unwind and relax outside of work?

I love doing digital art and painting using Photoshop. It’s like meditation in a way, you get very absorbed into it. It’s where I can really indulge my nerdy side! You can check out my Artstation to see my work.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month – do you have any top tips on how yoga can help to alleviate symptoms of stress and examples of poses to try?

Yoga is a great reminder that we are very interconnected beings — what happens in the body affects the mind and vice versa. The best way to de-stress with yoga is to remember that it isn’t a “workout”, it’s simply a way to deepen that body-mind connection. Trying Yoga Nidra (a form of non-physical yoga) is a very powerful way to de-stress.

My favourite poses for releasing stress by stretching the body are:

• Puppy Pose to release the shoulders and back

• Dragonfly Pose to release the hamstrings

• Lizard Pose to release the hips

How do you help to create a relaxing atmosphere during classes for corporate clients, whether in the office or online?

I try to give very clear and simple instructions so that clients don’t always have to be looking at what I’m doing visually; they can relax and enjoy being in their own practice and in their own bodies for a little while.

Before each and every class or client I remind myself that this is a chance to make someone’s day a little better; the only question is how I’m going to do that.

To book Mark for your team head to our website.