Richard Clark
Richard completed a 3x year Ashtanga Yoga Teaching Training Program under Iain Clark at Ashtanga Yoga Shala. He first undertook Yoga practices as a teenager through the Satyananda and Sivananda Yoga Schools. He studied a degree in Traditional Chinese Acupuncture (B.C.T.A) and continued with further studies in Herbal Medicine (with Kerry Bone), and Ayurveda (with Prof. Dr. Ajit B.A.M.S, P.C.A.S) and is a Past President of the Australasian Ayurvedic Practitioners Association.
Now having been teaching Ashtanga Yoga for 20 years and having taken up further study In India, in both Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and other methods of Hatha yoga, he has always determined to share Yoga in keeping with its roots and objectives.
‘An ever-deep drive remains to impress the truly awe-inspiring philosophies of great Bharata – Mother India, which despite my limitations, I trust comes through in my classes’.
‘I don’t teach perfection of asana (but that’s no excuse for sloppy or misguided practice). I teach how to use asana etc in the yogic quest. I brought with me to yoga, more than a few serious injuries from my youth and would like to think that I can give hope to others who wish to make the best out of what they have been handed. In class I relate the words of the late, modern bard, Leonard Cohen, to an attitude most helpful in the quest’:
“Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.”
– Leonard Cohen.
Yoga methods do not strive for physical perfection or a perfect work life balance. No perfect asana, no deep pranayama, no singing of kirtan, no positive thought/affirmation will in and of themselves, lead to the goal of yoga. We must take on the whole formula, which is why we have here the precious Aṣhṭāṅga or eight limbed model. This process requires care, awareness, direction, humility, open-ness and receptivity.