Hello friends,

my name is Maryann Parker, and I have taught yoga in the Twin Cities for over 25 years. I began studying hatha yoga and meditation 27 years ago when I was writing my Master's thesis in philosophy. Disciples of Swami Rama and the Himalayan Institute constituted the yoga community in my area at that time. The focus was on breathing, meditation and a gentle soft style of hatha yoga. I studied exclusively with these people for seven years. When I realized I loved yoga and it was my purpose in life to be a yoga teacher, I began traveling around the world to take teacher training programs.

      The first training I attended was a summer at the Iyengar Institute in San Francisco. The next year I spent a month in India studying with BKS Iyengar in Poona. After that I voraciously pursued training that took me to Greece with Angela and Victor, Hawaii with Bob Smith, and Michigan with Joel Kraemer (to mention just a few). I have attended all of the Iyengar Conventions in the U.S. and spent several weekends at Kirpalu. I have studied Ashtanga yoga with Beryl Bender, author of the book Power Yoga. I have also sweated out a Bikram class! My friend and colleague Judith Lasater has been an influence on my career for 20 years. At the present time I am proud to be part of a movement in the U.S. called The Westernization of Yoga.

  Maryann Parker
      So much about the externals. These are the essentials about me: as a teacher of course I offer guidance to my students. I help bring awareness to those areas of the body that are unconscious to the person. I give information, technical points as to how this body machine of ours works. But more importantly, I truly care about the human beings who have honored me by letting me into their lives. I get excited when they discover a breakthrough in their mind/body work. I see the perfect pose in everyone, yet I do not care at all about perfecting poses. The pose is a direction, a form that one's body moves toward. Your body is somewhere in that form - it is not a form imposed on your body. That is why everybody can do my yoga. I gently guide and encourage you to move in a direction of opening your body, and making it strong so that it can open. This is a joyous process for me and the students. Trying to define my style in yoga is like trying to define me - I will leave it to my students to describe their experience in my classes and retreats.

Testimonials

"Maryann brings a fearless and nurturing spirit that fosters a cameraderie within the group and encourages each person to exceed his or her physical and mental limitations to make great strides in their yoga practice. Her teaching style is disciplined and rigorous yet constructive, affirming and kind",
Laurie Krivitz

"The ultimate yoga experience. The open air palapa offers the perfect space for practising yoga, with the breeze blowing in freely and the sounds of nature surrounding us. Isla Mujeres is beautiful and serene and allows us to take the peace you find in the morning yoga workouts in to the rest of the day's relaxing activities on the beach or in town. Maryann utilizes the palapa well, while making our yoga routines unique, fresh and invigorating each day. The gourmet food at the Na Balam Hotel was superb, and the people working there were warm and friendly and treated us like royalty. This yoga experience offers the perfect atmosphere for letting go of stress and and empowers you to reach a deeper level of peace within your soul",
Jolie Hilgren

"Maryann is a master yoga instructor and her expertise with the poses as well as her intention to empower and create the effect in your outer world is a powerful dynamic",
Susan Adams

"Maryann teaches with humor and is not afraid to give praise and encouragement. She helps students to find that extra bit of effort, persistence or endurance that is the path to growth",
Barbara Gill

"Maryann's yoga retreat on Isla Mujeres was a perfect blend of intense yoga, relaxation and exotic island charm. This retreat fulfilled all of my expectations. I hope to be able to go to it again next year",
Linda Campbell

"Maryann's yoga retreat in Mexico was a spiritually and physically heightening experience",
Cologne Hartman

"Mexico was such a transforming experience for me",
Jan Neville

Yoga Vacations - see my listings!

A Guide to International Yoga Retreats
Whether you've been doing yoga for years or you're just a beginner, there's a vacation in this book for you. And every one of the more than 100 vacations described will help you feel better - both physically and mentally. Choose from a wide variety of vacations: you can stay in the U.S. or, if you're feeling adventurous, visit an exotic location like Bali or Nepal. Plan to stay for a few days or a few weeks. Find a yoga retreat that focuses more on spirituality or one that leaves plenty of time for sight-seeing. And you can spend anywhere from $30 a day to $2,000 a week. Yoga Vacations gives you

  • detailed descriptions of the programs
  • information on the teachers' styles and philosophies
  • rate, accomodation, and meal information
  • recommendations on which retreats are the best for your level of experience.
Author Annalisa Cunningham, M.A. Counseling, has been a certified Hatha yoga instructor for more than 15 years and a certified massage therapist for more than 20 years. She organizes yoga retreats in the U.S. and Mexico.
"Yoga vacations are a great way to relax and begin or renew a commitment to better health and peace of mind. This guide is packed with everything you need to know to choose a yoga vacation that's just right for you." - The Chopra Center for Well Being

Yoga Vacations

Contact Information:

P A R K E R Y O G A . C O M
Maryann Parker, 4517 Moorland Ave., Edina, MN 55424
tel (952) 927 9380, fax (952) 922 5762, parkeryoga@yahoo.com


asana