Martha Marcom

Martha Marcom, E-RYT 500, has been practicing yoga since 1975. She is one of the cofounders/owners of Yoga on High and leads the Ashtanga program there, developing curriculum, training teachers, and maintaining standards of excellence in the classroom. Along with her two business partners, she co-directs the Yoga Alliance registered 200- and the 500-hour Teacher Training Programs. She designed an innovative and effective method of introducing Ashtanga safely to many different body types of varying levels of fitness and believes passionately that this challenging practice is useful and accessible to anyone with the willingness to commit to it long-term.

When Martha discovered Ashtanga Yoga in 1995, it became her main practice. She traveled to India in 2000 to study with Sri Pattabhi Jois. Martha was blessed by Guruji to teach the primary series and he initiated her into the second series. Martha loves the practice of Ashtanga because it is a touchstone—it stands ever-ready as a template for healing and Self-knowledge. Now, moving into her 60’s, Martha is developing an approach to the practice she calls Amended Ashtanga. In this approach, she retains the essential Ashtanga elements, ujjayi breath and the classic sequence of poses within that flow of breath, but incorporates preparatory work to build up to the more challenging poses. “Amended” includes the word “mend,” a continual reminder to use the poses therapeutically, and also the word “amen,” praise for the glorious fluidity of the sequence. This is what Martha transmits in her classes with the enthusiasm, joy and smile that she is renowned for.

To contact Martha via email: martha@yogaonhigh.com