One morning Mark Shuey awakened to find that he was unable to move -- at least not without severe pain in his legs and lower back. For four weeks he lay in agony while doctors discussed various operations.

Shuey, however, had spent the past 25 years studying the martial arts and believed that the body was able to heal itself through proper exercise and diet. It was this belief that led Shuey to dive headlong into yoga asana (postures) and pranayama (breathing).

He traveled to Hawaii, where he practiced up to 6 hours a day, 7 days a week. On the fifth week of practice, Shuey's back pain began to fade. He remained in the islands for several months longer and found himself learning more than he'd expected.

"I believe we should try to stretch and move every body part we can to keep our bodies supple so our life force, chi, can flow smoothly and take care of our bodies daily," Shuey affirms.

Today  Grand Master Mark Shuey holds 5 first-place world titles and several national titles in the martial arts, and he attributes it all to yoga.