Baptiste Yoga by Liz Affa

Liz Affa
Yoga

Baptiste Power Yoga

Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga describes it's practice as a challenging, flowing yoga practice that produces extraordinary results while being accessible to all levels and abilities. Vinyasa yoga is a practice that works with synchronizing the breathing with the movement of each pose. Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga Studio in Boston, Massachusetts was founded by Baron Baptiste, a man who was born into a heritage of health and yoga. Baron is an international best-selling author, educator and international presenter. Baron's Vinyasa Yoga has a strong emphasis on bringing our own personal life stories into the practice. This form of Yoga brings in enlightening distinctions that transform our negative connotations from our stories into ways of building new possibilities for ourselves.
When I went to the Baptiste Yoga studio in Cambridge, Massachusetts, I attended a class called "Relax and Renew" on a Sunday evening. Before arriving at the studio, I was worried that I did not have enough experience with the practice of yoga and it would be difficult for me to keep up with the rest of the classmates. My worries soon disappeared upon my arrival, where I was greeted kindly and given a tour of the facilities. The studio had a very strong yet calming smell of in-scents throughout it's rooms and had very gentle lighting. This gave off a sense of complete comfort to me. One thing that did catch my eye, however, was the merchandise that was for sale near the front desk which lead me to start thinking about a Western approach to Yoga. While learning about the origins of Yoga and the different types of Yoga throughout this semester, I have found myself thinking frequently about Western culture and it's ideal lifestyle. Here in the United States, our lives focus on upholding an image of ourselves and obtaining material objects to enforce that self-image. The Baptiste Yoga studio had Sigg water bottles, various brand-name Yoga mats and Western Yoga magazines for sale. Even though I realize that this Yoga studio is a business and needs to make a profit, I could not help but think what Yogis from India would think of the commercialized products being manufactured and sold for their meditative way of life.
The studio where the class took place was a large room with many windows. The windows were covered in large curtains to block out all outside light. The room temperature was set to 90 degrees-Fahrenheit and the air was very moist. I was not aware that this studio specialized in Hot Yoga and was a little put-off when I found out that the class would be held in a very hot, sticky room. Once the class began, I realized how important the temperature was for the ideas we would be focusing on throughout the class. The warm temperature combined with the stretching allowed a new form of release for me because of how relaxed my skin was---I felt completely open.
The idea behind the class, "Relax and Renew", was to practice a series of slow, subtle stretches in order to calm the body and arrive into a state of peace. The teacher began to play soft, chanting music to help calm everyone in the class, which reminded me of the chanting that we actually perform in our Yoga: Theory, Culture and Practice class. I felt that listening to the chanting, instead of speaking it, was not as effective for me personally. Since I do not completely understand what is being said within these chants, I feel that the only way to feel a connection within them is to actually speak them while meditating and come up with my own meaning. Throughout our one hour practice, the teacher kept reminding us all that this class was to help benefit your state of mind and to feel completely refreshed and ready to bring on whatever tasks await us. We began the class while performing very simple stretches such as the Downward Dog and the Cat Stretch. These poses, along with synchronized breathing, really helped calm my body. When performing these stretches, it was important not to take the stretch too far---the point was to perform the stretch in a very subtle way so that it made the body feel good, not strained. Each pose was held for around three to five minutes causing the stretches to feel very rewarding when moving on to the next pose. When we moved onto to more difficult poses, such as the Pigeon Pose, the teacher gave us blocks to help us with balance and support. I, personally, really enjoyed using the blocks because I felt as though they really helped me get into the correct position and helped me stay there for the full duration of the pose. I feel as though the blocks are a great tool to help train your body as a beginner in Yoga but if I continued to practice, I would like to eventually move on from using the blocks. When the class was over, I felt as though I had just awoken from a very long and refreshing nap and I felt completely at peace with myself.
Overall, I felt the Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga was a very good experience. I felt that this Yoga studio contains Middle-Eastern Yoga ideals and matches them with a Western approach. I also really appreciated how there was complete acceptance for me, as a new and inexperienced student of Yoga. The teachers and fellow classmates were very accepting of everyone creating a very peaceful atmosphere within the studio. If I were to continue practicing Yoga outside of school, I would definitely return to Baptiste for it's welcoming environment and and constructive classes.

Going into the Baptiste studio by Kat Dutton

Based on my preliminary research on the Baptiste family, when I entered the Baptiste studio in Cambridge, I was expecting broad shoulders and cut abs. I was almost surprised to be greeted by a friendly young man with a comfortable human shape to him (who I later observed to be more flexible than I am -no mean feat!). When I had heard that the yoga would be "hot yoga", I mentally prepped myself for a sweltering sauna, in which I would start dripping sweat the moment I entered the room. Luckily enough, I had picked the one class that wasn't technically considered hot, and so while the room was far warmer than most, the heat served to relax my body, rather than melt it. And while power yoga appears to be considered more of a work-out and exercise regime, rather than a meditative practise, our teacher started the class with deep breathing and an attempt to relax our minds, rather than fifty jumping jacks and twelve laps around the room.

The yoga class I went to was entitled "Relax and Renew" and was publicized as a much less intense class than the standard power yoga exercise regime. I didn't quite know what to expect from that particular class, but I did know that power yoga seems to be more focused on the physical side of yoga than the forms we do in class, and have much less to do with the internal bettering of oneself. While the teacher did not specifically focus deeply on how to bring oneself fully into the present, she did present deep breathing exercises and meditation, and urged us to still our minds and reduce the toxins seeping into our brains.

Through the course of the ninety minute class, the teacher said two things that particularly resonated with me. The first was, when leading a pose, she specifically mentioned that we should be arranged so as to reduce pain because "there is so much pain in the body already". It was clear that she was not talking merely in a physical sense, and it struck me as a particularly true sentiment -part of the yogic ideal is to be able to drift away from the mental pain of being, and find ourselves in a calmer, more centered part of our mind.

The other thing our teacher mentioned was how humans are like a sponge -we take in our environment, not just in a literal sense with the air we breathe, but in a metaphorical sense, as we absorb our surroundings through our five senses, and as we gain information and reflect emotion as we interact with other people. I know that I have a tendency to be somewhat empathic when with friends --when a room full of people is excited and happy, I reflect that by joining in, when the same room gets stressed and worried, I find myself wanting nothing more than to curl up in a corner. Thinking of myself as a sponge was an interesting new way of looking at that empathy.

From a sensory point of view, everything was arranged to help draw out that feeling of relaxation, and push the participant into a meditative state reminiscent of dreaming, with a healthy balance between the subconscious and the forebrain. The room was dim when we entered, and when I later examined the space, I realized that there were no actual lights on -for our evening class, someone had very cleverly realized that the streetlamp outside the building provided a generous and mellow lighting scheme, filtering in through the sheer-curtained windows. The room itself was large and plain, without any distracting art upon the walls.

As I settled into the first relaxation, my nose filled with a soft scent of incense, burning unobtrusively on a corner shelf. The smell was strong, and at the beginning of the class was a bit much for my scent avoidant nature, but it was not especially cloying, and no doubt helped to cover the less pleasant scents of sweat from classes earlier in the day in the hot room. As the class progressed, I realized I was no longer smelling the incense at all, lending further support to its subtle nature.

While the sprung wood floor would creak gently as the class moved, most of the standard sounds of movement were covered by light background music. The music cycled in long repetitive chants and sounds, nothing I could latch on to, which means it served its purpose perfectly. Our teacher pitched her voice above the music, while still managing to soothe as she guided us through each pose. Her voice drifted across us like the sounds of a dream -after the class, my partner remarked on how difficult it was at some points to tell whether she was talking in reality or merely in his head.

When practicing yoga forms, ones concern is generally less about the tactile sensations from outside the body as much as they are about the feeling from within, and how the pose stretches the muscles and warms the body. While I appreciate the internal stretch, I did also take the time to observe how my surroundings felt to my body. Most notable was the heat of the room -while I was not doing official hot yoga, the class before had been, and the room was extraordinarily warm --certainly warmer than most other buildings, especially in contrast to the winter air outside. I found the room to be almost uncomfortable, and I'm very glad indeed that they did not push it up that last bit to be official hot yoga -similarly, I'm glad that I was engaging in a relatively low impact and gentle yoga practise; had the poses been more strenuous or the pace more intense, it would have been very difficult indeed to keep from sweating away ever drop of water in my body.

As for the poses themselves, they were relatively basic and simple. Instead of focusing on twisting oneself into a pretzel, the class was based around holding each pose for five minutes or more, letting the heat soften muscles, and the pull of gravity gradually deepen each pose. The soothing situation made it easy to quiet my mind, and drop into each pose --while I went into the studio a ball of stress and nerves, I exited feeling at peace, and much more relaxed.

Additionally, I found the use of blocks to be an interesting change of pace from our usual class fare. In the "relax and renew" class, there were many soft rectangular blocks available, and the teacher encouraged the use of them to make poses easier on the body, and remove or reduce stress from certain muscles. Even poses which i am perfectly capable of doing without any external support had a variant with the blocks, some of which was revealed to be more comfortable, or better able to support myself. Especially interesting to perform with the blocks was the forward bend -instead of just letting the upper half of my body hang, I could reduce some of the strain on my lower back by resting my elbows on a convenient stack of blocks.

The history of the Baptiste yoga center is a vivid one, and goes back as far as the mid fifties. The studios in Cambridge and Brookline were founded by Baron Baptiste, who has been doing yoga since he was five years old -before it had become quite so much of a cultural phenomena.

How did he manage to get into the yoga business so early? His parents are critical figures in the history of yoga in America. In 1955, Baron's father, Walt Baptiste, and mother, Magana Baptiste, opened the first yoga studio in San Francisco. They are credited with having "opened the doors for everyone and likely introduced over one hundred thousand people to Yoga.", and while it may have taken a few years for their strange new exercise form to take off, by the sixties, "yoga caught on, and their thousands of students over the next four decades would include socialites and celebrities, from Lenny Bruce to Herb Caen"

Among other honorifics, Walt was named "yogiraj" or "King of Yoga" by Swami Sivananda. In 1999, the Mayor of San Francisco named Walt's birthday as Walt Baptiste Day, to honor him. Though Walt died a few years later, his wife is still going strong -Magana teaches yoga twice a week, and can still "arch her back till her head's nearly touching the ground".

Baron Baptiste has been founding and directing his schools throughout the last eight years, and has seen an enormous number of students walk through the doors of one of his three studios in that time. Additionally, he has compiled a collection of over forty affiliate schools, who have teachers taught by Baron himself, in one of his week long intense teacher workshops. Among other things, he has published several books, and spent four years working as a physical coach for the Philadelphia Eagles.

While the Baptiste studios are focused on power yoga, and outwardly seem to be more of an exercise scheme than an actual practise of yoga, there are still plenty of traditional meditation and breathing techniques in the class and the form. The website faqs provide a particularly striking explanation "If you think you need to go to a health club to be fit and beautiful, think again. If you think that you need to escape to a cave in the Himalayas to find the enlightenment that yoga promises, think again." While Baptiste yoga is certainly not as rigid as more traditional yogic practises, it still manages to bring that spirit of inner peace. I enjoyed getting a new perspective on yoga in general, and was fascinated by the idea of a class more focused on the figures than the background. It may not have been hot yoga, but it was certainly fun!

yoga paper

Jennifer Nichols

Yoga: Theory, Culture and Practice

Professor Laura Douglas

Midterm Paper

March 1, 2010

I visited Core de Vie studios in Boston on Charles Street. I initially chose this studio because I live only a few blocks away and I have always been intrigued by the beautiful yet simple interior. Also, I was interested in the range of services they provide from spa services in their wellness center to an in house boutique selling all of the best yoga clothing, equipment, and accessories as well as their movement center. I thought this was a very interesting fusion of yoga theory with relaxation techniques for today’s society.

This studio is fairly new. Ellen Comerford and her husband Mark Comerford opened it in 2006. They were looking to create a very unique lifestyle and wellness center based on helping clients achieve lifestyle goals. With this idea came the innovation to have a wellness center, a movement center, spa services, health and nutrition counseling, as well as private and group classes and seminars. They claim to always be looking for the most innovative and approaches to fitness in the areas of flexibility, cardiovascular, and strength exercise.

The studio serves mostly the general community, which is the Beacon Hill area of Boston. The clientele are mainly women looking for a close-knit studio atmosphere rather than that of a nearby gym offering yoga classes. This is why only eight to ten people are able to attend each class at a time. They believe it is more about getting the complete yoga experience with personalized attention to each student, as if it were a private session. The classes welcome walk-ins but are mostly done by reservation, which was difficult for me because most people booked their classes already. It seemed to me that most of the population being served was professional women, which explained the incredibly early class schedule. Also, when I asked one employee about this she said that it was more convenient to hold classes this early for most clientele served, also, they like to hold the yoga classes before the boutique opens to eliminate distraction.

I went in for the Wednesday 8 a.m. class with Amber for Vinyasa yoga, which was a new form, or so I thought. I had wanted to do the Hatha yoga because I was more familiar with it and I felt strange being in such a small class at a new studio, though they were not offering this on the day I went. The instructor told me during our very brief interview that Vinyasa was a take on Hatha yoga except it had more of a flow, which she suggested might be good for me since I told her I used to do yoga when I was dancing ballet. She also informed me that many of the professionals in the studio were former ballet dancers as well. She has a background in psychology and found yoga in a search to discover new forms of healing. She studied yoga in Colorado and then liked it so much that she continued with it and as been an instructor for nine years. She has advanced certificates and studies many various forms of yoga. A few months ago she became a yoga alliance and Kundalini yoga instructor. She is also a certified gyrotonic instructor.

A few of the other members of the class seemed to know each other, which was a little bit intimidating for me at first. Though once the class started I felt more at ease because the room was very quiet except for the instructor’s voice and the relaxed atmosphere of the room put me at ease, though I still chose to practice towards the back of the room. There were no lights in the studio, only one large wall sized window, with gauzy white shades drawn. This surprised me at first because I have never practiced yoga in a room without any lights except for the natural light from the sun. Later I found out that this was ideal for the people who chose to take the sunrise, 6 a.m. class and that it was a very beautiful and moving experience.

I did not feel that their practice of yoga was necessarily influenced by culture, though it could have been that it just was not mentioned. The basis of the class seemed to be wellness more than the idea that yoga was a cultural or spiritual activity. In fact, the entire center is centered on the idea of wellness of the body and mind through relaxation. This did not impress me because I have done the yoga class as a trend already and was hoping to learn more of the cultural side of the practice. Also, I did not find Vinyasa to be very different from Hatha at all. It was the same movements but she did mention to let our body’s flow more, especially between movements. This is one thing I enjoyed the constant flow of one pose into the next, it was perfect for the type of person I am, very organized, consistent, and always moving. One thing I did not like as a newcomer was that when she would announce a new pose or position the other class members would begin to move into it before she had fully demonstrated it so I felt behind though I was moving along as the instructor did. Other than this the flow of the class was very peaceful, it felt as if we were flowing along silently towards a common goal, being guided ever so slightly to help balance the flow.

After the class I poked around the studio a little bit and saw the spa, which included massage, acupuncture, facials, waxing, and many more different things. One room I entered resembled what I imagine an ayurvedic doctor’s office would look like. There were vials of essential oils and little bottles of something or other everywhere. The entire center is covered in white walls and a very clean, light colored hardwood floor and there are so many windows that at 9 a.m. it was so beautiful and relaxing to see the light come pouring in to all the rooms, making them appear vast and simple. There is an equipment studio, which interested me greatly though I did not enter this room one entire wall was made of glass so it was easy to see how expansive their equipment line is. Towards the front of the shop is the boutique, which sells all of the finest, high-end yoga gear one would ever want to find.

This was a very beautiful place, though I would prefer a less high maintenance facility next time I visit a yoga studio. It felt like I was feeding more into the trend of yoga and the view of yoga within the yuppie society than getting the real meaning of practicing yoga. I am positive that most of my classmates were there for trim thighs and toned arms than mindfulness and inner peace. Though, I may have just been spoiled with class these last few weeks and learning the background and the theory to go along with the practice. I felt like the basis theory of their practice was the total body wellness and the idea that the body is to be well taken care of and nourished, though it was carried out in a very new age, trendy way rather than traditional.

midterm paper

Nick Jackson
Yoga

America is a country that must have everything adapted to fit its rules. Things and ideas from other cultures are not really welcomed unless there is a way to make them a “good”, something that can be consumed and then put on a shelf to show all of your conquer. A culture that is based on consumption will find a way to market and sell something that is ment to be free for the sake of freeing ones self.
In my search to find the Walmart of yoga or come across the meditation of Starbucks coffee I found Back Bay Yoga. This trendy little yoga studio is located on Boylston St. parallel to newbury st. and next to hundreds of shops. The second floor loft that contains the studio has the trendy feeling of the dream apartment to fill with things from crate and barrel. When I took the elevator upstairs im immediately greeted by a desk to my left. I sign in and pay the 5 dollar fee for the walk-in class. I am then told if I didn't bring a yoga mat I can pay 3 dollars to rent one. This so far is not a bad deal. They ask me if I want to sign up for crazy plans and packages, like wholesale yoga. I look around and see a little store section full of yoga mats and tie-die shirts and pants, 20 dollar metal water bottles to replace the plastic one you bought at Starbucks last year. I decline and quickly retreat to the mens locker room and then to the class room.
The room instantly puts me into a calm relaxed mood. The walls are exposed brick or painted black. Dim lighting that will become dimmer, glows out from some asian looking round paper lamps hanging form the celling. Over to my right are three windows with some Japanese looking curtains standing behind a little shrine. This room is hot. Damp. But it feels good. They have mastered the art of interior design and for some reason this makes me think that this is a great yoga place.
I place my mat on the floor and wait for my fellow consumers and pretentious americans to join me. As people flow in I start to look around a judge each and every one of them. Unlike eastern culture and unlike freeing my mind from possession I hold the positoin that I can figure all of these people out and or that in one way or another I am better then them. There is no way that I am in this class for the right reason.
Some of the people I see are dressed in workout clothing, they are probably here to work out. I see others trickle in sporting a more earthy look. Some of these people are young and some are old. Thin, fat. Black, white, asian, ect. Mostly women, a few men who are all in there 40s. One couple in there 50s comes in and sets up right in from of where the teacher will be sitting. They are in a full on Wholefoods loving rubber crock wearing uniform for middle age pretentious hippy. The couple are both wearing the same tie die sweatshirt. The women puts down her yoga mat that has a big logo on it and expresses it extra grip technology. She then follows that by opening another mat made of bamboo or something like that and placing that on top of it. Some where in this county there is a store selling mats to go on top of yoga mats. The yoga mat is only there to help americans feel as if they have a little barrier and to give them something to carry around to let every one in starbucks know that they are “healthy” and love being active even though they are middle aged.
Im now getting intimidated because I dont have any trinkets or badges to defend my interest in yoga and because the girl who just sat down to my right is more in shape then ill ever be on my life. I also realize that im the only over weight person In the room. The room fills with steam, ambient music and people. Some of the people are worming up by getting into some of there favorite yoga poses and this makes me think that they are just trying to show off to each other.
The teacher enters the room. She looks about my age and this makes me feel really weird. That also makes me realize that I cant just get into this thing for the right reasons but only for my reasons, the reasons I do most things. She sets up her mat, and hands out little foam blocks for every one to use if needed. I tell my self that I will not need one of these blocks because im a young 23 year old. I am also really good at being wrong.
This yoga session starts out quite easy. We start by elongating our bodes and focusing on our breathing. We move into poses on our knees and then back up. We end every pose by working into downward facing dog or upward facing dog. This progressively gets harder do to elements the teacher keeps adding into routine. We keep adding new poses and moves that we then work into the rest of what we were doing until its almost a long synchronized dance. The room is getting hot and I am poring sweat. This is getting really hard.
We move into a warrior pose. We twist this pose every way posable and work into poses with the balancing on one foot. My muscles are stretching and pulling. Iv never down any of these poses before and I with I was a little more prepared for it or had some waring. We move to the floor and sit in a position where my ankle is on top of my other knee. We use this to twist our backs. Then im asks to balance my self on my hands and support my 180 pound body weight. This workout is still building up and up and I feel as if I may quit early. With each pose we still work back out to the others we did perviously just so you can remember the one you hated the most. Just when I think I cant take it any more and im about to quit, the yoga poses start winding down. Things start getting easier and we work our bodes down slowly. The pace slows and the poses become more floor exercises. More stretching then balancing acts and more breathing exercises then sweating.
We then work into meditation. We lay on our mats and close our eyes. We look for any stress and any unbalanced part of our body. We sink into the floor. We let all the stress go and our muscles relax. My body has never been so still. I cant even remember the hard workout I just did. Our instructor has put us all into a great trance, and now she slowly brings us out of it to partake in a few chants.
This is the end of a 90 minuet yoga class. This class kick my but and brought my body to a threshold I didn't know possible, and just at the right time it wound down to keep people, mainly my self, from collapsing. I walked out of there feeling great and refreshed.
For a studio that is selling the idea of yoga as exercise rather then a way of enlightening ones self, I wold say they do a pretty good job at it. They have changed my opinion of americans using yoga for there own benefit and not for the benefit to enlighten ones self and become a better person and then a nation all together. The consumer part of yoga in america is definitelyy something that cant be ecnored but I have seen why people enjoy using yoga in this way.
The idea of an eastern influence to be taken and interpreted and integrated into the life of westerners everyday living is a big thing to ask for. I do feel that it is being abuses by some but for many others it may actually be curing a part of them physically or mentally and I should not be one to judge. With all this being said I could definitely see my self going back to Back Bay Yoga. I am glad that they didn't just have a class that was easy and didn't push me to try and experience new and difficult things. The experience became a challenge and I liked it.

"The beauty and charm of selfless love and service should not die away from the face of the earth. The world should know that a life of dedication is possible, that a life inspired by love and service to humanity is possible...Our compassion and acts of selflessness take us to the deeper truths. Through selfless action we can eradicate the ego that conceals the Self. Detached, selfless action leads to liberation. Such action is not just work; it is karma yoga." Mata Amritanamdamayi, a.k.a. Amma, The Hugging Saint (Karma Yoga Studio)

Anything that promotes a life inspired by love is something that I feel is worth checking out. Karma Yoga Studio, located in Mid-Cambridge at 1120 Massachusetts Avenue, has a website set up to lure folks like me in. The website is not flashy or over the top. Nor, anywhere on their site do they claim to be able to change your life forever and make you into something that you are not. What they do mange to do, however, is set your mind at ease. There is even a lesson in Sanskrit on the left side of the screen teaching you that “karma yoga” means selfless service. I always love a website that teaches me something. Their mission is to be “a socially and environmentally responsible organization committed to engaging progressive ideals in every aspect of conducting business. Toward this goal, we give 5% of profits to environmental protection organizations, donate our space for community and non-profit use and events, and are active supporters of many organizations working toward positive change in our shared world.” (Karma Yoga Studio) That kind of a mission statement is one that any practicing yoga student can get behind and support. And so it was with this very idea in mind that I set off to Karma Yoga Studio to join Lakota Sandoe for her Embodyoga class.

I have spent the last two years packed in like a sardine within the walls of Baron Baptiste Power Yoga in Cambridge. Baron offers a great experience but I wanted to connect on a deeper level that did not involve getting covered in my neighbors sweat. The fact that I spent the first week of the New Year in the hospital has forced me to slow down a bit as well. Visiting Karma Yoga Studio was something that I was looking forward to doing not just for my body but for my mind and spirit as well. The simple act of opening the doors to Karma Yoga Studio felt inviting.

The first floor of Karma is taken up almost entirely by an organic tea café. I LOVE tea. After paying just $10, the get out of bed special, I walked down stairs to where the class was located. The original artwork on the walls and the warm woodwork that was displayed throughout the studio was inviting and comforting. The low lighting was also a nice change from the bright day light that I was used to having at Baron. I was happy to read on their website that yoga props such as mats, blocks, straps, blankets, and pillows are available free of charge to all students in each of the two studios within Karma as are the showers and locker rooms. ( So often yoga studios charge for water, mats, and towels. True to form Karma Yoga Studio does not charge for any of these things. Karma lives and breathes the very essence of their name.) After locating the woman’s locker room and dropping off my coat and shoes, I slipped into the studio, grabbed a mat and some blocks and sat down. Lakota, a yoga teacher who is certified to teach Embodyoga, introduced herself to me and asked of any limitations that I may have physically. With a class of only three other college age students I knew that this particular class was going to give me an opportunity I had rarely seen within the last two years at Baron. Class sizes at Baron can exceed upwards of 80 people and so to have this opportunity of a 4 to 1 student to teacher ratio made my heart sing! Many yoga studios that I have been in have had one thing in common, wanting to pack as many people as possible into the studio for practice. Perhaps the Embodyoga class that I went to just is not as popular as the other Vinyasa classes at Karma are. Perhaps Karma Yoga Studio does not pack their classes full. Or, perhaps I was just lucky and picked the two rainiest days of the week when no one really wanted to get out of bed, either way I was happy to be in a smaller class size with personal attention and adjustments.

The music playing in the background would have normally been a distraction but for the first time in a long time I was able to block it out. Playing music during yoga practice has never been something that I understood or appreciated. To me a yoga practice is supposed to be personal and reflective. How is that supposed to happen with music being played in the background? I am also the kind of person that needs to move with the flow and/or beat of the music. So if the flow of the yoga class gets off from that of the flow of the music I feel off balance. I blame it on the four years that I spent in marching band and having to keep in step with the beat of the music. It is why I do not listen to music when I am at the gym. I get lost in the music and I do not have time to focus on my body like I should be. Lakota managed to have the perfect mix of music playing in the background that I was able to block out, until Bjork came on that is. After Bjork came over the speakers my concentration was done with. It was all I could do to concentrate on the breathing method that Lakota had taught us at the beginning of class.

The website for Karma states that, “Warmth, awareness, stability & integration at the core will be emphasized through this initial series. Throughout the practice attention will be given to proper alignment, appropriate & enhancing breathwork, diaphramatic & organ support, as well as yogic physiology.” (“Karma Yoga Studio”) Lakota taught us ujjayi breathing. The inhalation was deep and through the nose while the exhalation was a cross between a hiss and a deep throaty satisfying “aaahhh”. The exhale comes out in the same fashion as if you were trying to fog up a window with your breath. We were to use this breathing technique, Lakota said, so that we were always supporting our diaphragm and organs. The ujjayi breathing brought a deeper, more focused awareness to my core that I had never experienced before. I was not feeling a particularly more intense stretch but I was more aware if I was out of alignment somewhere within my core and I was more aware of my breath in general. With the audible throaty “ahhhh” I was able to notice when I had left my breath to focus on something else.

Lakota’s Embodyoga class differed from the yoga classes that I had been taking recently. The class flowed at a much slower pace and focused on the connection that each individual had with their breath. Yoga classes should all follow this guideline. Even the faster paced power yoga classes can still take time to slow down and remember the basic connection that we each have with our breath. Perhaps it is the very mission of the Karma Yoga Studio that gives the Embodyoga class deeper meaning.

When creating the framework for Karma Yoga Studio, Jesse Winder (the founder of the studio) never had his mind far from the thought of others. Karma yoga is usually translated into “the yoga of action.” Karma yoga is much more than a service to others. It is more than merely giving clothing to the needy or helping out at a food pantry. As Alan Reder states it is “a supercharged version of the adage that when you give, you also receive.” Reder continues by saying, “At some point, however, the distinction between ordinary actions and service, or actions to relieve the suffering of others, disappears. Yoga teaches that as we develop spiritually, our awareness and compassion grow, making us more alert to suffering around us and less able to turn away from it. In essence, the pain of others becomes our own, and we feel driven to relieve it, much as we'd instinctively act to end pain in our own body or heart.” (Reder) Jesse Winder IS a Karma Yogi.

On Sunday, February 28, 2010 the studio hosted an event to benefit relief efforts in Haiti. The tea café upstairs donates 100% of all cow’s milk sales to the Farm Sanctuary in Massachusetts. Handmade cards made by local students were for sale in the café and the art on display throughout the studio is done by none other than local Cambridge artist Lori Schouela. Every Sunday a $7 Karma Yoga class is taught by one of four volunteer yoga teachers. All proceeds from the 90 minute Vinyasa class go to local animal rescue efforts. Do not forget that 5% of all profits made by Karma Yoga Studio go to environmental protection organizations. Winder has created a business based on the image set in the Bhagavad Gita. In the third chapter of the book Krishna explains why it is important to carry out the duties laid before you in life. The concept of karma yoga has been around for far longer than Winder’s Studio in Cambridge but he has managed to link the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita with the needs of the present day.

Although I only took the one class at Karma Yoga Studio I can assume that the underlining theme in each class is to do well unto others. Lakota used the last few minutes of savasana to have us concentrate on someone, or a group, that needed some love sent their way. We concentrated the love in our heart center and then sent it out through the universe to reach them where they were. The studio offers 15 different yoga classes, 3 non-yoga classes, and a gym and something has to connect it all. Whether it is the underlying desire to help strengthen the body of each person that walks through the door, to leave them feeling a little bit better than they did when they walked in or to help` each person pay it forward it does not really matter. What really matters is that Jesse Winder has his culture down to a science. He knows what the yoga world needs right now. Lakota’s music list said it all, or maybe it was the Beatles. All you need is love.

works cited

"Minda Body Fitness." Karma Yoga Studio. Web. 25 Feb 2010.

.

Reder, Alan. "Yoga Philosophy." Yoga Journal. Cruz Bay

Publishing Inc, Web. 25 Feb 2010.

.

"Rose Petal Mandala." Mandala 2009. Web. 26 Feb 2010.

.

"YogaBenefit for Haiti." Facebook. Web. 28 Feb 2010.

.

Maple Farm Sanctuary. Web. 26 Feb 2010.

.

Forrest Yoga at Karma Yoga Studio

By Margret Hall

Being initially interested in yoga as a therapeutic practice for depression, when searching for a local yoga studio to attend I read many studio and class descriptions, searching for the right mix of physical and mental practice. Forrest Yoga at Karma Yoga Studio in Cambridge sounded like a good fit for me. Practiced in a slightly heated room (approximately 80 degrees), this style incorporates poses focused on strengthening the core and deep breathing techniques to help flush out toxins. Karma Yoga’s description also expressed that a practitioner of Forrest Yoga learns tools to deal with struggle and fear, and increases self-awareness: while explicit in the description, this was never mentioned during the actual practice in the class. In repeated practice, one might find these results, but as a beginner I feel that it is helpful to be reminded to listen to the pattern of thoughts in the mind as part of a yoga practice.

To enter the Karma Yoga studios one must go through the Karma Café, a simply designed quiet space with large windows looking directly onto the sidewalk of Massachusetts Avenue. Being a chronic people watcher, I don’t think this would be a great place for me to relax with a cup or tea or try to get work done, but the atmosphere was calm and the food looked fantastic. Jesse Winder, who is also a teacher at Karma Yoga, founded the studio in 2002. He personally has a background in martial arts, yoga, holistic nutrition, herbology and alternative medicines, which I am sure greatly influenced the philosophy of the studio itself. The studio stresses that yoga should be accessible, and provides many introductory level classes as well as more challenging ones. They practice caring and helpful teaching, and strive to offer something for everyone. In choosing a class (and choosing this yoga studio) the instructors seem as important as the style of yoga they teach; there are extensive bios on the website as well as extensive class descriptions that give insight into the different philosophies behind each style and each instructor. The studio also offers one class a week that donates the entirety of the proceeds to local animal rescue projects. This is truly a karma-minded studio and practices modernized philosophies of yoga, without forcing any beliefs on anyone.

The Karma Yoga Studio has recently opened a gym at their location, which gives the impression that current cultural interests might be swaying the business, if not the yoga practice. It is a great convenience to have access to a gym at your yoga studio rather than yoga at your gym; the former being more likely to have a wide variety of yoga practices. Karma Yoga embraces the western yoga culture by selling clothing and yoga props, as well as fair-trade home decorations, gifts and foods. I imagine that selling these commodities would not be done in an eastern practice of yoga. As for the yoga practice itself, Forrest Yoga probably incorporates more of the traditional spiritual and breathing practices that most power yoga classes would. Most useful would be to incorporate research about the culture and philosophy of traditional yoga and apply to ones favorite style of practice.

When I entered the Karma Yoga Studio, I was greeted to two very warm employees who took my name and payment and instructed me to go downstairs for the class. The facilities are small but very nice, and the aesthetic is one of quiet warm browns and low light. The studio itself was quite full when I arrived, but people made room willingly and were basically friendly. The other practitioners seemed to be from a good size cross section of the surrounding community. I would say that most were in their 20s or 30s, with a few older women and one or two older men. The level of skill ranged very broadly as some seemed very new to some of the poses, and others looked to be quite experienced with them. Because it was a Saturday morning class there might have been more first-timers, as opposed to the 6:30am classes that probably draw more regular practitioners.

The instructor for this particular session of Forrest Yoga was Amiko Hirao. In speaking with her after the class was over I found out that she started practicing Forrest yoga to help with headaches and found them completely alleviated. She is also an illustrator and likes being a teacher of yoga because it allows her great flexibility in her work life. In her bio on the Karma Yoga Studio website it mentions that she has come to believe that yoga is a valuable tool for connecting to one’s own creativity. The bio also states “…creative energy flows from the core—not from the head” is her motto. I had originally planned to attend a class taught by another instructor, but was glad that I had attended Amiko’s after reading this about her. As an artist, it is interesting to think about where creative energy resides within the body. I have long known that my creative energy does not reside in my head, but hadn’t thought about specific practices to unlock that energy and expand upon it.

Forrest Yoga was created by Ana Forrest, a woman who has struggled with alcoholism, bulimia, and physical abuse and found yoga to be a helpful tool in her life. Focused around breath, strength, integrity and spirit (the pillars of Forrest Yoga), Forrest Yoga aims to help students “find and clear the emotional and mental blocks that dictate and limit their lives” (“Forrest Yoga”). Common to most yoga theories, learning to connect more deeply with ones true self is key part of Forrest Yoga, as is strengthening ones spirit as well as ones body. Ana Forrest stresses taking the practices learned and achievements thereof into the rest of ones life.

Karma Yoga Studio’s particular version of Forrest Yoga was not quite what I expected from reading the literature about this type of yoga. The Saturday morning class I attended, taught by Amiko, was quite full, though there was enough room to practice each pose comfortably. Amiko began with breathing and abdominal practices, and while I was very pleased that we practiced the Bhastrika (bellows) breath and some abdominal massage techniques, when we moved to doing what was basically modified crunches I realized that my expectations may not align with the reality of the class. The crunches were challenging and focused on breath, but felt more like the end of my gym workout than what I had expected yoga to be. The rest of the postures were more similar to the practices I had experienced previously, with the added challenge of headstand and handstand poses.

Most of the poses in Forrest Yoga are held for a good amount of time that lets the body sink in to the pose as well as engaging many core muscles for balancing and allowing the practitioner to reach the edge of their strength and stamina. Amiko did allow us a break from these held poses with a repeated practice of the Sun Salutations following our own rate of breath about halfway through the class. Using the breath to dictate the flow of the body through the poses at this point in the class helped release some of the tension in my body and bring me back to my breath. These Surya Namaskar were my favorite part of this particular practice because in it, I was in charge of my own yogic practice. Usually I am overly concerned with what else is going on in the room and trying to get the poses right, but because I am more familiar with the Surya Namaskar I was able to focus more on clearing the mind and really feeling my body in tune with my breath.

At the Karma Yoga Studio, Forrest yoga is practiced in a heated room. The temperature change from the hall to the room in where the class was taking place was not noticeable, leading me to believe that the heat gradually increases throughout the class. I had expected to really be sweating it out, but I actually didn’t reach that point until about half way through the class. I did have a problem with my feet being too sweaty to maintain some of the poses, specifically one where we walked our feet up the wall to a position perpendicular with our body. The instructor Amiko always gave variation options both for those who felt uncomfortable or unable to do a pose, and for those who were ready for more a challenge.

In my practice of Forrest Yoga, I felt that I was benefiting more from pairing what I have learned in Yoga class at Lesley with the asanas we were practicing at Karma Yoga. I knew more how to control my breathing, and knew to try to clear the mind. Engaging the practices from the Lesley class, though, caused me to become distracted in comparison as well. I was hoping for more of a cool down, meditation pose than what we practiced at Karma Yoga, and for more guidance for the mind and spirit in the poses. One should try a variety of yoga classes and studios and apply what they like from each into their own practice, be it alone or in another class. It is important to be true to ones body as well as trying new things.

Works Cited

Forrest Yoga. 2007. 26 February 2010.

index>

Karma Yoga Studio. 20 February 2010.