Addie's Visit to Lumina

Midterm Paper

Lumina at Longfellow Clubs

Hot Yoga class with Tara Kilgallen

INTERVIEW WITH A YOGI

For the midterm, I chose to take a class with some one I know that teaches, someone who has shown me several poses that I use to stop and prevent panic attacks. Her name is Tara Kilgallen. Before I took one of her classes at Lumina at the Longfellow Club, I sat down with her, and asked her some questions. Below is a transcript of a few of those questions.

Me: How did you get started? What was your first yoga experience like?

Tara: Well, I was a dancer in high school and took a yoga class as a dancer wanting to push my body physically, improve on my dance skills. And I was always body conscious, you know self-conscious, and what struck me about yoga was that it was all about body movement, but unlike dance is was movement with out judgment.

Me: What types of yoga do you practice/teach?

Tara: It’s really a mix, not just one style. Its some vinyasa flow, iyengar, and kundalini.

Me: what where you doing before this? (points to her two boys)

Tara: Well, before the boys, I would practice for about an hour 4 to 5 times a week, now its more like 20 minutes a week. And I also ran my own studio, Tushita Heaven out in California. It was mostly private lessons and small classes.

Me: What kind of books are you reading right now?

Tara: Ha-ha, I think I’m going through a theory phase cause I’ve been reading a lot of books on theory. The one I’m reading at the moment is “Light on Yoga”. You should read it when you get a chance. And I’m also re-reading the “Bagavad-Gita”.

Me: Translated?

Tara: Yup, I wish I could read it in Sanskrit.

Me: If you could pass on some words of wisdom to new yogis, what would you want to tell them?

Tara: That’s a good question. Be consistent. You should try to practice everyday, or as close to everyday as you can. It doesn’t have to be long (laughs at my expression), it just has to be consistent. That’s the point, is to be doing it, not just reading it or listening to it, and once you get into a groove you can re-shape your experience in yoga to fit what you need, to make you better, body mind, and spirit. I believe if everyone could make small mental shift the world would be a better place.

After talking to her, I reread our conversation. I found that for her, it wasn’t just about the physical benefits; she really uses yoga as a way of life. “I’m not one for traditional temples, my body is my temple,” that’s something she said when I asked if she had plans to make a pilgrimage to a temple. I spoke with her more about this after class and found that for her its not about going somewhere, or being around other people, or even going to a religious site, it’s about what’s inside her. That everything she needs to be a great, enlightened person is in her own self, all she has to do is to find it.

LUMINA AT LONGFELLOW CLUBS

The place that I took my class at was Lumina, a club that is under the name of Longfellow Clubs. Longfellow Clubs was founded in 1972, and was originally was tennis club, but around the 1980’s it was down to about 200 members and was sold to Laury Hammel and Myke Farricker, who took the club out of near bankruptcy and made Longfellow one of the fourth largest independent health club organization in New England and the fifty-sixth largest in the US. Dedicated to community, health and social responsibility Longfellow Clubs took on Lumina as a new innovative club based on dedication to the integration of mind, body, and spirit and to offer balanced and practical programs. Their Yoga, Dynamic Movement, Meditation and Chi classes focus on an ancient system of self-transformation, designed to connect movement with breath. To also quiet the mind, strengthen and purify the body, which will result in improved self-awareness, flexibility, stronger muscles and joints and sharper mental focus, as well as an expanded array of holistic classes designed to nurture the movement of life energy, or chi, through the body and activated the inner self, promoting strength and relaxation for the mind, body, heart and soul. They also offer classes based on weight loss and fitness, promoting a healthy life, and a love of your body, no matter the shape or size.

THE CLASS: HOT YOGA

The class that I attended was a hot yoga class, so it was much warmer in that room than in the room our class is held in. But, it was amazing. From a student’s point-of-view the class was rather large, about 20 people there (5 of them guys, older men in there late 30’s- early 50’s, the female’s in the room ranged from early 20’s to late 50’s). Most people knew what they were doing, and knew what pose to get into when Tara used the Sanskrit term for the pose (I found that I knew more than I thought, though there were some poses that I had to look at other to find out what I was suppose to do). The room was equipped with blocks and straps that would be used for the iyengar influence in her class.

The class started off with crossed legs, and slow breathing. She told us to find our natural rhythm. And then had us take a 5 count breath, that is to say breath in for 5 counts, hold for 2 counts and breath out for 5 counts, then we did the same with 8 counts. There was a small chant before we started but it was only one chant of “Om”. I was a little disappointed because I’ve had one on one lessons with Tara and she does do several more mantras than just “Om”. We did the sequence of plank, upward facing dog, then downward facing dog several times throughout the class. And also did some warrior poses, and triangles, and back bends, and a whole host of other poses that I’ve done in other classes or read about. She spoke a lot about “melting you heart” and “warming your body”, which helped and one thing that surprised me was how little water I need during the class, but once I was done with the class, I drank A LOT of water, about 5 or 6 glasses. As we got further into the class we started holding poses longer and I did not feel any muscle pain while in the class, or for hours after, but when I woke up the next day my abs and arms where sore. A good sore, with a feeling of strong, lean muscles.

Tara really tried to help us focus on our breathing throughout the class, reminding us to stop and go into a downward dog, or baby pose if we lost our flow and to use those poses to regain our breathe focus. There was also a lot of attention paid to multiple ways of pushing a pose. So she gave the class three or four movements to help go deeper into the pose, or to alter the pose to focus on a specific muscle/group of muscles, and it was nice to have those options.

Getting to the end of our session, the lights were dimmed, and we all rested our bodies and minds. Tara gave us about 3 minutes of pure quiet and it was nice to have a moment of silence. I love those moments I can find that are quiet and still. We ended with a final mantra, and a thanks for mother earth and for everyone there. Namaste.

Lumina didn’t have to many pamphlets but they did have a lot of stuff online. There was a schedule and this. A little hand out that talks about chakra and mantras. It also has a little picture guide to help you better understand what mantra goes with each part of the body. You work your way from bottom to top (usually), or you could focus on one place. It also talks about colors associated with each chakra. And after reading this, it’s something I would like to further understand. And I plan to ask Tara if there are some books she’d recommend. I would also like to learn more poses to integrate into my practice (I can usually only get 10 minutes every few days, I do plan to try and add more time).

FINAL THOUGHTS

Over all, I’m really glad that we had this as an assignment. It really is nice to get out and try something new. I’m hoping to have a few friends come with me next time, they heard me talking about going to do a yoga class. This definitely inspired me to want to practice more, just knowing all that I have someone in my family that can help me, and support me in ways other members of my family can’t. And I think Tara was happy to have a family member go to her class and be interested in learning more.

Natalie's Baptiste Yoga class visit

This is a year full of yoga and spiritual explorations for me. I have tried to take numerous yoga classes in the Boston area for the past few months. For this midterm assignment, I chose to investigate the Baptiste yoga studio in Brookline, MA. I was initially intrigued by this yoga studio because they claimed to have an approach to yoga that is unique to Baptiste or Baptiste affiliate yoga studios. The fact that the classes were heated also intrigued me because I have taken a heated yoga class that was not Bikram. I felt a depth in my poses and my focus was intensified in my heated yoga experiences. It’s interesting to me that they only have heated classes at Baptiste studios. Most studios I have attended offer classes with and without heat. I find that it’s usually nice to have an option. I was also interested in this particular studio because I’ve heard numerous people talk about how much they love it. The two people I know that go to Baptiste, are quite committed and loyal to this studio, so I was curious to see what Baptiste had to offer.
My first reaction to this site was that it seemed simple yet well equipped. In the entrance there were cubbies for shoes and bags. They also had a little area where they sold pricey yoga clothing and equipment. They also sold Baron Baptiste yoga DVD’s. The studio is located in the quiet and small area of Brookline Village. The streets around the village are lined with perfectly sweet and small family homes with front yards that have gardens. It seems as though there are many middle class families in this area. When I entered the yoga studio I noticed that they only had one large yoga room that has heaters that get the room to temperatures ranging from 90-100 degrees. The room was also well equipped with fans and vents to air out the room during the cooling down period of the class. I was surprised that they only had one studio, with so many ongoing classes and such a big name.
The Class
When I first saw my instructor I noticed that she was quite fit and was wearing Lululemon yoga gear. The teacher seemed as though she was in her mid or early thirties. Many of the clients were wearing Lululemon gear as well. Almost all of the clients had special yoga towels for their faces and for their mats. I have never seen such a large group of people so well equipped for their yoga class. Most of the attendants in the class were middle aged women. There were more men than I usually see at a yoga class. This could be because this class is a more athletic yoga. This was also a very large class, so it’s more likely that there would be more males attending. The founder of this form of yoga is a man, so this could make it more inviting to the male population. It could take away from the stigma that yoga is just for women. The class ended with a few minutes of Shavasana. The teacher ended Shavasana with a quote that discussed the importance of the self. The idea in the quote was that if we take care of ourselves then we can take care of others. I thought it was interesting that she ended the class with this quote about the self, since yogis in the past have discussed the unimportance of the self.
I attended another class later in the week. It was an evening “power yoga basics” class. This class was lead by the same teacher as the previous one I attended. When I initially walked into the class, I was shocked at how crowded the studio was. I have never been to a studio that was so crowded before. I was worried about finding space to put my mat, but I ended up squeezing in between people. When we began the class, I was happy to see that we had an initial few moments to focus on our intentions. It’s great when a teacher does this because it helps me start off more focused. The teacher told us to take breaks frequently, which was nice to do because of the heat and focus.
Before coming to the “basic” class, I was curious about whether or not the class would be heated since it was a “basic” class. The class was still heated, but it was a slower pace. This class is definitely better for beginners. The teacher was leading the class in a more meditative way, rather than athletic. It felt like there was a better balance. The teacher made more references to the yoga philosophy and way of living. For instance, she said that yoga can be done at any time. We can live with the practice of yoga at any moment in our lives. She also made references to the Pranayama practice through our breath. I found it interesting that she made this reference, because we didn’t follow any Pranayama practices. I left this class feeling more conscious of my body and more thoughtful. This is the way I like to end my yoga classes, though the heat made me feel weaker.
The demographics of the class was quite similar to that of the first class I went to. There seemed to be a few younger teen girls that came to this class that weren’t there in the previous class. This could be because the class was at 7:45pm and there is no school at this time. This could also be the reason why the class was a little bit more crowded than the class I attended a few days prior that was in the morning on a Monday.
Data
After the class ended, I walked up to the teacher to ask her a few questions. I wondered what she had to say about how this yoga practice was different from others. To me it seemed that the class had a similar set up as many classes I have gone to. The teacher said that Baptiste yoga is defined by the set of Asanas that are done in a particular order and way. I also asked the teacher about if she had to get a special training to teach at the Baptiste studios. She said that she had to participate in a training that was unique to Baptiste methods to be able to teach at the studio.
I also asked a female, middle-aged student a few questions after the first class I attended. I asked her if she went to the studio a few times a week. She said that she only went once a week and that she did not have a hard time getting back into the swing of the heat and intensity of the class. She said that as long as one remains active throughout the week, going to one class per week would suffice. She also said that she has been attending classes at Baptiste for about a year. She said that this teacher was her and many other’s favorite.
History
The man the founded this form of yoga is Baron Baptiste. He comes from a family of yogis. His parents were viewed as pioneers of yoga. His father, Walter had a fitness gym and his mother, Magna was a dancer. Together, his parents were introduced to yoga in the 50’s. They were hooked to this new and unfamiliar form of spiritual practice. Yoga was a perfect fit for this dancer and bodybuilder. Magna and Walter opened a studio in 1955. In their gym they offered yoga classes. This was not one of many yoga classes in the San Francisco area. Years later, after Walter passed away, Magna still teaches and practices yoga. She is a proud mother of three children that are involved in yoga and dance instruction (“Baptiste Family History”).
Since Baron Baptiste had such a strong history with yoga, people in the yoga community are already familiar with his name. He is practically a celebrity in the yoga community. Baron practically grew up practicing yoga. He was a very successful trainer for a football team. He got this job by having a good reputation with training and yoga skills. When he began this new approach of Baptiste Power Vinyasa style of yoga, he had the intention of bringing in a very intuitive and adaptive style of yoga. In this style, people gain an athletic and meditative experience. There seems to be a focus on commitment with this style of yoga. The teacher I had emphasized that the we students need to go to the yoga classes frequently for a long period of time to feel the benefits and growth from this practice. Baron Baptiste is constantly traveling and teaching his methods abroad (Pizer, 2010).
The Method and Theory
Baron founded this form of yoga that he calls Baptiste Vinyasa Power yoga. He has a studied numerous yoga practices such as Ashtanga, Iyengar and Bikram. After many years of practicing all of these yoga methods, he discovered his own yoga method that incorporates some aspects of these other methods. The goal of this method is to lead people through a more intuitive and empowering method rather than a yoga class just based on tradition. Baron also has the intension of making yoga accessible and practical to everyone. In an interview, Baron also mentions that Baptiste Power Vinyasa yoga focuses on adaptation. People should listen to their bodies and modify the posses to fit their needs and abilities (Pizer, 2010). The teachers and the website seem to emphasize that one needs to come very frequently to feel the benefits and to improve.
If people are interested in deepening their experience of the Baptiste Vinyasa Power yoga, they may explore the different boot-camp options. The boot-camps are lead by Baron himself. Some of them take place in Hawaii or Mexico and last about two weeks. There are other options that are only weekend long explorations. These boot-camps are available to anyone who is interested. There is a strong emphasis on personal revolution. If someone would like to teach the Baptiste method, they can go on the numerous levels of the teacher training boot-camp program (“Bootcamps, Retreats and Workshops”).
What I got from the classes I attended at Baptiste was a vigorous, sweaty and intense experience. I enjoyed the classes, yet I felt that I was less focused on what my body was telling me. I felt more focused on how hot it was and how much I was sweating. I liked the heat to a certain extent. It became a little bit intense for me. Perhaps this is because I only attended two classes, and the teachers are right by saying that on needs to come often to get used to the class and feel the results. I also did not like how crowded the classes were. The teacher also can hardily give individual attention. It’s hard to approach the teacher with questions during the class because it is very crowded and fast-paced.

Resources
Baptiste family history. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.baronbaptiste.com/pages/famhist.htm
Bootcamps, retreats and workshops. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.baronbaptiste.com/pages/boot.htm
Pizer, A. (2010, May 26). Baron baptiste's advice. Retrieved from
http://yoga.about.com/od/poweryoga/a/baptiste_2.htm