A
Look Into Power Vinyasa Yoga
Baron Baptiste’s Power Yoga
Chelsea Contre
10/10/12
Baron Baptiste’s Power Yoga
Chelsea Contre
10/10/12
CSOCS
3452 Yoga: Theory, Culture and Practice
Laura Douglass
Laura Douglass
Prologue
As we were given
the opportunity to pick any Yoga venue, I decided that a more athletic approach
to yoga would be appropriate since all I’ve ever known is how to be an athlete.
At Baron Baptiste’s Power Yoga studio in Brookline Village, I felt welcome as I
first stepped into the studio, with the light airy feeling of the room as the
sun came in through the ceiling windows as well as the cozy feeling of cubbies
lined against the wall for visitors personal belongings. As I spoke to the
woman working the desk she sincerely cared about my health as she asked if I have
ever practiced yoga as well as if I had water, a matt and a towel. She
proceeded to ask me if I have ever practiced hot yoga, this question confused
me, as I never knew exactly what hot yoga was nor that I would be practicing
hot yoga that day in the studio. As I answered her shyly ‘no’ she then continued
to update me that the room would be about 90 degrees and that I shouldn’t be
afraid to go into child’s pose or asana at any time during the hour and a half
class. As the class began with my teacher, Heather, she also reiterated the
importance of listening to my body and feeling comfortable with going into
child’s pose or asana whenever we needed to throughout the class. Little did I
know that after this hour and a half Yoga practice, I would have a much deeper
appreciate for the theory, culture and practice of Power Yoga.
The History and
Practice
Baptiste Yoga was
founded in the 1940’s by Walt Baptiste and carried on through his son, Baron. As
Baptiste Yoga emphasizes the more physical aspects of Yoga these styles were
inspired by the hatha yoga teachings of Krishnamacharya and students Iyengar
and Desikachar. The idea of Baptiste Yoga is to be available to anyone, serving
all people through a “potent physical yoga practice, meditation practice and
active self inquiry used as tools of transformation- encouraging participants
to reclaim their full potential, discover creativity, awaken passion, create
authenticity, confidence and new possibilities” (Baptiste, 2012) Baptiste Power
Yoga serves everyone no matter the age, fitness level, or experience through
adapting the practices to the individuals’ needs as well as using clear language
and strategic techniques. This Power Yoga was created to “challenge and support
you in attaining the results you desire and deserve in your life,” by
increasing your energy levels and physical power and in return creating more
confidence and strength in yourself (Baptiste, 2012). Baptiste Power Yoga is
strongly emphasized to serve all people from parents, teachers, athletes, leaders
and professionals, including people who suffer from depression, anxiety, weight
loss, etc. The methodology of Baptiste Power Yoga is for people to become
empowered leaders as well as inspiring, passionate driven and focused in their
daily lives. The quality of life is very important in Baptiste Yoga, not only during practice but through
the professional and personal settings of your life as well. There is a lot of
emphasis on the theories of increasing vitality, focus, quality and power
through the stretching, strengthening and empowering of the practice and to be
carried outside of the class in the body and mind.
As Baptiste Yoga
is relatively new it has also been seen as, “instrumental in transforming the
face of modern yoga in America and many of his transformational yoga
methodologies have been a part of society’s popular thinking on well-being.” (Baron,
2012) The methodology of Baron’s Power Yoga is providing “individuals and
groups with a means to access the powerful benefits of yoga practice for
themselves, but without the mysticism and new-agey overtones,” these new
methods combine a fast-paced yoga practices with new ideas and skills in
leading a group with still the individual in mind. Thus Baptiste Power Yoga was
a practice that fell perfectly into the mainstream American culture, as many
health trends today include being fit but also finding comfort and confidence
in your own body through a more spiritual level.
As there is much
emphasis on the rigorous physicality of Baptiste Yoga many people enjoy the
weight loss and workout aspects as well as the awareness of the mind with the
body through pranayama. This new approach to yoga was created with the goal of “demystifying yoga and making it
accessible to everyone,” the culture of this type of Yoga is much more new and
popular with American culture, as well as is an answer to many of the fast-paced
lifestyles of many Americans, as it is a combination between the relaxation of
the mind, body and spirit as well as a form of fitness (Pizer, 2012). This
multi-purpose approach to Yoga invites anyone and everyone to find their own
individual way to meditate and be aware of not only their physical needs but
also their emotional and spiritual desires. This individuality is what makes
the methodology of Baptiste Yoga so unique, as Baron Baptiste explains that the
practice allows:
“Each
practitioner to adapt, modify, and make each posture, and each part of the practice
their own. The whole emphasis, and practice, of Baptiste style of yoga is to challenge
you to experience a transformation, but starting from where you are presently,
and steadily building to a place that allows you to authentically experience
the yogic rewards of being stronger, more supple, relaxed, and generally less
tense.” (Pizer, 2012)
The ideology of
Baptiste Power Yoga is to be aware of where you are now, and always remain in
the present state of where your mind and body are at that moment. There is not
one particular sequence that a Yoga instructor must follow in Baptiste Power
Yoga but the methodology of this type of Yoga remains the same. As you become
more empowered and grasp a sense of confidence through practicing Baptiste
Power Yoga, you are capable of adapting and transforming into your desires of
your life, weather it is on or off the Yoga matt.
Personal Experience
with Baptiste Power Yoga
Through this
fast-paced Vinyasa Yoga class, I was continually moving and flowing into
different asanas as well as synchronizing the movements with my breath. There
was a lot of emphasis on breathing, pranayama, as it was very hot and the
movements were strenuous and required a lot of attention to the breath along
with the correct posture and form of each asana. Some moments the teacher would
tell us to focus on the breath and other moments she would tell the class to
let out a big sigh. The release of these big breathes created a sense of
empowerment and reward in myself, as I felt my body and breath as one and was
aware of the correlation between my breath and body through the movements in
the class. I really enjoyed my instructor and really liked the comment she made
in class when we were in asana, “reach and lengthen as you can now, not what
you have done in the past or what you want to do, but what you can do now,
listen to your body and be in the present.” Being in the ‘now’ was very
important and emphasized throughout the class, as well as being honest and
thoughtful with your body and mind as you moved into each position.
After the class I
felt a sense of reward in the physical workout, but I also felt a sense of
lightness and wholeness within myself. A transformation that only I could
experience, but it felt great. I also had a deeper appreciation and awareness
for my breath. As I realized that my mind was the only thing from stopping me
from trying some of the positions in the class, the harder the position the
more aware I became of my mind and the negative thoughts. As I was aware of my
thoughts I also became more aware of the connection between the deepening of my
position to my breath, the more I focused on the breath the less I focused on
my negative thoughts and the more I was able to reach my full potential in
class.
I did notice the
difference between in class Hatha Yoga and Baptiste Power Yoga, as there was
less time for sitting mediation and the meditation aspect of the class was more
throughout the movements and positions. I found the class very challenging but
in a good way, as I became more aware of my mind, body and spirit while being
pushed to move in a fast pace in a very hot climate. The meditation was very
much based off of the awareness of breath and I found this much easier to find
stillness in my mind through focusing on the breath because of the heat; as it
was already hard to breath in the hot climate of the room I found breathing
helped me to adapt to the change in climate and empowered me to flow into each
position as one with my body and mind.
As for the
demographic of the class, there was about 15 women and 5 men, as well as most
of the people were approximately 25-30 years of age. It was a very American
cultured class, as almost all of the class was Caucasian and relatively young
and in tune with today’s style and desire of Yoga. The class had a more modern
feel, as the pace was much faster and the language of the instructor was clear
and direct. The language of my instructor, Heather, was very important
throughout the class, she was stern as she first started the class with chants
of “Om” and then proceeded to call out positions and giving tips along the way
to increase each individuals’ potential, these tips included “with each breath
loosen your muscles, notice where you have tension and focus on loosening those
areas.” Throughout the class I was aware of Heather’s informative,
knowledgeable, clear and direct tone but I could also sense her passion and
commitment to the practice. She motivated the group through her way of talking
but she also had a way of talking as if it was to me directly.
Heather has been
an instructor for ten years as she has devoted much of her time to studying and
attending many workshops and trainings of Baron Baptiste’s Power Yoga. She is
known for her energetic instructions in the class that will help to “inspire
you in an honest, compassionate way.” (Community, 2012) Heather was first
introduced to Baptiste Power Yoga in 2002 when she was suffering chronic back
and shoulder pain from a car accident, as all of the traditional Western
medicines failed for her chronic pain she tried Baptiste Yoga which ended up
changing her life and injuries. Her passion is carried through her own
experience, as she now shares her energy and transformation to her students.
As I took the
class without knowing this background information of the studio or the
instructor, I now fully understand why the studio as well as the instructor was
passionate and comforting. There was a sense of community and welcoming but
once the class began it was all about the individual and the ability and
potential of the individual. I really enjoyed the discomfort of the heat in the
class as it pushed me to adapt and really listen to my body, causing me to
focus and still my mind without too much stress or effort.
Conclusion
In
conclusion, I found Baptiste Power Yoga to be very beneficial to my individual
needs and desires in both my personal and professional life. As I wrote in a
more positive light about Vinyasa Yoga, it is not about what I think, but more
about the needs of the individual. What I do sincerely like about Baptiste
Power Yoga is the fact that the practice is made for the individual, there is
no right or wrong way but what is best for the individuals mind, body, and
spirit as one. Although I only attended one class, I will now be going weekly,
I enjoy the meditation through movement and awareness of breath and I find that
in a hot atmosphere I am challenged to be aware of my thoughts and to let them
go, pushing my own potential which will slowly carry outside of the classroom as
well.
In
Benjamin Richard Smith’s article, “Body,
Mind and Spirit? Towards an Analysis of the Practice of Yoga,” he explains
this constant challenge and need for meditative awareness of the breath to
create a sense of wholeness between the body and mind,
“The body often seems
to exert a ‘telic demand’ to quit the pose, whilst the mind simultaneously
races in an apparent attempt to tear itself from the difficulty of the asana.
Great concentration is necessary to overcome the powerful urges of the body and
mind during such moments.” (Smith, 2007, p.15)
Smith further states that with
continued practice the person will increase their ability to “maintain
attention during periods of physical and mental challenge…practitioners find
themselves increasingly able to focus during their practice of asana, rather
than being distracted by the thoughts that press upon them- not least the
thought of quitting,”(Smith, 2007, p.15) This relationship between the body and
the mind can help to still the mind of all thoughts and focus the awareness on
the present, Smith also furthers this idea by stating that the heavily engaged
asana and pranayama help to draw the practitioner’s consciousness inward as
external objects fall way. (Smith, 2007, p.16)
From
the first class in Baptiste Power Yoga, I have already experienced some of this
liberty of stillness in the mind. I came out of class lighter and more
connected between my body and mind. Just this glimpse of lightness has now
driven me to continue to practice Baptiste Power Yoga to further understand the
true meaning of Baptiste Power Yoga as well as adapt and transform my life and
self from my desires and needs.
Works Cited:
Baptiste Power Yoga. (2012). Baptiste Yoga. Retrieved October 9, 2012 from http://www.baronbaptiste.com/about/baptiste-yoga/
Baptiste Power Yoga. (2012). Baron Baptiste: International Best-selling Author and Teacher. Retrieved October 9, 2012 from http://www.baronbaptiste.com/about/baron-baptiste/
Baptiste Power Yoga. (2012). Community. Retrieved October 9, 2012 from http://www.baronbaptiste.com/community/teacher/heather-patnode/
Pizer, A. (2012, June 4). Interview with Power Yoga Innovator Baron Baptiste. Retrieved October 9, 2012 from http://yoga.about.com/od/poweryoga/a/baptiste.htm
Smith, B.R. (2007). Body, Mind and Spirit? Towards an Analysis of the Practice of Yoga. Body Society, 13; 25, Retrieved October 9, 2012 from Sage Publications: https://my.lesley.edu/@@/0282D739F9174ED872D871B2026EF891/courses/1/12- FA.CSOCS.3452.01.71163/content/_987916_1/embedded/Smith%2c%20analysis% 20of%20the%20practice%20of%20yoga.pdf
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