MetroWest
Yoga:
Myoga
Hot Hatha –Baptiste/Shaw
Amanda Cowgill
CSOCS 3452
Yoga:
Theory, Culture and Practice
2/22/2013
MetroWest
Yoga:
Myoga
Hot Hatha –Baptiste/Shaw
I have been
extremely lucky to experience the art of yoga from multiple teachers over the
years. I was able to broaden my horizon by learning a variety of yoga
styles. I started my yoga
experience with hatha yoga. Lately I was able to open my eyes to a
completely new form,, one I had never experienced before. I was opened up to the world
of Myoga hot hatha.
I was fortunate
enough to visit a wonderful yoga studio down the street from me. It’s called,
MetroWest Yoga. It is run by a woman in her mid-50s, Shawn Shaw, who has been practicing for
more than 30 years. She started her yoga practice after an abusive marriage
left her divorced with two young children. She started
her yoga practice in her own home. She converted a bedroom in her house to a
studio in 2003. She encouraged her children to join in as well. When her studio
began to grow, she opened up her first commercial studio in Westborough,
Mass.,
in 2005. She theThen recently open her second studio
in Worcester, Mass..
Shawn turned to yoga to help heal herself from her divorce. She says yoga
allowed her to heal., Aa
quote from Shawn’s website, tell her story of what yoga did for her:.
“With
regular practice, my body became stronger and healthier than it had with any
other form of exercise, and my mind became calm and peaceful. In addition, I
learned to love more openly, speak more truthfully and live more in the moment.
I decided teaching yoga and bringing this beautiful healing practice to others
would be my life’s work.” (Shawn
Shaw 2011)
It’s wonderful stories like
Shawn’s that encourage others, like myself to give yoga a fair
shake. It has been explained that although one my not have their “ah ha”
moment in the first few sessions,. mMost
do leave a yoga class refreshed and ready to take on the day with a positive
outlook on what each day has to bring.
Due
to Shawn’s passion for wanting to bring the benefits to others, opening her
study was only theo beginning tof
what she brings with her. Shawn has become an experiences registered yoga
teacher.
(E-RYT 200). She has created workshops for those
who want to learn the art of teaching. She is a As well as
trained teacher herself both locally and internationally. She is known for
training teachers to teach with authenticity and an open heart.
The MetroWest studios are open to all levels of yoga practitioners, from
beginners, children, to well- trained yogis.
The studio offers single drop- in classes, a
weeklong class andor even courses.
Shawn even offers private lessons to all varieties of yogis. For the beginners
who are looking for that individual time to help learn the basics of yoga, or
for the more experienced yogis who are looking to deepen their practice.
In the beginning I
was under the impression that yoga, was used to “empty the mind.”.
While practicing yoga, one needed to control one’s thoughts. However I was
recently told in an interview with my most recent yoga teacher, that’s not what
Myoga hot hatha is about. An instructor at MetroWest yoga Vin Garino (2013)
stated, “Iit is not about
being able to control your mind, because realistically it isn’t completely
possible to control your thoughts. But instead meditation and yoga is about
seeing your mind wander and being able to realize that and reign
your mind back in. Being able to know that you mind is straying from your
breathing and being able to refocus on your breaths and focus your energy.”
Knowing this has hadmade a
tremendous effect on my perspective towards yoga. Struggling with ADHD
(attention-deficit-hyperactive-disorder) I have a hard time focusing and
sitting still. I always thought that I would never be good at yoga because my
mind wanders far too frequently to be able to “control”
my thoughts. I thought that yoga was about getting to the point where your mind
is empty and not allowing thoughts to go in or out, that it is all
about the breath. This was extremely discouraging for me, because I enjoy the
art of yoga, but felt I wasn’t good at it. Being introduced to Vin, made a big
impact, he was positive and encouraging. When I mentioned my doubts about my
mind, Garino (2013) stated, “if you are able to notice that your mind is
wandering, then the first step is to see and realize that. The next part is to
pull your mind back and refocus. If you are able to do that, then you are more
than half way there in yoga and meditation.”
This here
is one of the major steps in yoga for me, and one huge reason as to
why I continue to go back to MetroWest Yoga.
After
speaking with a few of the yoga teachers at the studio, it was explained that
the background of Myoga hot hatha is from the practice of Baron Baptiste.
According to Baron Baptiste’s,
“Baptiste
Power Vinyasa Yoga classes offer a true immersion into your physical and mental
self. The unique blend of yoga traditions and philosophies emphasize the flow
of breath while moving with strength and grace from pose to pose, all in a
heated environment. Modern yogi and founder, Baron Baptiste, stresses the
principle of adaptation. Both aspiring and advanced yogis, young and old, can
modify each posture and create their own individual experience. The result is a
yoga practice that rinses and detoxifies the mind and body, while building
strength and flexibility on and off the mat.” (Baptiste, 2013)
With this guidance and experience
from working with Baptisite, Shawn went off with the inspiration
to create her own style of yoga. Myoga hot hatha has become a version of
Baptiste’s power yoga, bringing in her own twist to the practice. One
important factor that makesdiffers Shawn’s
practice of yoga different from other forms is that fact
that there is freedom in the poses. Garino often stated (2013) in his yoga
class, “Mmake the pose
your own, challenge yourself. Make it different.” This was something I hadn’t
heard in yoga before. But it was something that stuck with me. I have always
been a unique person, and being able to make each pose slightly more of
my own without changing the pose itself, made me feel more in tune with the
practice. I hope to one day enjoy a yoga practice taught by Baron Baptisite,
to be able to compare the two. But either way I thoroughly enjoy the new
practice I have luckily been able to experience.
Yoga
at MetroWest yoga is influenced by a few cultures. However when talking with
Garino (2013) he stated, “There
isn’t a specific culture to back this study. The main influence in Shawn’s yoga
methods is the study of Baron Baptisite’s practices.”
According to Baptitste
Yoga (2013),
“Baptiste
Yoga style is are
inspired by the hatha yoga teachings of Krishnamacharya and his students
Iyengar and Desikachar, whom Baron Baptiste studied with personally from a
young age. The Baptiste Yoga practice and programs are designed to empower you
with the focus, training and insight you need to achieve consistent results in
the most important areas of your life.”
With this, Shawn has
designed her yoga to encourage and train any practitioner to help them succeed
with major events in one’s life. A reason for this particular practice is to
encourage participants to reach their full potential, awaken theat
passion that dwells within them, and to promote confidence to help one take on
possibilities. The Baptiste yoga practice tries to empower practitioners to
become leaders and contribute to the community. The Baptiste practice is one
that is practiced all over the world. It is practiced from all walks of life,
from professional athletes, to parents or teachers. It isn’t a practice that is
only meant for those who can bend like a pretzel or have to stamina to work out
for hours. Any one can exercise this practice, which is part of the reason this
type of yoga is used by so many all around the world.
Hot
yoga is something that was new for me,.
Wwhen
I called the studio to schedule my class andI
asked what was meant by “Power hour” they didn’t mention anything about hot
yoga. Even on the website it states just bring comfortable clothing, I didn’t
read the whole page to where it states heated room. However, I showed up to the
studio in fleece leggings and lucky for me a running dri-fit shirt. I will
honestly say I will never make the mistake again on not reading through
something, either way I thoroughly enjoyed the class and I look forward to my
future classes there.
References
Baptiste, B. (2013). Baron Baptiste:
International Best-selling Author and Teacher. Retrieved
February 23, 2013, from Baron Baptiste
website: http://www.baronbaptiste.com/about/
baron-baptiste/
Garino, V. (2013, February 21). [Personal
interview by the author].
Shaw, S. (2011). Who We Are. Retrieved February
23, 2013, from MetroWest Yoga website:
http://metrowestyoga.net
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