I've decided to share one of my reflection papers from yoga teacher training. While I've been having some internal conflicts about the cost of some of the programs and the general structure of Baptiste (from a training standpoint), it is where my roots are in yoga. And I adore the practice. I think the resistance that's been coming up is partially excuse-based. Anyhow, here's my messy paper :)
It is only fitting that the practice of Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga was introduced to me through a friend. This speaks to the connection and community of this practice that appealed to me on various levels. This is significant because it parallels some of the basic principles of the practice. From all that I have read, learned, and practiced of this type of yoga, it is about strength through connection— connection to the mind, body, and soul. Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga is built upon the five pillars of breath, upward lifting locks, gaze, heat, and vinyasa. These pillars foster strength within the mind, body, and soul by creating connection between the physical, mental, and spiritual realms of our being; and it is this strength and connection that opens the door to leading a more powerful life.
The philosophy, in brief:
Baron sums up his practice as “free style”. It is based on a flow or vinyasa of 53 poses which creates the skeleton for a practice that is both unrestricted and dynamic. The flow of this practice allows for anyone to adapt it to the needs of his/her body instead of forcing the body to fit into the practice. But to ground this malleable flow are five, foundational pillars. Breath (ujjayi) is the most important; by coming into your breath, you come into your body. The link with the mind and soul through the present moment is then available. For every movement, there is a breath to keep the life force flowing through the practice. An upward lifting lock from the abdomen (uddiyana) creates core stabilization for all asanas. It channels the life force created through the breath and anchors it in strength from the core. Gaze (drishti), fixing your eyes upon one point, brings the mind from distraction to direction and keeps the body concentrated and balanced. This aids one to come from a place of Samadhi or neutral vision during the flow—dropping judgment, dropping the ego and seeing things as they are for what they are (seeing yourself where you are, for who you are). Another pillar is heat: the room is kept at a temperature of 90-95 degrees with 50% humidity. The heat is used to loosen and relax muscles; the sweat detoxifies and purifies the body; essential organs are rested; and a healing and re-birth occurs as layers of toxins are released from the body. Flow or vinyasa creates the fluid movement from one pose to the next. Baron describes this as “meditation in motion”. The flow brings you out of your mind and into your body, continuing to build heat and boost cardiovascular fitness. These pillars are fostered and fine-tuned over time to fit each person’s body and practice.
Why I chose to teach it:
I chose to teach Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga because it is relatable and applicable: this is connection. It brings yoga, a tradition that has evolved over thousands of years, into real people’s lives in a real and tangible way and in real time. Too often, other yoga practice traditions that I tried felt contrived or surrounded by this mysterious haze that only a select few could penetrate. The Baptiste practice is accessible; it takes this age-old, beautiful tradition of yoga and puts it into the vernacular of contemporary society. This does not discredit the value of other yogic traditions, for each has its time, place, and value. However, as a teacher, I feel it is important to be able to readily connect with students through language and experiences so that they can make a connection within themselves. To me, the connection that this practice offers umbrellas all elements involved: the five pillars, the mind-body-spirit, the community, the strength (physical-mental-spiritual). And through connection, I am able to serve, to become a better human being, and to see the light in others.
Another reason I chose to teach this practice is because it presents a basic truth: you have to show up and do the work. This practice is not about what you look like, sound like, or act like; it’s about showing up on your mat and doing the work, being accountable. This simple concept seems somewhat foreign in a society inundated with zero personal accountability and promises of quick fixes, especially when it concerns physical health. When I left the studio after the first time I ever tried Baptiste power yoga, I remember thinking, “I have never sweat so much in my life, and I used every part of my body. What an awesome workout!” However, I soon found that this practice goes far beyond physical transformation. It is common for people to start this practice because of the physical benefits; but for me, shortly after beginning, I realized that any physical “progress” or journey is directly connected to the health of my mind and soul.
This practice brings awareness to the triad of health, again in a very tangible and realistic way. The flow opens up avenues for realization of what seems automatic and commonplace. For example, the breath: throughout the day, it is something the body does automatically, like blinking. Certainly, we can consciously hold our breath or keep our eyes closed, but for the most part, it is practiced without true consciousness. When doing a vinyasa, however, the breath is deliberate. As the body moves and heat is built, you can start to notice how the breath is affected. Is it short? Shallow? Deep? Forced? Frantic? etc. From here, awareness is brought not only to the breath and body but to the mind—how the mind reacts to certain poses or even to the feeling of the breath being shortened or lengthened, or what the mind tells us we cannot do even though the body is fully, physically capable, or how the spirit and intuition fair with the ego. For me, this simple focus on the breath has brought awareness to my thought patterns and how those patterns surface in my life when I am off of my mat. It has brought awareness to my body and how it reacts to those thought patterns from noticing physical tension to observing my food intake and its effect on how I am feeling emotionally, spiritually. Awareness of why I may be feeling or reacting a certain way makes it less daunting and brings me into the present moment.
Through this awareness comes transformation: transformation, not through force, but through what Baron describes as peeling away the layers of an onion; in other words, being in the process. This is another reason why I chose to teach this practice. It is moment-to-moment, process-oriented transformation rather than rigid and destination-focused at some unknown point in the future (which doesn’t exist). The practice changes with you and vice versa. There is a freedom in this that is not offered in other routines that count reps, weights, pounds, etc.; for these routines are under the notion that you never quite “get there” which makes it easy for stagnation to set in physically, mentally, and spiritually. It is based on limits/limiting beliefs whereas Baptiste power yoga is based on limitless possibilities. You are not confined; you simply show up as yourself, and the transformation has already begun. It moves one from mindlessness to mindful/purposeful movement of the body, taking you out of your egoist mind and into your body. Through connection, truth, and awareness, transformation—unique to each person—is possible.
That umbrella of connection to the self through truth, awareness and transformation is, in turn, what brings acceptance of what is. It strips away the “should haves” and “what ifs” and incessant worry by bringing me face-to-face with myself in the present moment. From here, I am able to have true, authentic interactions from a place of acceptance rather than resistance. By accepting what “is” in myself or my own life, I am able to accept what “is” in others; I am able to connect. Baptiste yoga brings me from reaching without for answers to embracing what is within. It is my intention to share this by being a channel through which this practice can be made accessible. It is my intention to serve so that connection can be fostered.
