While the physical relationship was great, the emotional side of things was challenging. I had this notion that my perfect yoga would be steeped and shrouded in history and therefore legitimate. Learning that Mark had only been practicing for 5 years and was already teaching this style of yoga, not to mention teaching teachers, made me skeptical. What did he know that I didn’t already know? Heh. A lot.

The next three months of teacher training were a journey of self-discovery, and Mark was my unexpected guide. I learned more about myself than anything else, and some of the lessons weren’t pretty. Mark was my mirror, showing me the harsh reality of my teaching. I was robotic, pushy, self-centered, self-absorbed, and hiding behind my technical skills and physical practice. I watched Mark break the other students down into tears and was determined not to let that happen to me. The harder he pushed, the harder I resisted.

It was not until the last weekend of teacher training that something changed. As part of our final evaluation and certification process we were all required to teach one section of the Journey into Power sequence. I was very strong on the technical side, but weak on the inspiration side, so it was perfect when he asked me to teach the hip opening sequence. In hips, we typically hold the poses for 10-20 breaths and after a few technical instructions there is nowhere to hide.  You either leave your students in silence or hope to inspire them. As I stood in the front of the room looking at my peers, I was filled with love and for the first time really saw my students and connected to them. The tears started flowing as I began to teach. I don’t recall any of what I said, but it was not technical. It was straight from my heart. I had finally found love in my teaching.

What Mark taught me is that teaching is not about me. It’s about really seeing and connecting to each student and teaching from that connection. It's about Love and Service. To me this is the essence of the Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga (BPVY).

Once I completed my training with with Mark and knew this was my path, my husband asked me when I was going to go study at the source...with Baron Baptiste, himself.  In my usual fashion I had a long term plan to go study with Baron during the following year. In my husband’s typical fashion, he asked me what I was waiting for. Within a short time, I was signed up for Level 1 with Baron in Tulum, Mexico.  Within a year of completing my training with Mark, I had attended 4 one-week long teacher trainings with Baron. Once I knew I had found the practice I had been looking for, there was no stopping me.

So what is it about this practice that has inspired me to finally commit to this style of yoga and even open my own power yoga studio? Stay tuned for the next installment.....