Kate Taylor's Yoga Site

I've been here in Tulum, Mexico studying with Baron Baptiste for about 12 days now and thought I might share some of what I've been doing. Last week I was attending the Level 1 Teacher Training Bootcamp. What?? More teacher training? Yes, I know, I have been to a few others already, but this time I came for different reasons. I came to see if Baron was "all that." I have been practicing his style of yoga for almost a year now, and needed to see if I was ready to get off the fence and dedicate myself to this method.

The answer is yes - Baron is "all that" and I have found my teacher. Last week, I realized that he has all of the qualities I am looking for in a teacher. He speaks from experience and inner knowing. He has a gift for sharing the wisdom of the ancients without getting bogged down in referring to scripture like the sutras. He knows the ancient teachings and lives by them (as well as any human can) and speaks from experience rather than telling us what other people say. This whole week has been an exercise in what Patanjali called Swadhyaya (Self Study), though he has never used those words. Our time on the mat is physically intense, but our time in self-inquiry and dialog is even more intense.

Baron is compassionate even when he is challenging people. And it feels authentic. Really. I have a great deal of respect for him and have decided to keep going on this path. This week I stayed for the GREAT program - which is an assisting program. I am learning some cool stuff and setting myself on the path and opening the possibility to assist Baron at future workshops. I plan to sign up for the Level 2 TT this year in May or August. I am excited about the possibilities for me in this. Studying with Baron, I think I can really break through and become the teacher and student of yoga that I want to be.