The Sunday Mail (UK)

yoga for real people.

Helen Hawkes
December 22, 2002

He teaches the hottest in Hollywood, but forget trying to be a human pretzel. Baron Baptiste's power yoga is actually easy, energising and accessible, reports Helen Hawkes.

If you hate yoga, I'm hearing you. Because I used to be a yoga drop-out. I know there's nothing worse than having a teacher with guru-like aspirations chastise you for not being able to do the triple-bend-and-then-put-your-head-behind-your-knees-pose. I'm aware there's nothing quite as disempowering as standing next to some double-jointed pretzel in designer yoga gear. And, most of all, I know that those people who go on - and on - about how yoga helps you "be real" make us all want to throw up.

But if you're smart, you'll ignore the yuppies who have suddenly "found" yoga and, very soon, will "find" something else.

You'll forget about the fact that you don't have the latest gear, or the only time you saw your inner self was when you had a colonoscopy. And you'll ditch the idea that yoga is hard, or boring.

Because with "power yoga" you really don't have to try hard, just try easy, says Baron Baptiste, the celebrity yoga teacher and author of Journey Into Power (Harpercollins).

And while you're trying easy, you will become stronger, calmer, thinner, saner, and more energetic - and all you have to do is show up to the mat. That's right. No weights at the gym, stretch classes, or running endless rings around the block.

Baptiste, who has taught his form of power yoga to stars including Helen Hunt, Elisabeth Shue, Chynna Phillips and Raquel Welch, says it can do it all. "In traditional fitness we tend to break up the components of strength, stamina, flexibility and cardiovascular training," he says. "In Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga, all of these elements are blended together."

Practise three times a week and you'll notice real changes, he says. Practise every day and you can look forward to rippling muscles, energy to burn and a mind as sharp as a proverbial tack.

"Your nervous system will be soothed or energised; your glandular system balanced, your cardiovascular and circulatory systems invigorated; your digestive and metabolic systems stimulated; and your elimination system activated and regulated," says the celebrity yoga master.

Not only that, but Baptiste says your attitude to your diet and your life will start to change.

So, even if you used to be a yoga drop-out, what are you waiting for? body+soul asked Baptiste to share some of the asanas and lifestyle advice he gives the stars (see right).

lessons from yoga master Yoga devotees say yoga can actually help you heal your body and your life. Baptiste shares some of his wisdom.

We are either now here or nowhere "All we really have is the moment that is right here, right now, in front of us," says Baptiste. "Whenever you find yourself stressing about the past, or the future, follow your breath back to the present moment and let go of what's not happening now."

In order to heal, you need to feel "We spend our entire lives stuffing down emotional and physical injuries, but these wounds don't really disappear. Cellular memory is a powerful thing. Whatever is in there, yoga will find it."

We are the sum total of our reactions "We don't really have experiences in life," says Baptiste. "We have reactions to them. Yoga practice gives you the opportunity to create a gap between stimulus and response that gets wider and wider and, in the gap, you have the option of changing your response."

eating the yogic way Don't worry - it's not all about tofu. "You don't have to become a vegetarian to do yoga, says Baptiste. "Nor do you have to start drinking blue-green algae, or eating only raw foods, or fasting."

However, to get the most out of yoga you will need to commit to eating healthily. The good news is that yoga helps combat cravings and soothes the need to eat because of nerves, worry or inner unhappiness.

Baptiste recommends bringing mindfulness to your eating habits. In other words, don't eat on automatic, rather chew and savour each bite.

"Ask yourself if you are eating to escape, or to numb out, or to nurture your body."

Become aware of unhealthy cravings and try to interrupt these with some movement, such as a walk or yoga. The idea is to shift your focus. Become aware of the atmosphere in which you eat, such as while working, or watching the television.

Eating in a calm, relaxed atmosphere can help improve your digestion.

Notice, too, how much salt, sugar, or dressing you include with your food.

Finally, listen to your body's signals. When it says enough, stop eating. After eating, notice whether the food you have eaten makes you feel tired or energised.

Baptiste favours water-rich foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables, freshly squeezed juices, wholegrains and tofu, chicken or fish. Go for natural foods that are free of artificial and chemical ingredients including MSG, corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, nitrates, fake fats and imitation flavourings, he says.

a yoga dropout asks...

body+soul asked Baptiste to answer some of the most-asked questions by those who haven't learnt to love yoga - yet! Q When anyone says the word meditation, I want to run out the door screaming. I either fall asleep, or can't relax at all. Any advice? A Meditation is about accepting the present moment without any reaction or judgement. It means putting the ego on the back burner. This is not easy! The ego is adept at sabotaging anything that decreases its power. My advice is simple: sit in stillness every day even for 10 minutes, use this time to observe your thoughts, your body sensations, the emotions that arise and patiently and persistently be present.

Q I've heard yoga can make you smarter. Seriously? A While you are challenging your body, developing a flexible strength, you are cultivating a clear mind throughout the practice. Yoga practice gives you the tools to wage the storms of life with a centered and calm mind. You are able to live a life fuelled by your intuition and free from blind reaction. On a purely physiological note, there are a number of poses (Downward Facing Dog, Forward Bends, Shoulder Stands) that flush your brain with oxygen-rich blood and literally give yourself a brainwash. I always tell my students thank goodness you have the opportunity to wash your brain each day.

Q I would like one pose that would reduce anxiety, stretch out the muscles that ache from using a computer and maybe even help me control my weight. Which one? A If I had to choose one pose it would be Downward Facing Dog. This pose challenges and stretches every muscle in the body. It calms your central nervous system and works on overall flexible strength. It decompresses your spine, awakens the back side of your body, lengthens your thighs and is an amazing shoulder opener. Your head is down, so you are flushing your brain with oxygen-rich blood, re-balancing your internal systems and most importantly, freeing your mind. The calming effect of this pose will also soothe the digestive system.

6 yoga power moves The son of two yoga pioneers, a student of yoga since he was a child, and the founder of his now famous bootcamps, Baptiste believes: "Through the challenges on your mat, you step up to what I call your edge and pull up whatever is inside you that needs to be healed and released."

Asked to recommend six poses that anyone with 20 minutes a day to spare could do, he says: "My six top poses would be: Forward Bend, Downward Facing Dog, Warrior One (with arms extended to the ceiling with palms toward each other), Warrior Two (with arms at shoulder height), Spinal Twist and Savasana (Corpse Pose)" (see right).

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