Next week is the start of the 2015-1016 Teacher Training at 502PY and for those who have signed up, there are probably a lot of questions with what to bring. Though you will want to take the usual items for a power yoga class (see some pro-tips here) you will need to add some additional items to your list. Here is the very unofficial, not-all-inclusive, 502PY TT packing list. All of these things are items that I found to be personally useful, have used again in various workshop/program capacities, and would recommend.
1. Bag – Choose a bag big enough for all your stuff, but that can be squeezed into a lobby cubby. Mine has a zippered part for wet clothes, this was an awesome feature, but if your bag doesn’t have a separate zipper for sweaty clothes, bring some Kroger bags for your post-practice goods.
2. Lunch Bag/Cooler – Nothing huge, just something to keep your cold stuff from getting up to 90 degrees in the steamy studio.
3. Water Bottles – I had two bottles, one for water and one for Powerade. Personal preference here but make sure you always have water with you and something with electrolytes to replenish. Coconut water is another great option in addition to your usual water. #Protip: Hydroflasks keep water cold throughout the day (and they are sold in the studio!)
4. Yoga Clothes – I recommend two full sets of clothes for each full day.
5. Comfort Items – For me this was Glide, deodorant, contact solution, and chapstick. #Protip: Vaseline on the brow can help keep sweat from dripping into the eyes.
6. Liquid BandAid – Lots of yoga means dried feet and hands in the winter months. I had cracks/cuts on my toes and this is the only thing that stayed on during sweaty classes.
7. Baby Wipes – a.k.a “showers”
8. Towels – Mat and hand towels. I also used two mats during teacher training, so I could have one drying and one in use.
9. Pens/Pencils – Bring extra, they get lost and you will loan them out.
10. Hair Bands/Bobby Pins
11. Electrolytes – Personal preference here and there are lots of options, I like Honey Stinger Chews and Powerade.
12. Study Materials – Breaks are for eating, changing, and studying. BONUS: Here are my online Sanskrit flashcards, because I love you all!
13. Nail Kit
14. Selfie Stick (Optional) – Because it’s fun to act like goobers.
Not Pictured: Binder, journal, and books. A watch. Food and snacks (bring a variety – sweet and salty, granola bars, fruit, sandwiches, salads, chips and salsa or guac – whatever you will actually eat and will not make you want to throw up after a few leap frogs). Wallet – I just threw my wallet and phone in my bag.
Fellow TT Grads comment below with your must-have items!
Most importantly, know that all you need is to show up ready and willing! And that CVS is right across the parking lot and Jimmy John’s delivers.
By Cat Larimore
Everywhere you turn, people are recommending yoga as a therapeutic physical exercise. Unlike running, tennis, and some other high-impact repetitive motion exercises, yoga is low-impact, incredibly varied and is accessible to all ages, sizes, and skill levels. It’s a practice—and that’s what it’s called, because it’s never expected to be perfect–that you can take with you as you age, constantly improving, customizing, and tweaking to adapt to your current conditions. There are dozens of styles of yoga, from very gentle chair yoga to the extreme heated classes in the Bikram tradition.
So where does Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga fit into this spectrum, and why should you try it?
It’s not “just stretching.”
In our Power Vinyasa classes, attention is placed on creating tapas (heat) and vinyasa (flow) by moving the body. A LOT. You will sweat and torch calories.
It isn’t too hot.
The room is heated (85-90º) to help cleanse the body and warm the muscles, but it is not heated to stifling temperatures that can be uncomfortable for some practicioners.
It’s FUN.
People are often surprised that a class at 502 Power Yoga typically includes high-fives, laughter, cheering, and applause. But that’s how we roll.
It’s in English…
It’s important to know the Sanskrit, but we’re aware that 99.99% of new students coming through the door will not know what “Prasarita Padottanasana” means but might be able to figure out what “Wide Legged Forward Fold” means.
…And the English isn’t “flowery.”
Instead of saying “offer your heart to the universe” in a pose, we will more likely say “press your collarbone forward.” When you’re in the middle of the flow you won’t have time to decode the flowery language.
You will leave empowered.
Our teachers are not just taught Sanskrit, they are taught how to be powerful, insightful leaders who are able to give you nuggets of transformation right there in your twisting triangle. You will leave a class at 502PY feeling LIT UP and empowered.
You will make a ton of new friends.
At 502PY, we push people outside of their comfort zone and make our yogis get OFF their mat and meet new people. And the craziest thing happens: You make new friends. We’ve witnessed many new friendships blossom out of our studio space.
You don’t have to be “good at yoga” to try it.
You do not have to be flexible to try yoga. You just have to be ready and willing.
It complements every other exercise out there.
Runner? Swimmer? Cyclist? Golfer? More than likely, the strengthening and toning exercises done in a Power Yoga session will help you in your sport of choice.
You will be helping yogis in need practice.
Our members’ monthly payments help support our Outreach program in which teachers volunteer their time to take yoga out into the community where it’s needed but not affordable: Children’s homes, prisons, etc.
Convinced? Try our studio for 40 days for only $40:
A First Time Experience With Stand Up Paddle Board Yoga
by Laura Olinger
The first time I tried SUP yoga, I couldn’t imagine how I’d be able to take my yoga practice onto the water, but I was up for an adventure. I wasn’t disappointed; I was met with a challenging but fun experience. I was a little nervous, I’d only been on a paddle board once before and it took all my concentration to stay standing. In this practice, we started by paddling out into the middle of a pond and slowly worked our way into Sun Salutations. The slower flow, and the added challenge to balance, allowed me to experience more mindfulness in my practice for the simple reason that I had to, or else I would fall in the water. I was conscious of pressing evenly through both feet, and felt the power of being grounded while still floating on the water.
SUP yoga can bring a lot to your practice. It allows you to train outside and soak up some Vitamin D, gives you the opportunity to notice any imbalances in your practice (i.e. if you tend to shift more weight to one side of your body), encourages you to focus on your foundations – hands, feet, core (lots of core!), and it’s simply fun! It can be the breath of fresh air, literally, you need if you feel stagnant or stale in your practice. In Savasana, I let my hands fall out into the cool pond while my board drifted – it was the most relaxed I’ve ever felt in that pose.
It can also be physically refreshing if, like me, you fall into cold water when you attempt Wheel a little too enthusiastically.
While many people wait to go on vacation to experience SUP yoga, there are opportunities to practice locally. If you’re a member at neighboring Lakeside, you might have noticed the Paddleboard Fitness classes that meet there. Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill in Harrodsburg also offers several sessions throughout the summer. If you’re feeling independent, you can rent a board from Canoe Kentucky in Frankfort and flow on your own. As SUP and SUPY become more popular, I anticipate more opportunities in the Louisville area.
She is a wife, doggy-momma, musician, wedding planner, and powerful practitioner at 502 Power Yoga. When asked to describe herself in five words, Baely answered, “First and foremost, Nerdy. Artistic, fun-loving, analytic, and stubborn. My husband definitely wouldn’t let me leave out the word ‘stubborn’…” Baely began her yoga journey back in the fall when Hannah Clore invited her to her first ever yoga class. To set the scene, it is a 6 AM Power Yoga Class with the amazing Mimi Hahn.
502: Tell us about that first class.
I had a lot of expectations in my mind of what it would be like- all of which, of course, were completely inaccurate. I thought it would be very mild and relaxing. I did not expect for it to be as intense as it is. I remember thinking during the sun salutations that this was harder than any workout I’d done with my personal trainer. Somehow, by the grace of some higher power, I made it through the entire class. Completing that first class made me feel so strong and powerful. I started practicing regularly during the 40 Days to a Personal Revolution program in January, and I’ve been obsessed/in love with it ever since.
502: During the 40 Days program, you said the biggest change was how you viewed yourself.
I realized I would look at the mirror, and say, “I don’t like this. I don’t like this. I don’t like this…” During the 40 days program, I didn’t look in the mirror for 2 days, which was more difficult than I initially thought because there are mirrors everywhere begging you to look at yourself. It became really eye opening how much time I waste criticizing myself… Now, I think about the poses I never thought I would be able to do before, and I get really happy when I get into them because I think, “Ha, you couldn’t do this like 2 months ago.”
502: What are your favorite and least favorite poses?
I love poses that make me feel open, like half-moon and fish pose. I have a love/hate relationship with twisting poses and chair pose. I’ve definitely been going through the internal struggle of realizing that some pain is OK. The discomfort I feel in my legs during chair pose is OK, and I don’t have to run from it. (This is a lesson I’m taking with me off the mat as well.) So even my least favorite poses I kind of love, because they teach me something about myself.
What kept you coming back to 502PY after the 40 Days to a Personal Revolution Program?
I love how yoga makes me feel powerful. It makes me feel more present in my body, and it makes me feel like I’m more capable of handling day-to-day life. Yoga has taught me so much about how I view the world and how I view myself. I’ve learned so much about myself since I started practicing, and it’s been a truly invaluable experience for me. In addition to that, I have found that everyone I’ve met at 502PY is so encouraging, warm, and welcoming, that you can’t help but feel like you’re part of a family. Even on days when my body does not want to practice, I come for the people.
What are some of your yoga goals for the next year?
I keep waiting to hear when the next training to be a Studio Class Assistant will be (Hi, Cat and Sarah!) so I can jump on that. Then, in the next few years, I’d love to do the teacher training. In terms of my personal yoga practice, I am determined to get into tripod headstand, and be able to hold crow for more than 2 seconds. I’m also working on wheel pose a lot in my personal practice.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In 5 years, I would love to be working for myself as an event/wedding coordinator. I’m working my way towards that dream right now, but I not ready to give up the day job just yet. I’d also like to be teaching yoga and sharing it with the people around me. And lastly, in 5 years I would love to be a mom.
What does being a YES mean to you?
Being a yes to me means being open to the possibility that anything can happen. Being open to the possibility that my body can do more than I expect of it, being open to the thought that I can reach my goals no matter how impossible they seem, and disregarding the negativity and self-doubt that pop up on and off the mat. Being a yes means that when a teacher says try on tripod headstand, instead of telling myself I’m incapable, I look for what I am capable of doing. I can get my head to the mat and my arms in the correct position. I can work towards getting my hips over my shoulders. I can try every time to pull knees to my triceps. If I fall, so what? Being a yes means being open to the process and the experience.
We love having Baely as a practitioner at 502 PY and see big things for her future in our community. Thank you for sharing and inspiring us through your yoga practice!
Check out Baely’s work at her Wedding Coordinator Facebook page.
by Becca Washer
As a Forecastle first-timer, I was relieved to find that I was quite prepared thanks to poses and skills learned at 502PY. While it was melt-your-face-off hot out there, we’re all pretty used to that at 502PY! Here are some things that made it a little bit of an easier weekend:
1. Being Used to the Heat – Seriously, it was hot. Triple-digit heat indexes are more brutal than a hot yoga class, but my body did seem to handle the heat remarkably well. I am used to sweat and how to stay comfortable when soaked to the bone during a double-header 502PY session. Sports bras, yoga tanks, and the well known french braid-yoga bun were the high fashion of the weekend. As an added bonus, for those of you who have completed Teacher Training or Hands on Assisting, you know what it is like to compound sweat on top of sweat.
2. Tadasna – I dance like a college girl who’s had one too many at the bar. Hands-up all the time. My mountain pose dancing game is strong, next time we’re in a Friday Flow together you’ll see.
3. Forward Folds – All the standing, dancing, and backpack wearing can start to take its toll on your lower back, I found the occasional forward fold to help release any pressure building up at the base of my spine. Best done where you butt is not directly in front of someone…but to each their own!
4. Utkatasana (Chair Pose) – While Forecastle is one of the cleanest events I’ve been to, every girl knows the chair pose squat is helpful in a porta-potty.
5. Waterfall – While this pose probably got me quite a few stares, I can guarantee it was nowhere near the strangest thing people saw at the Waterfront. When your feet are swollen from walking (dancing) all day, find a clear spot, lay down, put your makeshift block (water bottle) under your hips and send your feet to the sky. Your feet and back will thank you. Or at least it will give those passing by a good chuckle.
6. Drinking Water – I used to live on coffee and diet coke, then came my love of hot yoga and something had to give. My body requires a steady stream of hydration to make up for all the sweat lost on my mat each week, and Forecastle just upped the ante. Provided with free water fill-up stations, there was no reason to go dehydrated, my wallet and body thank you Forecastle and Kynect!
7. Community – Thanks to my 502PY connections, I not only received the opportunity to attend Forecastle (thanks, Kristen and LIBA!), but I was never without a friendly face. From the people I worked with, to those I met randomly in crowds and lines, the community of 502PY was deep and wide in the Forecastle sea.
A day at Forecastle was just like a practice filled day at the studio but with a little more heat, a lot more sun, and (of course) some bourbon.
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