Archive for October 2015

What Baptiste Power Vinyasa Means To Me

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I consider myself extremely lucky to have started my yoga practice at a Baptiste power vinyasa studio (Breath and Body Yoga in Austin). I knew nothing about yoga or what to expect from the class. I showed up at the studio because I was tired of running and I'd heard Amanda Palmer reference 'power vinyasa' a few times. She's often naked and looks good in her skin, so I figured it might be worth checking out.

I brought my squishy pilates mat, not knowing it would turn into a sliding sponge as class progressed. I made it through that 90 minute class and kept coming back. The kind words spoken to the students to 'keep going', 'you can do it' were truly motivating. I got a thrill each time I noticed my own practice growing stronger. I didn't know Baron Baptiste from a hole in the ground, but man, I loved coming to BBY.

I call my mat time 'forced introspection'. I had been moving so fast through my own life, I never stopped to look around and ask myself if I was doing what I truly wanted. The truth was, I was not making conscious choices. I was going through the motions. This realization led me to some difficult decision making, and here I am today.

I have dropped in to many yoga studios as I travel and been disappointed with the sequencing, verbal alignment cues (or lack thereof), or general lack of enthusiasm by the yoga instructor. It was after traveling to other studios that I began to realize what a gem BBY is.

If I had not encountered a positive, physical, mental and emotional challenge on the mat (and all at the same time), I don't know that I would have stuck with it. Similarly, I don't know that the yoga asana alone would have had such a profound impact on me in such a positive way. 

emPOWER Hour - Embrace the Roller Coaster of Life

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My first teaching opportunity was for a 60 minute emPOWER Hour class. Here is the asana sequence and the play list for the class as well as an audio recording of the class.

I hope this is helpful to others who are practicing at home, or for other yoga teachers in training.

I blogged about this first class I taught, but linking to all of the supporting documentation is more relevant to this site. 

Audio file on bandcamp and mixcloud.


8tracks music playlist

This is the spreadsheet I made to figure out how long the class would end up being (and so I could edit it accordingly). 

 The reading was from Melody Beattie's Journey to the Heart for October 16th - Go for the Ride of Your Life
Sometimes things happen. Things we didn't expect. Things we didn't plan on. An event occurs that changes our life dramatically. The event may be good or bad, desirable or undesirable, fortunate or unfortunate. No matter how we describe it, its impact is the same. We step off our usual path and go for a roller coaster ride.
You may have begun a time of deep transformation, a journey chosen by your soul. Feel all you need to feel. Allow your thoughts to flow. Let your body shift as you go through the curves. Let yourself be transformed. Enjoy the ride, the entire experience, with all its twists and curves. Scream in fear. Cry out in joy. Laugh aloud with glee.



Why JenTechYoga?

4:35 PM 0 Comments A+ a-

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I had the idea to create this site along with all the additional content as I was graduating yoga teacher training from Jai Dee Yoga. I was tasked with describing what I would bring to yoga that does not already exist. I am good at making analogies to simplify complex technology concepts, so naturally I would apply that same skill towards creating a demystified yoga narrative.

 I plan to interweave my experiences as a tech support person into my yoga teaching narrative and share this with the vast IT community online. I hope to make some of you laugh as you nod your heads in agreement with the comparisons I'll make.

 This is just the beginning, but I plan to share music playlists, visual asana sequences as well as teach video classes. I hope that this blend of yoga and technology will intrigue some enough to begin their own home yoga practice, or advance their current practice.
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