Baptiste Yoga is a powerful vinyasa-style yoga practice founded by Master Yoga teacher Walt Baptiste and made popular by his son Baron Baptiste. Vinyasa yoga focuses on the connection between the breath and the poses in a prescribed sequence. Vinyasa yoga builds cardio endurance and strength, and increases flexibility. Because of the fast movement and constant attention to breath, the body heats up fast, burning calories and raising the heart rate to an aerobic level. Baptiste Yoga is taught in rooms heated to between 90 and 105 degrees Fahrenheit with added humidity. This causes excess water weight and some toxins to be lost through sweat, though most of the water will be replaced once you rehydrate.
Drink plenty of water during class or at-home practice so you do not overheat. Sweating is good for you, but you still need to replenish your body's fluids. Bring a towel and a sticky yoga mat to class to help prevent slipping. Wear athletic yoga clothing to wick away moisture.
Always consult your physician before beginning a heated yoga practice. Do not practice in a heated room if you are sensitive to heat.
Step 1
Find a studio with a schedule where you can attend class three to six days a week for Baptiste Yoga, or use Baptiste Power Yoga DVDs. According to the Baptiste Institute, three days will show results, but five to six days a week will show greater, more dramatic results.
Step 2
Make it part of your routine. The more consistently you practice, the more it becomes a habit and the more likely you are to lose weight and maintain weight loss.
Step 3
Practice once a day for the best benefits. If you practice more than once, you may become dehydrated, and your muscles won't have time to recover for the next day's class.
Step 4
Participate in the full-length class (75 to 90 minutes), which provides a warm-up, vigorous physical practice of the vinyasa sequence, stretching, and cool-down. All of these aspects combined help to burn fat, build muscles, and increase flexibility.
Step 5
Replicate the studio environment when you practice at home by turning your thermostat up to 90 degrees F and increasing humidity, if possible.
Tips
Warnings
References
- Journey Into Power; Baron Baptiste
- Yoga Journal: Yoga Methodology: Losing It
- The Cornell Daily Sun: The Health Benefits of Practicing Yoga
Resources
Tips
- Drink plenty of water during class or at-home practice so you do not overheat. Sweating is good for you, but you still need to replenish your body's fluids. Bring a towel and a sticky yoga mat to class to help prevent slipping. Wear athletic yoga clothing to wick away moisture.
Warnings
- Always consult your physician before beginning a heated yoga practice. Do not practice in a heated room if you are sensitive to heat.
Writer Bio
Jessi Andricks is a yoga teacher, personal trainer, and group fitness instructor. Andricks is also a certified green living expert and Health Coach. She combines her expertise in these areas of to help people learn to live healthy, energetic lives.