Drishti is Sanskrit for sight. Where you rest your gaze can shift your balance. When you are focused on where you're gazing, all the distractions around you drop away and you become unmessable with. Set your sight on what you want to have happen and be for it. Seeing your future with your mind's eye is the first step to bringing that future into reality.

Ujjayi is Sanskrit for breath. It is described as ocean breath, victorious breath or even Darth Vader breath (because that's also what he sounds like when he's breathing). It is done by inhaling through your nose and slightly constricting the back of your throat as you exhale through your nose. This audible breath allows your mind to quiet as you focus your attention on hearing the sound of your own breath. Yoga with Adrienne has a great video demonstrating ujjayi breathing.

Fun fact: Ujjayi breathing increases the levels of nitric oxide in your noses and sinuses. Higher nitric oxide levels, the less inflammation in your nasal cavity. This means fewer headaches, allergies, and colds. Another way to increase the level of nitric oxide in your sinuses is humming!

Bandhas is Sanskrit for body locks. Body locks refer to the areas of the body where we can pull in, or hug in the body to engage muscle energy. In Baptiste Yoga, this is often referred to as "Core, Hands and Feet". 

The Bandhas:

• Hasta Bandha, contraction of the hands - pulling energy up into the body
• Pada Bandha, contraction of the feet - pulling energy up into the body
• Mula Bandha, contraction of the perineum - similar to stopping the flow of urine
• Uddiyana bandha, contraction of the abdomen into the rib cage - pulling the belly button into the spine
• Jalandhara Bandha, tucking the chin close to the chest - lengthens the back of the neck.

Tapas is derived from the root Sanskrit verb 'tap' which means 'to burn'. Baptiste Yoga is practiced in a heated room (90F/32.2C) to bring about tapas. The heat helps to melt away layers of resistance and get you out of your comfort zone. As your sweat becomes something you notice, the opportunity arises to use it as a way to stay centered and present in the moment. The skills you cultivate in your yoga practice help you to stay patient and present when your life heats up off the mat.

Vinyasa is derived from the Sanskrit term nyasa, which means "to place," and the prefix vi, "in a special way". Often Vinyasa is used as a shorthand reference to moving through the following poses: Chaturanga > Upward Facing Dog > Downward Facing Dog. Vinyasa is also the flow we move through as we make our way through the Journey Into Power sequence on our mats. We flow (vinyasa) and are also intentional about creating the physical foundation of the pose from one pose to the next.

• Letter of Recommendation (from Affiliate Studio owner or direct supervisor recommending you to apply for Baptiste Certification)
• Documentation of your yoga practice for a minimum of either 1 year or 100 yoga classes (a letter from a yoga teacher or studio can serve as documentation)
• I used my student visit history from Mindbody Online. I copied the text on the screen and then pasted it into a Word document.
• Documentation of your teaching of the Journey Into Power sequence for a minimum of either 1 year or 100 yoga classes. A letter or email from my employer or my name published on a teaching schedule can serve as documentation.
• I've been recording my teaching dates into a Google Spreadsheet, so I copied that data into a Word document.
• Write a 1-2 page essay on why you have chosen to teach Baptiste Yoga and how this methodology speaks to you.
• Write one paragraph on the following points. Be concise, specific and not conceptual.
• The Who:
• As a Certified Teacher of Baptiste Yoga do you see yourself as a contribution to others? The/your community? To the world?
• The What:
• In your being a contribution, what is the promise you are making to yourself, the/your community and to Baptiste Yoga?
• What is the contribution to your practice, your teaching and your life that you are committed to realizing through teaching Baptiste Yoga?
• The How:
• How do you see yourself using Baptiste Yoga (in and out of the classroom) to fulfill on being a contribution?
• If you were to get certified, write your professional and public bio in 100-200 words.
• Film your teaching.
• Video requirements: The class must be 60-90 minutes in length. Do not play any music during any part of your class. The recording must include your entire class from start to finish.
• Position the camera to be able to see most of the room and you clearly (including full bodies and faces of the students). Ensure that your voice can be heard clearly and that the room is lit appropriately to be seen in the video.
• The sequence must be consistent with the flow as presented in Journey Into Power.
• Upload unlisted video to YouTube.
• Complete a self-evaluation of my teaching as seen in my video.
• Physicalness
• Direct awareness to the physical body & speak physical point to physical point. Speak to the form, alignment and action of the pose.
• Empowerment
• Look, Listen, Give Tools
  (Look for and speak to what is missing. Speak into each and every. Leave people in their own greatness.)
  Reasoning & time-stamped examples
• Possibility & 3 Themes of Baptiste Yoga
• Draw the parallels between physicality and being.
• Speak to the three themes: Be A Yes, Drop What You Must, You Are Ready Now. Come from we are all connected. Create inspiration.
• Note specifically when and where you see a physical and energetic result or possibility embodied by your students as a result of your instruction.
• Use of True North Alignment & The 5 Organizing Principles of Baptiste Yoga.
  Earth, Fire, Water, Air, Space:
• Which elements were most present in your teaching?
• When and in what parts of your class were they the most present?
• Conversely, what elements were missing?
• When and in what parts of your class were they needed? 
• When and where did you specifically speak to True North Alignment?
• Did you exemplify True North in your body language and voice (articulation, emphasis, filling the space)?
• Are you intentional in your teaching and do you cue your students to practice intentionally? 
• Do you teach with balanced action - relaxed and firm?
• Do you speak to internal and external rotation, total body integrity and total body expression? Where and how?
• Use of 5 pillars of Baptiste yoga: Drishti, Ujjayi, Foundation, Vinyasa, Tapas
• How did the class flow, and what was the effect of the breath on the class and the tempo?
• Too much cueing? Not enough? Missing entirely? Effective and united? 
• Was your teaching forward moving and in line with the Journey Into Power sequence?
• Did the energy of your class match up with the energy of the sequences - producing heat and a consistent flow?
• The energy of the class matched the energy of the sequences, the students produced a lot of heat and flowed from the beginning to the end of the class.
• Did you presence the 5 pillars throughout the entire class?
• Demonstration & Assisting
• When used, were they an extension of your teaching?
• Were they direct, clear and powerful?
• Were your hands an extension of your words in delivering your cues?
• Were you visible to your whole class during any demonstrations?
• Essential Language
• Where did you notice when you were speaking from a script?
• When were you speaking to what was actually happening in the room?
• Did you see your words and in the bodies and hearts of your students?
• Did you notice use of filler words (like, um, and then) or cues that felt scripted?
• Did you cue more than needed, just right or not enough to make an impact right now on your students’ experience?
• Overall Effectiveness
• In 500 words or less
• If you felt your class and teaching were effective, briefly describe what did you do that caused you to be effective?
• If you felt your class and teaching were ineffective, what did you do that caused you to be ineffective?
• Speak to your connection to your students.
• What new blind spots are you getting present to in your teaching as a result of your self-evaluation?
• If you were to put in what was missing, what would your teaching look like?
• Describe how this will give you access to what is now possible in your teaching.