If You Build It, They Will Come

Power Flow… Power Flow is my favorite style of yoga. It was the style that I first trained in when I took my first Yoga Teacher Training, and it is the first style that I felt confident to start teaching with.

Now that I’ve moved forward in my career and am now in a position to observe, give feedback, and teach new instructors, I realize how difficult this style is to teach. Power Vinyasa Flow Yoga is a powerful, energetic form of yoga where students quickly flow from one pose to the next while connecting their breathing to their movements. This type of yoga is often taught in a heated studio which makes it a challenging cardiovascular and strength based style of yoga. There are many names for this type of yoga including Power Flow or Baptiste Flow.

That being said, it is difficult to teach, and it is often one of the more difficult classes for members to participate in. The breath, the flow, the movement, the heat, it all challenges you in different ways. In great ways but definitely challenging ways. Even though I always offer modifications and options, new students can feel overwhelmed or intimidated by this class. It is a full body work out, and some people don’t realize when they come to “yoga” that it could actually be this challenging. This is another reason that I love this style. It not only challenges our bodies, but it also challenges our way of thinking. Typically, there is a general structure that is followed for what some think of in a Power Flow class, but at the same time, there is a lot of variation, challenges, and so many different options to keep members on their toes and get them to work out in a way different than many others.

I’m so proud that last week, I packed the room with my Power Flow class. Our studio is still relatively new, and this class is definitely one of the more difficult on the schedule, therefore some people avoid it. Typically the only classes that get over 30 people in the room are the slow relaxing deep stretch classes. But not today… Today my Power Flow class had over 30 people the room and I couldn’t be more grateful! It takes me back to my first yoga teacher training. We were told to be true. To be authentic to who you are. Some people will love it and some won’t. You can’t make everyone happy. But… If you put the real you in to your classes, you will attract the people who are meant to be in your classes. Here it is…. The moment when my people showed up for me. I’ve been waiting patiently for years for this to happen. I put my heart in to all of my classes. Many of my classes fill up, but there is something a little bit extra special about this one. This one is hard. This one is easy for people to walk away from or be afraid of, but not this group, not on this day. They all put their hearts in to it and worked hard. They took the challenge and they left everything behind them on their mats.

This is a moment I’ll be truly grateful for. I built this…..