Baron Baptiste - 40 Days to Personal Revolution

FIRESIDE

Rockefeller Center

1230 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10020

www.SimonandSchuster.com

Copyright 2004 by Baptiste Power Yoga Institute, Inc.

All rights reserved,

including the right of reproduction

in whole or in part in any form.

This Fireside Edition 2004

FIRESIDE and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Designed by Ruth Lee-Mui

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3

Library of Congress Cataioging-in-Publication Data is available.

ISBN 0-7432-2759-X

0-7432-2783-2 (Pbk.)

ISBN-13: 978-0-74322-783-4
eISBN-13: 978-0-74325-390-1

This publication contains the opinions and ideas of its author. It is intended to provide helpful and informative material on the subjects addressed in the publication. It is sold with the understanding that the author and publisher are not engaged in rendering medical, health, or any other kind of professional services in the book. The reader should consult his or her medical, health, or other competent professional before adopting any of the suggestions in this book or drawing inferences from it.

The author and publisher specifically disclaim all responsibility for any liability, loss, or risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents of this book.

This book is dedicated to
Luke, Jacob, and Malachi.

PART ONE
The Laws of Transformation: The Foundation of Your Revolution

PART TWO
The Transformative Journey: 40 Days to Personal Revolution

PART THREE
After the Revolution:The Daily Practices for Living an Awakened Life

Thank you to my literary agent, Ling Lucas. Thank you to Magana Baptiste, Jesse Peterson, Robert Traynor, and Coeli Marsh. I thank Debra Goldstein, my brilliant wordsmith (and good friend). To Ken Rosen for his insights and input into the principles of sound nutrition.

To Caroline Sutton, whose experienced eye and commitment to excellence brought all of the components of this book together.

Once again a heartfelt thanks to Richard Corman, who shot the photographs in this book with skill and an eye for excellence. Also thank you to Richards assistants, Peter Chin and Jackson Lynch, and to Caroline Bradley. To Nadja Jenkins for sharing her joy-filled yoga practice in the pictures of this book

A huge thank-you to Ken Browning for his ongoing support, guidance, and expertise in making this and many other projects a reality. To Mark Aronchik and David Pudlin: your unending insight and guidance has been a blessing. To Jim Meade for his expertise and experienced opinion.

To my entire teaching team at the Baptiste Power Yoga Institutes and our affiliate studios around the world who diligently carry forth this powerful work and maintain the integrity of the vision. Your contribution is self evident. I salute you.

Thank you to the whole team of behind-the-scenes folks at Simon & Schuster, who worked day and night to complete this book, especially Christine Lloreda, Laurie Cotumaccio, Debbie Model, Marcia Burch, and Cherlynne Li.

I am very grateful to my loyal and steadfast managers at BPYI offices, who faithfully work day in and day out in order to bring me to Bootcamps and workshops all over the world that are overflowing with enthusiastic students. To Vyda Bielkus, who remains constantly committed to the vision that what we are doing does make a difference and that by helping our community grow to new levels, we grow as people.

And most of all, thanks to every person who has read Journey into Power, attended my classes, workshops, and/or followed a video or CD and shared with me and/or others the powerful testimony of the value this work has had in their lives. Their support for this work means more to me than I could possibly put into words.

And most importantI thank God.

Purity of life is the highest and truest art.

GANDHI

WHAT IS A PERSONAL REVOLUTION, AND WHY DO WE NEED ONE?

MANY OF US ARE SEARCHING WITHOUT KNOWING EXACTLY WHAT we are looking for. Some of us go on a diet to lose weight and try all kinds of programs and workshops to make ourselves feel better, or perhaps we throw ourselves into our work and seek wealth and status to fill the void, but underneath, an emotional emptiness remains. No matter how much we try to gloss over that yearning with temporary fixes, it is still there, whispering the truth: that what we need isnt another quick fix, but a rather a rebirtha whole-life revolution.

When I was born, my parents Yoga and Health Centerthe first of its kind in San Franciscowas already well established. Famous yogis would come and stay at our home, and we would go to India often for research. Because I was always around yoga, I just kind of picked it up by osmosis. As an adult, it became a natural way of life for me, and for years it seemed as though I was either studying under a guru, practicing yoga, or teaching.

But as I acknowledged in Journey into Power, at a certain point I felt as though the yoga process was failing me. What was supposed to produce miracles in my life just wasnt. Without realizing it, I had bought into the notion that something outside myself could fix me. The practices were calming me down a bit on the surface, but they were not enough. Something deep down was still missing. Perhaps my body was healthy, but my soul felt empty. My relationships werent really working, and in many ways, my life felt futile. I knew I needed something more.

Many of us reach this point, yet somehow we get good at masking it. When someone asks us how we are doing, we automatically say, Really great... things are so good ... no complaints, but the truth underneath says differently. Eventually we cant fake being healthy or spiritual or pretend that everything is just fine any longer, and we either land in an emotional fetal position, ask for help, or both.

In my most desperate moment, from somewhere deep in my soul, I asked God for help. I had heard the phrase Ask and ye shall receive, knock and the door of your mind will open, but it took a humbling emotional pain to understand what that really meant. I asked and I knocked, and as promised, a door was opened. It didnt swing open, as I had hoped; it barely cracked an inch. However, it was as though I were living in a dark room and that tiny crack in the door provided me with the light I needed to see the truth. I finally started to see that real health means wholeness on all levels and a deep and true connection to what is most sacred: the truth within our hearts. I realized that in order for my life to really change, I needed to be willing to surrender all the parts of myself for transformation. It wasnt enough to just work my body and my life on the surface; I needed to look within, take responsibility for my own path, and completely overhaul everything from the inside out.

Once I woke up and really got it that I couldnt just throw myself into the mechanics of the practice without also seeking wholeness and expect to feel better, I began to see the real gifts yoga can offer. In the end, yoga is not a magic cure-all, but the way it challenges our bodies, moves our stuck emotional energy, clears our mind, and inspires us to seek and live in truth can be a catalyst for amazing growth. The style of yoga I practice and teach, which I call Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga, is ultimately a system of physical, mental, and spiritual awakening that integrates the whole person, on every level.