Haley Bevers
Haley first became interested in yoga during college. She realized that much of her strength came from within and yoga was the way to connect to her true self.
After college, Haley pursued a professional career in financial planning. As a Certified Financial Planner, CFP®, Haley spends time assisting clients in obtaining “financial health.” Haley started to notice a common theme among clients. It was important for clients to feel empowered and at ease with their financial decisions. It became obvious that people desire to feel this way in every aspect of life. Yoga provides the tools for empowerment, peace, and strength.
Haley began to realize happiness was a choice, which in turn, made suffering an option. It was the grace of God, and the practice of yoga that brought freedom to her life. The immense healing experienced physically, emotionally, and spiritually set Haley free.
About her Experience....
I still remember the first time on my mat. It felt like home. I just didn't want to leave....I was hooked!
I then moved to the Dallas area spending time in both Dallas and Ft. Worth, TX. I am grateful and fortunate to have trained with amazing yoga instructors. I also had the privilege of practicing many styles of yoga such as Ashtanga, Hatha, Vinyasa, Kripalu, and Bikram, but I kept coming back to a Vinyasa class.
After moving to Ft. Worth I found Indigo Yoga, a Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga Affiliate Studio. This was it! I really opened up and started to live from a more sound place. I had a complete shift in perception and my life changed in a powerful way. This studio inspired me to teach yoga and I pursued my knowledge of Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga.
In 2009, I attended the BPVY Level 1 Teacher Training and in 2010, I attended BPVY Level 2 Teacher Training. I am a Certified Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga and certified with Yoga Alliance as RYT 200 Hour.
My intention is to bring light to my students' lives and empower them on and off the mat. Students leave my class feeling not only challenged, but also loved and nurtured. I want to create a sense of hope and possibility for my students. I come to my mat often for power, healing and comfort.
Yoga brings me peace, rest, strength, and most importantly love! Baron always says "Put your prayers to poses," I couldn't agree more.
Julia Willingham
Julia is a Certified Baptiste Yoga teacher and third year medical student at Texas Tech. Her love affair with yoga began at a Baptiste studio in Ft. Worth in 2008 and has been going strong ever since.
"My practice begins on the yoga mat and stretches into every part of my life. When I was interviewing for medical school, I would sit in the hallway and do ujjayi breathing to calm my nerves. Now, I use 'yoga breathing' as a tool any time I want to get out of my thoughts and just be in the present moment."
After completing Levels 1 and 2 teacher training with Baron Baptiste in 2009, Julia began teaching. She is especially grateful to her teachers; Baron, as well as Philip Urso and Brooke Hinkle, for their inspiration and guidance. (She is also very grateful for the many different styles of yoga pants, of which she can never seem to have enough.)
Hollee Baird
Hollee is a student at Texas Tech University majoring in Geology with a minor in Chemistry and has completed Level 1 teacher training under Baron Baptiste.
She first stepped onto the mat in her home town of Houston, Texas. Since that moment, her life has undergone a transformation physically, spiritually and emotionally.
“Not only has BPVY strengthened and toned my body, it has strengthened my mind and my spirit. I discovered my heart and soul through yoga. Today, I experience a level of peace and self-love I never thought to be possible. In yoga, there is no final destination, no mastering of the pose. Life is like that. Life is about recreation and staying in the moment, even when you don’t want to be there. Both yoga and life are a practice.”
Hollee decided to teach in order to give back to her students that which was so freely given to her by her teachers: confidence, serenity, and a sense of endless possibility both on and off the mat. “You can’t keep it without giving it back.”
While she is not at the Yoga Stand, Hollee enjoys long distance running, reading (J.R.R. Tolkien is her favorite), and spending time outdoors.
She is grateful to have found BPVY and hopes everyone has the opportunity to experience.
Stephanie Shatley
Stephanie was looking for something and wasn't sure what it was. She tried a popular home workout program in attempt to lose weight, certain that would solve her problems. She quickly realized that each week, she looked forward to the yoga day.
After the first breath, she felt calm. Stephanie did yoga for the physical workout, but had no idea how much her life would be impacted in all areas - yoga has a way of sneaking up on you and making you a better person. She started to abandon the TV workout, and exchanged it for a yoga studio - a community of people who shared her passion. She started to notice subtle changes at work and in relationships, "I was slower to anger, quicker to laugh." She was less stressed and her mind was clearer, she felt peaceful and happy. "On the mat, I learned to control my breathing, set my thoughts higher and reach for them. I was challenged to find my fullest expression and to change what I thought I knew about myself. When I made the correlation that the changes off the mat were directly impacted by my choices on the mat, I knew that yoga had become an integral part of my life."
She didn't realize she hadn't really breathed, or slept in years. She went from being tired, frustrated, and stressed to being inspired, energized, and whole. Headaches and migraines that had plagued her since childhood slowly began to disappear. She began communicating with God again and once again found joy in her spirituality. "Once you find something that lifts you up like that, you want to share it with anyone who will listen." She attended BPVY Level I teacher training in October 2011 and is grateful to share her passion in such a great community of yogis!
Through yoga she has found balance and connectedness of body, mind, and spirit. "I know that on my mat, I am me, wholly and completely and getting to treat each practice, each day, each moment in life as just that -practice - has made a profound impact on me. It's much easier to just let go and be kinder to yourself when you know it's just practice."
© 2012 The Yoga Stand, LLC