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Students comments:
“What
a beautiful video [well-planned, thorough, challenging, perfectly
timed to have us take our time
with the practice]; its full of your beautiful presence. As a
practitioner you model yoga for us - but you teach us so
well: cueing, gentle yet instructive voice, attention to details.
You are a superb teacher.” Jennifer Lord
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 I was very excited this morning to get to do your video and it was excellent!
I appreciate all the shoulder warm ups at the beginning because that is
an area that takes some warming up in the morning and it helped a lot by
the time you get to the down dogs. Often if I move into Down Dog before
my shoulder are open it is difficult for me to hold that particular pose
and many videos get there a bit early for me ( and I've got about 55
yoga videos these days).
You include a LOT of variations of poses I've not seen and one of the
shoulder openers that reminded me of a Qigong stretch (between heaven
and earth). Really cool! .
It was tough also, I was definitely ready for Savasana and meditation
at the end:)
I particularly enjoyed the warrior sequence, the way you flow from
virabhadrasana 1, to 2, to the reverse warrior and then looking down
over the lower shoulder. That was awesome for me as it helped release my
neck which is another area of tightness for me.
What I also liked is that while it was VERY challenging all the poses
were possible for me, no leg behind the head poses which probably won't
happen for me in this particular lifetime:) That is something I appreciate about Baron's tapes also,
the challenging yet practical nature of the series on his tapes also.
Well, I could go on and on about your tape but I just wanted to thank
you for making it. It'll be a regular part of my home practice (which I
do every day).
I'll be looking for your next one!
Take care,
Scott F from Nashville
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 from Yoga Journal:
BAPTISTE POWER OF YOGA: SESSION I (INTERMEDIATE) with Sherri Baptiste Freeman
The Northwestern California Teacher Sherri Baptiste Freeman is
the daughter of the late Walt Baptiste, one of the pioneers of yoga in the United
States. She’s
put together an interesting and in some ways unique hour-long practice. The opening
standing sequence of about eight poses, which consists largely of arm and shoulder
stretches, includes a few poses. I’ve never seen before, or seen only in
rather obscure instructional manuals. (Take, for example a pose with the forearms
crossed in front of the torso and the hands tucked into the opposite-side armpits.
Though unnamed here, it’s sometimes called Breath Balancing Pose and is
meant to balance the flow of breath throughout the nostrils.) This warm-up is
followed by the heart of the practice, a long sequence of familiar standing poses,
interspersed with baby backbends like Locust and Bow. Next come belly strengtheners
like Full Boat and “yoga sit-ups,” a reclining twist, Bridge and
an optional Upward Bow (here called Wheel), a groin stretch, a short (three minutes)
relaxation, and a concluding seated meditation.
This is a steadily paced,
dynamic, and deceptively challenging practice. Baptiste Freeman has a nice way
with words, her instructions
are both physically specific and imaginatively inspiring, and she’s
a sure-footed model. I would have liked to hear more from her about
the benefits of the poses, especially those unusual exercises performed
during the opening sequence...this is a well-conceived and executed
session for experienced beginners and beyond.
YOGA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE
2003
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from 'Yoga Research and Education Center':
Review of the Baptiste Power of Yoga Video
Sherri Baptiste Freeman. Baptiste Power of Yoga: Session I [Intermediate].
Video. Mill Valley, Calif..Coyote Productions (http://www.powerofyoga.com),
2002. Tel:888-804-9642. 60 min. $20. Reviewed by Richard Rosen
Sherri
Baptiste Freeman is the daughter of the late Walt Baptiste, one of
the pioneers of American Yoga. This hour-long program moves
along at a steady pace and is a good deal more challenging that it
seems at first glance.
The sequence begins with a series of eight
standing poses, mostly simple arm and shoulder stretches, a few of
them rather unusual.
For instance, there is a pose called "Earth Seal' (prithivi-mudra),
neither of which are typically included in videos of this kind. I
was impressed to find them here. The body of the practice then consists
of a long series of familiar standing poses, with baby back bends
(such as a locust set). The third section of the sequence ends the
practice with belly strengthener, a reclining twist, bridge pose
and upward bow (urdhva-dhanur-asana, here called the wheel), a groin
stretch, a three minute relaxation, and a one-minute sitting meditation.
Baptiste, as you would expect from her background, is an excellent
teacher and model. Her instructions are both physically exact and
spiritually uplifting. I feel she could have paid more attention
to explaining the benefits of the postures, though perhaps since
the practice is directed at intermediate students, who probably know
their way around an asana, she did not feel that was necessary.
Overall this is a fine presentation for all experienced students.
Richard Rosen- Contributing Editor Jan/April 2003
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See
my recommended list of