Hello friends, 

I know that some of you have been waiting to hear from me, as you heard that I would be taking over the yoga studio in Lewiston. I understand that it took some time for me to reach out to you, but before I made any plans I wanted to come here to Lewiston, and teach in the space, and become more familiar with the real situation here first. 

Some of you do not know me, and I want to introduce myself. I am the person who opened LC Yoga Center on Main Street in Lewiston in March of 2008; this was the origin of traditional yoga in Lewiston as far as I know. I was in the paper, and on the news a few times. Among my first students were the teachers who founded Ashtanga Yoga Lewiston, and I still recognize these same blocks, straps, and bolsters, as they are remnants from the original studio.

My yoga background: 

I am a tenured student of master yoga teacher David Garrigues. David came to Lewiston multiple times after the original studio opened on Main Street, in support of me and the yoga community of the LC Valley. It is David who granted me the use of a resurrected old yoga school name; “Yoga Spirals”. I am very appreciative of my teacher and friend who has taught me so much about yoga and life, and strive to be as solid of a teacher and advisor as he has been for me for nearly 20 years.

My formal study of yoga includes graduation from the yoga teacher training program of the Ashtanga Yoga School of Seattle in 2007, as well as the study of yoga under several certified and authorized Ashtanga Yoga Teachers in the Western US including Tim Miller, Noah Williams, James Butkevich, Catherine Tisseront, Anne Finstad, Govinda Kai, Kevin Kimple, Allison Lewis, and others. I hold an E-RYT 500 (highest level of experienced yoga teacher) credential from Yoga Alliance and have been directing the yoga teacher training program (YA ID # 26861) that I graduated from, since 2012. I have been teaching for 20 years, and have over 10,000 documented hours of yoga teaching, practicing, and training. From 2014-2017, under the guidance of my teacher, I attained a masters degree in business, with a focus on developing sustainable yoga programs for small communities. You may find my full teaching resume here: https://yogaspirals.com/lukebaugh. 

Enough about me. Here is the brass tax: Lewiston is isolated when it comes to yoga, and there isn’t a lot of expert guidance here. It is difficult to maintain an authentic personal yoga practice in Lewiston, in my opinion. I want to acknowledge this because it takes a really solid effort to make yoga a centerpoint of your life anywhere, but it is even more difficult when there is a lack of resources. Since the pandemic especially, there has been a lot of social media hype around yoga’s exotic looking postures, and much less hype about understanding how to sustain a personal practice, or the discipline needed to be given those postures from a credible source. I get the sense that there is a little bit of “blind leading the blind” going on, as many inexperienced yoga teachers have trained other new teachers, without any connection to the lineage of traditional yoga. This is not the path of sustainability. It is very important that yoga is learned from a knowledgeable teacher, and typically it takes years of study before a student is ready to teach on their own. The art of yoga is not to be taken lightly by teachers; it is an ancient science of health, healing, and freedom, through which we can restore vitality, connection, and purpose. While yoga asanas (postures) may appear to be solely physical, the actual influence the practice has is mental and subconscious. 

Yoga is not a religion, it is a science of life that is perfectly compatible with any belief system. At the core of yoga is the insightful truth that we create much of our own suffering, and we alone have the means to change that (Yoga Sutra 2:15-16). The legendary yogi T. Krishnamacharya (the teacher of my teachers teacher) is the founder of modern yoga. Nearly all yoga practiced in the world came from Krishnamacharya, and this principle was one of the most clear directions he gave; yoga is not a religion. Yoga is in fact, the art of stilling the mind, as is written in Yoga Sutra 1:2. It is believed that a fettered mind wreaks havoc on all aspects of our lives, and the ability to discern reality accurately, the primary means to live happily (Yoga Sutra 2:26). Yesterday, while teaching class in Lewiston, a student said “I just love yoga”.... And it may very well be the case that yoga loves you too, as the only purpose for its existence is for you to live a better life. 

The theory of the lineage of Ashtanga Yoga is that we have at our fingertips the resources of thousands of years of practice, teaching, refinement, and knowledge of all past teachers and students. By practicing and teaching within the lineage we borrow from and give back to this pool of knowledge. There is no failure, no reason for regret, there is only the pure act of trying to overcome the most fundamental adversary; our own ignorance (Yoga Sutra 2:24). 

The unbroken transmission of knowledge from teacher to student has been in place since ancient times. Recently, archaeologists have discovered remnants of early yogis, dating back thousands of years, who practiced the same postures we do today. Their bodies were quite healthy, and unsurprisingly, they lived in peace. Yoga is an ancient science, and it behooves those of us in modern times to garner insights from a tradition that is thousands of years old. Notably, in modern times, not all people who call themselves yoga teachers have studied under an authentic teacher, or are a part of the evolving science of traditional yoga, and as a result, there is a great deal of confusion. Confusion, while sometimes unavoidable, is antithetical to the purpose of yoga. 

Some of what is being taught as yoga isn’t yoga at all, but is, as yoga teacher Pattabhi Jois called it, a “circus”. The lack of knowledge of real and authentic yoga has become a pretty big problem in the USA where thousands of people lay claim to being yoga teachers, without having spent the necessary time and dedication to study under a master. As a result we have injuries, scandals, and misguided students who develop pride and ego, rather than harmony and balance. Yoga may not be as serious as medicine, but there is no doubt that practicing incorrectly has consequences. Yoga can be very powerful if done correctly, but truly, it can also create problems if done incorrectly. 

I encourage you to practice yoga with a knowledgeable teacher, who understands both the traditions and the modern innovations of yoga practice. Even if you are learning from an apprentice, or learning from a less experienced person, it is important for your safety and development of your practice to continue to seek guidance from those who have been exposed to yoga in a way that is well researched and proven. It is my intention to preserve the space in downtown Lewiston as a place of authentic yoga methods. I invite you and ask for your inclusion in the practice of traditional yoga in the LC Valley. 

Luke Baugh, E-RYT 500. Director of Programs for Registered Yoga School #2686, Yoga Spirals.