Meredith is bursting with inspiration, buoyancy and genuinity. Her teaching style is delicate and a dance between effort and ease. She creates a playful space for people to push themselves to new realms of possibility.
1. How long have you been teaching?
I've been teaching for 3.5 years. First in Oxford, then in London, now in LA!
2. What motivated you to start teaching and what have you learnt from teaching?
When I first moved to LA, I had never done yoga. I wrote a yoga rap parody, Namaste, Bitches, my 3rd day living here. By the end of the 6 months in LA, I had become my own parody and fell in love with yoga. I wanted to be able to share it as I started grad school at Oxford. I got certified and the rest is history! It's been such a great way to meet new people, hold space for others, and reflect on various other areas of my life that I had previously assumed were unrelated.
3. What is something that you have learnt from a fellow teacher?
My teachers there have taught me that it's not necessarily the fancy sequencing that's important. It's about creating a solid and simple foundation, moving slowly and intentionally, and then building on top of that. Before, I used to think that the more 'advanced' the posture, the more 'advanced' the practice. I've learned that it actually takes more mastery to hold and marinate in the simple poses than it does to get into more complicated postures.
4. How many times a week do you practice?
I practice every day. I either practice at Sweat Yoga (where I teach) or at home.
5. Who inspires your practice?
My favorite teachers have been Schuyler Grant (such smart sequencing that by the time I get to savasana, each muscle is completely relaxed and I drop into an intense full-body slumber!), Layna Daykin (not only are her classes so thorough and fun, but she's also given me feedback that has taken my teaching to the next level), and Bryan Kest (I love how he speaks in rhyme sometimes).
6. Why is it necessary for you to practice?
I'm a runner with an overactive mind. If I don't practice, my mind goes crazy and my joints feel much more achy. Practicing grounds me back into my body and makes me feel more open and aware of the magic of the present moment.
7. What message do you like to spread through teaching?
A lot of people say "oh I can't do yoga because I'm not flexible enough... I'm not patient enough,"... etc. I love yoga because it teaches us that with a little focus and breath, we can get our bodies to do incredible, unimaginable things that push our perception of who we thought we were. I like to remind people in my classes that yoga is truly mind over matter and the more you focus your intention, the more you are able to bring change from dreams to reality.
8. Where are you currently teaching?
I teach at Sweat Yoga on Monday and Wednesday nights in Playa Vista at 8.15. I also occasionally do yoga events. I recently did an event with Bumble where I led a yoga class and then we had a storytelling event after.
9. How has yoga helped your character develop?
It's made me a more patient person. It has reminded me that we are all on a journey to seek happiness and become our best selves. It's helped me treat myself and others with more understanding and compassion.
10. What has kept you practicing all these years?
I continue to practice because it keeps pushing me to evolve into my best self while grounding me and connecting me to others who are also on their journey to become their best selves.
11. What would you tell your self when you started teaching yoga?
Simplify your sequences. Align people from the ground up. Move slow and don't rush the flow!
12. What are the best ways to start teaching at a yoga studio?
Show up at a studio that you love. Learn the teachers there. Ask for their advice on your teaching. Once you're a regular there, ask the studio manager if you can audtion for the sub list. Humility and enthusiasm are key.
13. Why is breath so important in your practice?
Breath is the thing in yoga that keeps my mind from drifting into the stratosphere. It infuses every inch of my body with presence. It makes me feel grounded.
14. What is your FB name? IG name and twitter?
@merclairemethod/ facebook.com/meredithbaker07
@mer.claire