Brandon Compagnone
Naima Workman
Chris Lucas
Sarah Briggs
I grew up in Milford, MA, and currently live in Easthampton with my two dogs. I went to school at
U-Mass Amherst for Psychology, and ended up in Boston selling real estate.I started studying Goju-Ryu Karate at my father's karate school at the age of five. I focused on karate for the next 12 years and around the age of 16 I began to play music and fell in love with wrestling. Suffering injuries from living the life of a wrestler I became numb. My interest in music gave way to my desire to be a wrestler. After seven years on the wrestling mat, suffering through many injuries, I became aware that the suffering I was experiencing, I had brought upon myself. A ray of light broke though.
When the pain became unbearable, I returned to the yoga mat, this time I left out the competition and violence. I landed mysteriously in the Baptiste studio in Boston. My first class was like returning to a long lost love. That is the day I reclaimed my life and remembered my work. I continued to practice day in and day out through the emotional and physical pain I was experiencing. By and by the pain was transformed from an obstacle to a stepping stone for a new attitude toward life. I was no longer the victim. I wanted to be a warrior, a creator.
After practicing nearly every day for four years, I wanted to share what I had discovered. I was fortunate enough to get great mentorship from my teacher, Baron Baptiste and lucky enough to be honored as a Master Teacher in his style. I'm so excited to be in Northampton. I built an amazing studio where people are invited to transform their lives. My purpose is simple: to serve. There is no place in the world I would rather be right now than here in Northampton. I make a commitment to give to the students what has been given to me. I look forward to seeing you in class.
I arrived at my first Baptiste Power Yoga class in 2002 looking for a new way to stay in shape, and instead I found a whole new outlook on life.
I started running long distance when I was 11 and enjoyed the physical challenge and the success, but did not enjoy the injuries that left me limping by the end of high school. When I went to college at Harvard, my physical discipline went out the window. Needless to say, by the time I graduated, my mind was overloaded and my body was neglected.
When I first encountered Baptiste Yoga in Boston, I felt like I had discovered a home I didn’t know existed. Although it kicked my butt (and still continues to do so!), I felt invigorated in mind and body. As I continued to practice, I realized that I had to share my discovery and I embarked on my journey to become a certified teacher. I've trained extensively with Baron Baptiste since 2006 and am a Certified Baptiste Teacher. In 2008, I uprooted my life and put new roots down in Northampton to cofound Shiva Shakti Power Yoga with Brandon Compagnone, which has been the most amazing learning experience of my life.
In my classes, I encourage students to challenge themselves sensitively and to discover the tools they need to explore on their own. I look at teaching as just another step as a student and aim to share my experiences of growth and discovery on my path.
When I’m not in class, I’m usually playing guitar, hanging out in the woods, or cooking good food.
Chris Lucas
In 2006, I walked into Baron Baptiste’s Cambridge, MA studio and essentially never left. In a short time, I went from enjoying the physical benefits of occasional practice to developing a dedicated daily practice incorporating all eight limbs of yoga. For two years, I served as an assistant in the Baptiste studios in Boston, providing hands-on assists to encourage students’ physical and mental exploration and transformation. An active student of Baron Baptiste, I am honored to be a part of the Baptiste community as a Certified Baptiste Power Vinyasa Teacher.
In addition to my Baptiste Yoga Training, I spent months training with the incomparable Natasha Rizopoulos of YogaWorks. With these dual influences, my intention is to create a powerful experience for all that is invigorating and opening, inviting every student to drop perceived limitations and enjoy new possibilities in their practice and life off the mat.
I began my yoga journey through books and videos in the mid-1990s. I had an established Zen meditation practice, and found in yoga an excellent complement to sitting. An avid athlete until I broke my leg in a ski accident, I began to do more yoga to fill that gap in my life. I took classes in Salt Lake City and Ketchikan, Alaska and finally got inside a Baptiste studio after moving to Massachusetts in 2007. I was thrilled when Shiva Shakti opened its doors, and have practiced here regularly ever since. Baptiste Power Yoga challenges my body, mind and spirit; it keeps me grounded and connects me with deep, universal truths.
I completed Level 1 Teacher Training with Baron Baptiste in 2009, and in 2012, I did a 200-hour teacher training with Rolf Gates. I’m excited and grateful to have the opportunity to teach at Shiva Shakti so I can share my passion for yoga and deepen my commitment to my own practice through serving others. I intend to create a space where my students can experience the health, joy and vitality that arise from a committed yoga practice, and where we can join together in compassionate connection to ourselves and the world.
I have played violin since I was six, have degrees in violin performance from the Eastman school of Music and The University of Texas, and have enjoyed a career as a symphonic and chamber musician since 1985. I teach violin at Amherst and Smith Colleges and perform extensively in the area.
