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A Tribute to Magana Baptiste

11/15/2016

5 Comments

 
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I was deeply saddened when I recently learned of the passing of Magana Baptiste in May. Magana and her husband Walt were my teachers and inspiration for nearly five years, long before yoga gained its current popularity.

When I first moved to San Francisco in 1960, I noticed a huge sign in an upstairs studio that simply said YOGA. These four letters stood out like a beacon of light in the center of The City. After driving by this sign for two years, I finally found the energy, with baby on my back, to climb the seemingly endless staircase to enroll in Yoga classes taught by Magana and Walt. I did not know at the time that they would change the course of my life.

The classes were taught in a dark room with dim lights and candles. Soft inspirational music could be heard in the background as students with eyes closed propelled themselves through breath, effortlessly into asana. The classes were a marvel. It seemed as if we were in a continual meditative state no matter what the body was doing.

Magana taught Yoga and dance throughout her pregnancy with Baron Baptiste. She maintained her fitness and beauty during her pregnancy and over the years. She was like a Goddess in the way she brought dignity, grace, fluidity and beauty to everything she did. When she invited me to join her Middle Eastern dance troupe, I was honored and excited to accept, in hopes that some of the grace she exuded would spill over onto me.

The Baptiste’s were truly pioneers of Yoga in America. They were both students of Swami Sivananda in India who, through his disciples, populated Yoga here in this country. Together, Magana and Walt brought the mysticism of the East to this continent in an era when many confused Yoga with Yoghurt!

The Baptistes taught tirelessly throughout the years and expanded their work when Yoga became increasingly popular. Their methodology brought the students in closer contact with the inner Self, emphasizing the importance of the subtle body and the direct experience of Union with the Divine.

It is said in the scriptures of Yoga, that great souls are born into the family of Yogis. According to the Bhagavad Gita (chapter six):

“one of the best births, though difficult to attain, is to be reborn into a family of yogis”

Now the Baptiste children, Sherri Baptiste Freeman, Devi Ananda Baptiste, and Baron Baptiste carry on their parent’s work in ever-increasing, creative ways.

Magana and Walt gave me a powerful foundation of deeper Yoga that sustained years of exploration into other methodologies. Now I find students and teachers coming full circle to experience the breath and spirituality in asana rather than separating them from one another.

Even though Magana’s presence will be greatly missed on this earth plane, she and Walt have left an unending legacy of Yoga that will inspire many generations to come.
For this I am eternally grateful.

Rama Jyoti
​

For more about Magana and Walt Baptiste see the following websites:  
http://www.shareguide.com/Baptiste.html
http://www.powerofyoga.com/history/history.htm

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5 Comments
Patricia
5/14/2018 10:53:32 am

I was deeply sorry to hear of the passing of Magana. I was her student for a brief period in San Francisco (1980) and was truly uplifted by the experience. May her energy and passion be carried on through her passion.

Reply
Patricia
5/18/2018 05:02:43 pm

Sorry, I meant carried on through her children.

Reply
Caassandra Wimbs link
8/20/2021 11:46:27 pm

I just leanrws of her ancestor hood also mme. magana and Ihad financial and social, she triedmto support me when I had the car accidednt. I can;t dNCE NOW FOR KNEES ARE JAMMED. WHAAT A LOSS REPORT THIS TO DAM\NCE EDIT/ AND FI.MMASON,
iWOULD LIKE TO SETTLE WITHbACK TO eQYPT AND THE VIDOES
OF ME. WE WERE FRIENIDSHIP FORCE TOGETHER. AND SHE
SHE HAD MEW TO BE A JUDGED AT ONE OF HER COMTEWST.
teLL THE DANCERS THAT THE REACH FESTIVVAK AT KENNEDY CENTER IS COMMING UP.IIN DC.,i BELIEVE SHE HASA A PROCLIMATION THAT i WROTE/i KNOW THAT i NOMINATED HER FOR NATIONAL DANXCE MUSWUM HALL OF FAMER. i KNIW THAT SHE USEED THE n QWORD FOR MKE.
SHE MWAS SSTILLONE OF THE GREATSS. i WOM'T CRY.SHE WOULD WAMTPEOPLE TO REJOICE INTHE LIFE THAT SHE LIVED.

Reply
Caassandra Wimbs link
8/22/2021 10:31:42 pm

greetingsii want to know did she sufferd. I made her rich and the dance left me poor.. how old was sshe. where was she buried. Ihope
she wasn;r lonely. Ws it suddden I will pray fpr


her and forme. the car acciden caused a lot of painl. she is a leeend

Reply
Noreen
7/13/2022 04:59:06 pm

I was a student for some time with walt and magana. I felt they were healers and so glad i was a friend . peace and love to family friends students. 💝

Reply



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