The Sanskrit word shakti refers to power, inner strength and creative potential. Vinyasa yoga is a flowing practice that connects movement with breath.

At SHAKTI Vinyasa Yoga in Redmond, owner Lisa Black has created a unique atmosphere that combines her own teaching style with that of Baron Baptiste, one of America’s best-known yoga instructors.

Black began practicing yoga in 1996. After graduating from the University of Virginia with a master’s degree in education, she traveled to India on a personal quest for six months. There, she lived in an ashram for a month where she practiced extensive posture, chanting and meditation techniques.

“I found yoga in the universal sense,” said Black.

Black is experienced in many styles of yoga including Iyengar, Shivananda, Bikram and Kundalini. After attending Baptiste’s first-ever level one and level two teacher training programs in 2001, Black developed a passion for his methodology.

“It’s about doing the postures that change your body and open your mind to infinite possibility. It’s about doing things you didn’t know you could do,” said Black.

Black has worked with Baptiste for 10 years, assisting and co-teaching all over the country. She opened her first studio, SHAKTI West (Ballard) in 2003, followed by SHAKTI East (Bellevue) in 2006, and now SHAKTI Redmond, which opened in January. SHAKTI West was the first Baptiste affiliate studio on the West Coast, and all SHAKTI locations remain the only Baptiste affiliate studios in Washington state.

SHAKTI teachers are required to complete training with both Baptiste and Black, including Black’s unique assisting program.

“Our instructors are trained in proper techniques of hands-on adjustment to help students create body memory in each posture, achieve maximum benefits, and feel a new way of being,” said Black.

Kirsten Patterson, yoga practitioner and SHAKTI employee, began practicing vinyasa yoga almost five years ago. She said her favorite thing about SHAKTI is the “great music played in class and the fun community of people.”

Black said she is excited to connect with the Redmond community and provide it with a positive environment for personal growth. Her advice to a beginner is to complete SHAKTI’s Intro Series, which provides basic knowledge of the Baptiste Power Vinyasa style. In addition to various classes, SHAKTI also hosts workshops, teacher training programs and yoga retreats.

After our interview at SHAKTI Redmond, I stayed for Black’s noon class, Intro to Power. (In the interest of full disclosure, I teach yoga myself part-time.) Though I have practiced vinyasa yoga almost two years, I had never taken a SHAKTI class and was eager to experience something different. Not only did I get a great workout, but my mind was most definitely put to the test, and I left feeling like I had broken down some inner barriers. I was challenged and invigorated. Black assisted me into a handstand, something I had never done before. It was liberating and fulfilling all at once as I reached new heights in my own practice and mind. This is what yoga is all about — tapping into Shakti, the inner strength, power, and creativity that dwell within.

All SHAKTI locations offer four levels of classes in a warm studio (about 90 degrees) structured around 53 postures within a 60 to 90-minute class. Instructors offer modifications and variations. The Redmond studio is located at 16651 Redmond Way, Suite 170. Call (425) 646-YOGA for more information, or visit shaktivinyasa.com.

Loren Boyd is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communication News Laboratory.