Rising Stars: Meet Priscila Baptista

Today we’d like to introduce you to Priscila Baptista.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born and raised in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and fluent in Portuguese, Spanish and English. I’m a lifelong dancer and runner. Passionate about traveling, I’ve lived in a few different countries like New Zealand, Australia, France and Germany. While traveling, I was backpacking, studying English and Spanish and working to be able to keep travelling. Then I went back to Brazil to go to College, graduated in Marketing while also working full-time.

I moved to Atlanta in January 2015, where I was introduced to the local yoga community while adapting to my new home. I then decided to take a Yoga teaching training to deepen my practice which by the end of my training, I was in love with teaching. At that point, I had no idea I could guide an entire class in English, I was very shy and nervous because of my Brazilian accent. When I realized my class was helping people in so many different ways and I was receiving feedback from my students, I started to understand that yoga is a powerful tool and that career path was special and I had this gift to share with others. So, I asked friends of mine to join my classes and give me honest feedback on my accent and pronunciation. I wanted to make sure all my students in class understood me. Within a few months of teaching, I wasn’t shy anymore and I decided to quit my job in Marketing and try full-time teaching. It wasn’t an easy decision to give away all the benefits and stability that a corporate job offers for an independent job teaching yoga. But in my heart, It felt it was the right thing to do and indeed, it changed my life. To this day, I don’t regret my decision.

In 2019 I planned a trip to India to practice Ashtanga Yoga at the Institute K. Pattabhi Jois. That was a big year for me, and so I worked really hard and went to a town called Mysore, where I practiced everyday from 5 AM to 7 AM. After practice, we had Vedic chanting and then met with the other teachers/students that like me, came from all around the world. It was an intense and amazing experience. As Brazilian, I thought I was prepared for India, haha. But everything was very different, the culture, the food and costumes, they have stunning temples, very flavorful ( I mean spicy lol if you don’t know Brazilians don’t eat spicy food AT ALL!) meals, loud and crazy traffic jams. I had a great time, met amazing people and had a lot of time to reflect in life. The daily practice taught me resilience, conditioning, pacing and listening to my body. My routine was to be back at my hotel by 6 PM and in bed by 8 PM reading before falling asleep. I think what most impressed me was the kindness of the people there. They would go out of their way to explain and show you something at any time.

Then 2020 happened. I was back teaching all my classes when everything shut down because of COVID. I was devastated. I didn’t know what was going to happen. I started teaching online as much as I could when I decided to take my Personal Training Certification to further my studies in human movement and wellness and share my passion for fitness. Currently, I work for Catalyst Fitness as a Personal Trainer and Yoga Teacher. I’m focused on reactive training and recovery, helping my clients with strength, flexibility and functional fitness, improving their mobility and physical and mental health.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t always been a smooth road. I feel I was kind of lucky in the beginning, as a lot of opportunities to teach knocked my door, but I know I took it very seriously by continuing studying and acquiring certifications to further my knowledge. I studied Human Anatomy, Breathing techniques and Meditation, Vedic chanting, Yoga Therapy, and Nutrition Coaching. Also, I accepted every single opportunity to teach, I didn’t say no to a single class in my first couple of years of teaching. I was teaching about 20 to 22 classes a week. If you are a yoga instructor reading this, you know what I mean. It’s A LOT of classes. Not sustainable for the long run, but as a new teacher, I needed and wanted the experience. I wanted to see where my limits were and how much I could push myself but also figure out if I could make a living as a teacher.

I always had a simple life and very well planned, especially not knowing how much I’d make for the next month. I learned to save and have a very organized budget since you never know when there will be an emergency and you have to be prepared for that. And it happened, my mother had been fighting cancer for a few years when after I had expend a couple of months with her in Brazil for her second round of chemotherapy and was back in Atlanta working, she passed away. It wasn’t easy and still not easy not having her around. It been two years now. I remember I was very soon back to work, which helped me heal and process what had happened. I know she is with me and resting in peace.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I currently work for Catalyst Fitness and Crossfit midtown as a Yoga instructor and Personal Trainer. I believe that yoga and fitness is a powerful way of healing that should be accessible to everyone, I strive to help beginners feel confident as well as challenged in their practice and training. I provide you the best of both worlds and keep you fit and moving pain-free with my specialties in Fitness and Recovery training.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
You always have something good to share. Don’t be shy or afraid, put your heart on whatever you are doing. Specially if you are providing a service, it’s more about your client then about you. Yes, prepare yourself but look and listen attentive to your client’s needs.

Contact Info:

• Email: pribapyoga@gmail.com
• Website: https://priscilabaptistayoga.wixsite.com/home
• Instagram: @prisbap
• Facebook: Priscila Baptista