Nest Staff Spotlight allows fellow teachers, staff members and our yogis the opportunity to delve into the life of a selected community member. We hope this gives everyone a chance to learn more about our teachers and staff.
Baxter has been studying Hatha yoga since 1994 and teaching since 1999 after graduating from the Piedmont Yoga Studio's 680-hour Advanced Studies 2000 program. He has studied with Rodney Yee, Patricia Walden, Donald Moyer, Erich Schiffman and TKV Desikachar. Baxter combines Western medicine and yoga therapeutics to create safe and healing yoga classes. His teaching style is nurturing and focuses on re-awakening our curiosity. Read more about Baxter below!
Tell us about yourself. Anything you want people to know.
I’ve been practicing yoga for 27 years and loving it! And I have been lucky to also be teaching yoga for about 21 years now, and still enjoying the chance to share what I know with all of you.
If you could instantly be an expert in something what would it be?
Gypsy Jazz Fiddle!
What is your favorite book/movie/tv show/podcast?
My recent favorite show is “Away” about a fictional first space flight to Mars, not only because I wanted to be an astronaut as a kid, but because each episode is so emotionally moving...now, keep in mind, I’m only 3 episodes in so far!
One of my favorite books of all time is “The Power of Myth”, a conversation with Bill Moyers and Joseph Campbell- blew my mind the first time I read it.
What would you like the community to know about your classes, teaching style or you?
I’ve been exploring the idea of Yoga for Healthy Aging for the last decade, and right up front, you should know that it’s for people of all ages! I blend my experience with Iyengar yoga and the Yoga of Krinshmacharya (you might know this as Viniyoga) and my yoga therapy and medical backgrounds to create unique classes that are pretty accessible to students of all levels. And we have a lot of fun in class, too!
What would be your personal motto?
Engage, educate, inspire! And have fun doing it!
If you were to describe yourself as ice cream, which would you be?
Caramel sea-salt (because it’s so delicious!)
What is your least favorite yoga pose? Favorite yoga pose? Why?
I have always fancied Half Moon Pose, the balance version, as it combines strength, length, balance, focus, even agility to enter and exit it gracefully. It feels like a giant “YES” to the universe when I am in it!
For least favorite, see my response below to next question.
What’s something that was once important but is now becoming less and less relevant?
Wow, I just wrote a blog post on this as it relates to yoga about the 6 poses I no longer practice or teach, so if you are interested check out www.baxterbell.com. On a non-yoga level, I am less interested in being right, and more interested in connecting with others.
How did you find yoga?
It’s a good story...ask Vickie Russel Bell about that one!
What’s a goal you have for yourself that you want to accomplish in the next year?
I have really gotten into playing my violin daily since the Pandemic began and I’d like to master a series of songs and share them with others in person or online live!
What are three things still left on your bucket list?
Too many to really list...if you are engaged in life fully, it’s not really a bucket list, it is just life unfolding! I’d love to live in Italy for at least 3 months some time, if you need one!
What is one thing you can’t resist? Why?
Tortilla chips...who can resist the salty, crunchy goodness???
Have you ever gotten super lost? What happened?
Yes, hiking in the Red Rock Arches state park in Kentucky once...and as if by magic, this man and his son showed up out of nowhere with bottled water on ice (!!!) and guided safely out. Felt very blessed that day.
Baxter teacher’s Hatha Yoga Mondays at 5:00 pm and Yoga for Healthy Aging Tuesday and Thursday at 11:00 am!