Michael Schweppe

Trainer Bio

I discovered yoga through Baron Baptiste’s Journey Into Power book and DVD in 2002. I practiced alone at home for several years because I didn’t consider myself a “yoga person”! I thought of yoga as a supplement to my triathlon training. The physicality of the Baptiste style appealed to me and reminded me of the military calisthenics I performed as a West Point cadet and later as an army Airborne Ranger infantry officer.

I eventually (fortunately!) overcame my resistance to attending yoga classes and became a certified vinyasa teacher. There weren’t any Baptiste studios or teachers near my home, so for a while, my connection to the Baptiste community was limited to my well-worn Journey Into Power DVD.

When I attended my first Baptiste program, there was a sense of “Whoa! I have found my people!” The meditation and self inquiry practices rounded out the physicality that had been my main focus, and I knew that I was on a life-long path of growth and transformation.  I am a member of the Assisting Team for the Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga Institute, and I teach anatomy courses for yoga students and teachers throughout North America.

I am a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and chief of orthopedic surgery at Northern Dutchess Hospital in Rhinebeck, NY. My yoga practice has transformed me in my role as an orthopedic surgeon, and I continue to build connections between the yoga and medical worlds.  My wife and I have a farm animal sanctuary called Perros Locos at our home and we currently share our lives with lots of dogs, cats, alpacas, goats, sheep, chickens and pigeons. In addition to our animal family, we have four great human children, all of whom are yogis!