The studio lights dim to near darkness. AP World History teacher Caylen Beight walks between rows of students on their yoga mats surrounded by air that smells faintly of lavender. She stops beside a woman whose shoulders are hunched too high and gently presses them down toward the mat before moving to the next student.

Throughout the past decade, yoga has been a part of Beight’s life, right alongside teaching history. The two practices may seem unrelated, but for Beight, they’ve become inseparable.

“I have been practicing yoga for as long as I’ve been teaching [history, which is about] 13 years,” Beight said.

Given the amount of time she has put into yoga, it seems like she has always been made for it. But her passion for this hobby did not begin until her sister’s friend introduced it to her.

“My sister’s friend got really into [yoga], and she really enjoyed it,” Beight said. “I have a lot of flexibility, so I just [naturally] gravitated towards it.”

During her first year of teaching, the stress of the classroom grew Beight’s connection to yoga. Fresh out of college and dealing with lesson management, grading and planning, she needed an outlet for her stress.

“Yoga was a release [from] my first year of teaching,” Beight said. “I loved it.”

Her transition from practicing to teaching yoga came during a time of change. The COVID-19 pandemic closed her studio and left her with time to use at her own discretion.

“I had all this free time on my hands, and I [thought], ‘I’m going to get my certification,’” Beight said.

Getting into teaching turned out more difficult than expected. Studios wanted experienced instructors, but gaining experience required being hired first. This led her to start her first teaching job in 2021 at a summer camp instead of a studio.

“I started working at the congressional camp down the street,” Beight said. “Then, [I taught] at a college church community center.”

Four years later, Beight teaches at her location, Karma Yoga, every other Friday. As she changed where she taught, she also switched up her curriculum to teach vinyasa yoga classes—a type of yoga that is intentionally slow and restorative. It was a drastic change in style from her first year in teaching intense power yoga.

“Throughout the years, I have tried a lot of different varieties,” Beight said. “When I first started, it was the big room style. Classes were an hour and a half, and [we were] drenched with sweat.”

The studio environment offers something distinct from the classroom. Beight’s studio is open to everyone, pushing her to learn how to adapt to people of different skill levels. During classes, she regularly uses props to make yoga more accessible for those who are less proficient.

“There may be people new to the practice and people who’s been there forever,” Beight said.

The patience yoga demands and the willingness to meet students where they are and guide them forward at their own pace has shaped Beight’s teaching philosophy. Whether it is in her studio or in her classroom, Beight has learned to cater to individuals of all levels of understanding.

“[Ms. Beight] always seems relaxed and willing to adapt,” sophomore Saachi Thomas said. “Her [teaching style] has made [AP] World much more approachable.”

Beight has also translated her studio environment into her classroom—the calm authority Beight conducts in the studio is also apparent in front of her students.

“I don’t think I’ve seen [Ms. Beight] get mad at all,” sophomore Jimin Lee said. “The class atmosphere is [also] pretty good. It’s under control, but not where everyone’s silent. A lot of people talk and participate in discussions.”

Despite her achievements, Beight’s journey to her current studio was not smooth sailing.

When Beight auditioned for an instructor role at Karma Yoga, she stumbled through the beginning of her sequence. Instead of panicking, she laughed it off and kept going. By the end, she was certain she had failed. Yet, her calm yet vibrant personality made her stand out.

“They were like, ‘we actually really like seeing you,’” Beight said. “[They said,] ‘it’s really important to see you [not be] a robot and get bogged down and mess things up.’”

Practicing yoga itself has also presented Beight with challenges. She had difficulty mastering certain moves such as the splits, an advanced yoga position. But through these hurdles, Beight has recognized the value in the process.

Beight has learned that success in yoga isn’t measured in achievements, but in the journey itself.

“Yoga is not about getting good at it,” Beight said. “It’s about the process. I think that it creates a growth mindset.”

Beyond resilience, yoga has taught Beight something equally valuable: authenticity.

“Another thing that I noticed about my studio, and teaching in general, is that each teacher has their own unique style of delivering content,” Beight said. “You have to find your own way.”

The foundation for Beight’s career in yoga has already been laid, but her growth and discovery remain continuous.

“I hope to [travel] to other places and [take] classes in other countries,” Beight said

Each time she achieves something she’s been working towards, a new challenge emerges.

“Once you get there, there’s something new for you to do,” Beight said. “You can build on that and do it once again. There’s no end goal to it.”