Walt Baptiste was a renowned and much loved San Francisco leader and legend, a patriotic American, a leader and a pioneer who inspired hundreds of thousands to embrace the world of Body Mind & Spirit. Walt was one of the foremost authorities and teachers of Yoga in the world, who taught countless students over the course of six decades. In 1934 Walt established the first center of its kind, combining the disciplines of physical culture, yoga, weight training, meditation and the science of breath, as an integral part of higher health, peak performance and constructive personal psychology. In addition, Walt was a renowned bodybuilder and authored several instruction pamphlets. In 1955, Walt and his wife, Magaña, opened the first yoga school in San Francisco; in 1971, they founded the Baptiste Health & Fitness Center, which included a yoga room, gymnasium, and dance studio as well as a natural food store and restaurant. He was a pioneer in establishing the valuable benefits of having a sound nutritional program; he integrated purification diets into his program for highest health and vitality. Bernarr Mac Fadden, father of physical culture in the world, described Walt as “the prince of teachers and a constant resource of inspiration to other teachers.”

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