Why lockdown has been beneficial for yoga students
Whether you’re a seasoned Yogi or have always wanted to start practising, lockdown presented a different scenario in which to take a yoga class. Sure the online setup isn’t for everyone, but for a lot of people it has created the perfect environment to develop their practice. Collected from my yogi friends and my students, here are some of the reasons why lockdown yoga has been a good thing:
1. YOU DON’T HAVE TO LEAVE YOUR HOUSE
That 9am class on a Sunday that you know is good for you but is always just a bit of an effort? Now you can pretty much role out of bed and still be there on time (and in your pjs if you really want)! Or equally role into bed after a late class. Especially if you are trying to juggle childcare and work, the flexibility that comes with online classes is a real advantage. You can even take your mat outside if the weather is nice!
2. YOU’RE NOT NEXT TO FLEXI LEXI OR BENDY WENDY
I’ve been doing yoga for 7 years now and I know that feeling when the elegant lady beside you wraps herself into varying pretzel shapes over the course of the class. No matter how much you try to stay present in your own movement, it’s not too much fun. Recently, I’ve heard so many beginners tell me this is why they’ve never tried, or never returned to, a yoga class! But remove the super bendy people from the room and you can suddenly begin to move much more freely, intuitively and maybe even challenge yourself to something you wouldn’t normally do, just by feeling more comfortable in your own space!
3. YOU CAN STILL RECEIVE TUITION
Making the adjustment to teaching online was definitely different, and my biggest goal was to still bring the added value of actually teaching students, as opposed to just demonstrating or saying instructions. If you’re taking Zoom sessions, or using any other app that allows you to see each other, you don;t miss out because teachers can still teach! So when you’re holding positions, we can still see you to give you adjustments, ideas and encouragement.
4. YOU CREATE A COMMUNITY WITH PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF YOUR LOCAL AREA
My favourite one: Teaching yoga online has allowed me to connect and reconnect with some amazing people that I wouldn’t have been able to reach if not for lockdown forcing us to work remotely. The students who were first signed up on my programme and are now on my membership have already created a wonderful online community, saying hi to each other and checking in before we start sessions – and they didn’t know each other! For me, it’s what yoga is all about: connection, with ourselves and each other. Which leads me to…
5. YOU CAN STILL PRACTISE AT A TIME WHEN WE NEED IT MOST
It’s been a tough few months, hasn’t it? We got thrown into a situation none of us could have anticipated this year. But being able to still join yoga classes online has allowed us to connect to ourselves, restore some sense of balance and do something familiar when what is happening outside can feel so out of our control. Let’s hope things will really start to improve now, and at least we know that we can always come to our space and our mats to practise, online or offline!
Like many others, I love my in-person classes. The connection with each other and to the intention of each class is naturally much deeper. And I miss using my oils for our head massages at the end of class! It will be lovely to return to normal classes when things allow but in the meantime, online seems to work for us yogis. And hey, who knows – this whole Zoom situation might have even helped you to be more tech-savvy too!
What do you think? Are there any other reasons why you’ve enjoyed your online yoga classes? Or why you haven’t? Let me know below!