“Why don’t you hold your yoga classes on Zoom?”. This question came from one of my most loyal yoga students in March of 2020. 16th of March most of Europe went into lockdown to combat the spread of the Covid-19 virus. My live yoga classes were of course cancelled and I was very much against doing courses online. More than 12 months later, I now have 3 regular classes online and I am glad I finally gave in and started the classes on Zoom. I was ultimately convinced by my students – not for financial reasons, but rather for concerns over their health and well-being by helping them for their regular yoga practice.
So why not just have them follow pre-recorded YouTube classes? The number of available free classes online has literally exploded! I really felt that I could not add any more value to this – but I was wrong.
I did give in and begin teaching my classes online as of September 2020. I was quite surprised at the reaction and the success of these classes. So many people showed up and expressed relief that we started the classes on Zoom. Upon refletion, I think I figured out why this is, and I will give the main reasons why it is important to follow a regular yoga class – even online:
Top 4 Benefits of Yoga Practice
1. Practicing a regular yoga class creates community
There was always a parallel focus on bringing people together, in community, with a common interest. Though to say that this is different from a focus on yoga isn’t totally accurate, as yoga truly is about a bringing together. ‘Yoga’ actually means ‘to yoke’ or ‘connect’, and at the root of the practice, we strive to create unity – with others, and within ourselves. This yoga community (sangha) couldn’t exist without every person who continues to show up, building connections with the other students and deeper connections within your self.
Yoga is both the path, and the destination – similarly, “commUnity” is both the effort you put in, and the reward you take home.
Especially now, in this time in our world, with so much change, so much shifting, and a common sense of chaos, we need connection more than ever! To para-phrase one of the great yoga teachers of our time (Guru Jagat) ‘Community, and spaces for people to gather in community are more important now than ever’. And yet, at the same time, it’s now easier than ever to be removed from community, to lose connection, and to isolate. Following a regular yoga class will help prevent this isolation.
2. Taking a regular yoga class creates a habit
Creating a new habit is HARD. We subconsciously try to stick to our old routines, and when you initiate something new into it like yoga, it disrupts everything. This is GOOD!
You just need to get over the hurdle of turning your yoga practice into “maybe I’ll go” to “I’m going”. You want to make it as natural as waking up and brushing your teeth.
When things are intricately planned out as when you have signed up to attend a regular yoga class, you start to feel as though they are already happening. If you say to yourself, “I’m going to do yoga tomorrow” it is way different than saying “I’m going to do the class at 12h30 with Anne tomorrow”. Limiting the amount of decisions you have to make when it is time to do it also increases the chance of you actually going. It decreases the overwhelm of deciding what to do, all you have to do is get dressed and get on with it.
3. Being guided in real-time creates a connection between student and teacher – even online
“The 18 inches between the head and the heart is a rite of passage…not a right.” I remember this from a teacher training I took over 20 years ago. It was emphasized that the need to earn our way into a student’s head is by way of his or her heart. I can say, without a doubt, that statement is by far one of the most powerful I’ve heard in three decades in education. Understanding and committing to this concept is a major key to unleashing the potential of people of all ages. And it won’t and cannot be done in a pre-recorded yoga class.
Most students don’t care how long a yoga teacher has been teaching or how many diplomas they have. They care about whether the teacher will like them and believe they are capable. They care if we create an environment in which they are emotionally safe. For decades, research has confirmed that the student-teacher relationship is a foundation of student motivation, engagement, and the effectiveness of the class.
We are hard-wired to connect. Through connections, humans thrive and get their emotional needs met. This is essential in an in-person or online yoga class.
4. Let’s face it, yoga is simply good for you!!
The resultant reduction in the stress response while practicing yoga is well-documented. In this time of higher financial, emotional and survival stress caused by the Covid-19 Pandemic, yoga is an absolute life-saver for many people. Countless times I have heard my students say “Thank goodness we have the yoga class to come back to”. These kinds of statements reassure me that even though the class is online, I am doing the right thing.
So keep going to your online yoga classes! And when things open back up again, let’s rejoice in doing the live classes and having kept the communities going in this time of crisis.
AUTHOR: ANNE
Hi! I am Anne. I am a fitness and wellness coach with over 25 years of experience in the Swiss Romande area. I am a Yoga Alliance Certified Teacher for 500 hours and for Training Teachers in Continuing Education. I am passionate about helping individuals reach their highest potential and dedicated to attaining and maintaining fulfilment and happiness in every aspect of life.
