Is online yoga any good?

In my opinion, YES!

Pre-covid I'd have never even dreamed of teaching online. Short of free youtube videos, I doubt most students would have imagined tuning into their yoga classes from their homes, offices and hotels. Then Covid hit and we all had to adapt.

As the world started to return to normal and many teachers raced back to in person classes I was committed to sticking with online.

here's why I decided to stick to online yoga:

convenience

As a teacher I spent 4-5 hours a day commuting to teach my classes. For my students they also had to factor in commute time to their yoga practice. In a world where so much of life is already overwhelming and expensive to factor in 20-45 minute commute times each way, in some locations having to pay for parking plus class time, people end up not bothering to go at all. 

With online classes you can be working, resting, spending quality time with loved ones up until 1-5 minutes before class and be right back to your daily life immediately after class. That makes taking time for yourself MUCH easier.

On the note of commutes... back when I taught restorative yoga in person I distinctly remember feeling concern for my students after class. I gave them an hour of deep rest and relaxation in a dimly lit room. They'd float out of the studio in a daze of calm only to either have to snap out of it harshly to make their way back home or risk not being alert enough for their commutes. Now, with my online Sleepy Yoga my students are already in their homes, often in their pajamas and able to float straight to bed for an early night.

comfort

While in theory yoga studios should be calm, welcoming spaces this isn't always the case. Depending on where in the world you are, yoga studios may feel exclusive and elitist. As a beginner it can be deeply intimidating to walk into a space where everyone is showing off their trendiest, astronomically expensive "yoga clothes" and fanciest variations of poses.

Online you have the benefit of being in your own safe space. You can wear your favourite worn out comfy clothes and no one will notice. You can practice in your own way, at your own pace without feeling pressure from your classmates to be anything but yourself. 

connection

In person classes are geographically limited. You can only practice with people who can easily access the same space. While that's a great way to connect with your local community there's a richness that comes from practicing with people around the world.

Online we are able to practice together regardless of where we live. Have a friend or family member who lives far away? With online yoga you can practice together and connect regularly. In our weekly discussion-based class, Yoga School, this makes a huge difference. We get to have people from different countries, cultures and religions coming together and sharing their unique perspectives bringing richness to us all.

community

So many people who are against online yoga tell me there's no community online. Meanwhile over the years I spent teaching in person it took a very focused effort from me to create a community in person. In person people tended to ignore each other, do their own thing, quietly compete with the people next to them and rush off as soon as class ends.

Online here at tlc there is SO MUCH LOVE in the “room.” New faces are welcomed with huge smiles and excited questions. We take time before each class to say hello, check in and catch up. During our practice we cheer each other on with virtual high fives. At the end of class we send love across the screen and the globe. In all my years of teaching I've never seen a community more loving, supportive and connected than the tlc online community we have now.

health

This may sound funny, but if covid taught us anything it's that being online allowed us to connect without spreading germs. Back when I taught in person I was constantly sick and run down because I was being exposed to every bug going in every gym, studio and office I taught at. Just last December in one of my few in person classes multiple students were ill and coughing. It hit me that if this was online- all of us who weren't sick at the start of class would still not be sick after class. Instead I ended up being sick for seven and a half weeks after that class which massively derailed my holidays and my start of the new year. Of course we can still get sick anywhere, but what a treat to know that your yoga practice doesn't have to be one of those places!

catch up

With in person yoga if you miss the class for some unforeseen reason, that's it- you missed it. With online yoga here at tlc the classes are recorded so that members can catch up when it fits for them. Maybe you have a one off meeting that means you can't make your regular class. Or maybe the live online time never fits your schedule but the class is the one you most want to attend? Simply play the recording at the time that works for you, and get your fix!

One of my online students told me how she often forgets it isn't live when doing the catch up recordings and finds herself cheering her fellow students on and sending high fives to the screen! Even delayed, the class recordings give you that sense of connection and practicing with others.

so, is online yoga for you?

I don't think everyone may agree, and if you have found your yoga home in person absolutely stick with it. If you are looking for a place where you can commit to time for you, connect with wonderful people, skip the commute, and be welcomed into a friendly yoga community then why not try an online class here at tlc? There's even a 7 day trial so you can experience the various classes and on demand content for free. Why not give online yoga a chance and see if this is the community you've been searching for.