Online Yoga classes have never been more popular and whilst they are no true replacement for your local studio, there are some simple tricks to optimise the benefits of a virtual class.
Online Yoga classes are a great alternative for when you can't make it to your local studio. The digital world means that the ancient practice of Yoga is more accessible to us now than ever. There is however, a distinct difference between practicing at a studio and rolling out your mat at home. I've had many online Yoga classes which have felt flat, been a technical nightmare and left me feeling frustrated instead of balanced - not ideal!
This is largely because your Yoga teacher puts in a lot of "behind the scenes" effort to create a complete experience for every student, from the moment they enter the studio to the moment they leave. Practicing online means that we have to create this same experience for ourselves at home.
Through my experience as a Yoga practitioner and teacher, I've come up with 5 tips to help you maximise your experience of an online Yoga class and finish feeling just as connected as you do in the studio.
Tip #1 - Give yourself time to prepare
Now this might sound obvious but it amazes me how often students rock up to an online class 60 seconds before the class begins, in a fluster and then with all of the inevitable technical difficulties.
To begin your class feeling focused, relaxed and stable, it's important you give yourself that preparation time before the class begins. When I attend an online class, I try and give myself at least 30 minutes before it is due to start to begin my preparations - getting into my leggings, rolling out my mat, alerting the household I won't be available for the next 90 minutes etc. etc. etc. In a practical sense, this also gives you time to check those pesky technical requirements to start your class as seamlessly as possible.
Just like when you enter your Yoga studio and you sense the energy in the room, it is important that you recreate this for yourself at home before your class begins. Our mind is so used to rushing and processing information that it takes us more than a minute to enter into the calmer state we need for our practice. Give yourself this time and you will find it makes all the difference to your class.
Tip #2 - Create the atmosphere
It's all about the atmosphere, baby. Practicing at home means practicing where we do laundry. Where we watch Netflix. Where we accidentally neglect our houseplants. You get what I mean, right? By focusing on the atmosphere of where we are practicing in our home, we can create a space which serves our Yoga and replicates that calm focus you find in the studio.
This simply means giving the space we want to practice in some attention. Where our attention goes, energy flows. So consider replicating what you see at your studio in your home - this could be as simple as lighting a candle or dimming the lights, burning incense, placing a vase of flowers in view of your mat or even creating your own altar. Consider also the temperature of the room as this can have a big impact on how receptive our body is to asana - warm but not hot is ideal.
Transforming your atmosphere is a very creative experience and an enjoyable one too. It is truly a dedicated act of self-care to offer your attention and focus to your practice in this way. It reminds us too that the Yoga practice is not just limited to your mat.
"A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life." - His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Tip #3 - Consider your audio
A game-changer for my online Yoga practice has been to enhance the audio quality of the class. If your online Yoga class includes music, your teacher may provide a link to a playlist for you to listen along to during the live session. If this is the case you may find, like me, that my teacher's instructions and the music playing simultaneously from my laptop make both hard for me to focus on and just like that, my monkey minds starts getting all fidgety and annoyed. A small tip I've recently discovered is to simply use my phone for the music, and just have my teacher's voice coming from my laptop speakers.
This is such a simple tip but has made such a difference for me. I can place the music slightly further away from my practice space so that it provides background ambience (just like at the studio) but I can still clearly hear my teacher's instructions too. Win win!
(If your teacher doesn't provide or use music for their class, you could always use your phone to play some of your own, as long as your mic is switched off, of course.)
Tip #4 - Props, props, props!
Having your props close at hand is always a good idea for your home practice. Blocks, a mat, blanket, bolster - I prepare for my classes by bringing all of these with me, just in case. Nothing worse than having to run upstairs and dive into your cupboard as soon as you hear, "Take your block and place it behind you."
Your teacher should inform you before the class if you need any of these, but given that we generally have less interaction with our teacher pre-class when practicing online, it doesn't hurt to have these prepared beforehand.
Additionally, as you are in the luxury of your home, take the opportunity to bring any extra props that you wouldn't normally have when at the studio. Perhaps an eye pillow, your favourite cushion or, my personal favourite, extra warm socks for savasana.
Tip #5 - Ease back into your day
It's tempting once your class is finished and the laptop is shut to throw your mat to one side and rush into your To Do list. This is pretty jarring for our systems and can actually mean we miss out on bringing the calm, stable energy we have so carefully built during the practice into the rest of our day.
If time allows, give yourself an extra gentle transition at the end of your class - step slowly and mindfully off your mat, close down the space with gratitude and silence and, for extra bonus points, treat yourself to a warm cup of herbal tea.
This post-class ritual is truly the icing on the cake and will leave you with a sustained sense of peace and calm. Now that's what you pay the membership for!
A step toward independent, self-practice
I'm a firm believer that practicing at a studio will always be the best option to receive physical adjustments from your teacher, to meet with your community and to truly escape from the madness of our daily lives. However, if we give our online Yoga classes some extra time, attention and energy, we can find that this helps us to steadily build a bridge between our practice and our regular life. This sets us up to increase our mindfulness, our stillness and our focus in the comfort of our own home.
Information on my online Yoga classes will be available here soon!