Three years ago, I would have vehemently said that online yoga classes were crap, a second-rate education, and not for people that were “serious” about their practice.

Looking back, it’s kind of funny now to think of the instructor that I was and who I’ve become over this time.

Because the change for me happened way before the pandemic hit. 

I took my first online private yoga session with an instructor I wanted to learn from two years prior and began to understand what was possible for yoga online. 

So, I created a program to mentor teachers and started to teach private lessons to students that lived nowhere near me. A year later, COVID happened.   

And, it just seemed natural in the thick of everything going on to pull group classes online. But, it was a quick fix. We were only quarantining for two weeks, right? (Insert, crying/laughing emoji here.) 

But, something happened as the two weeks passed into two months. I fell in love with teaching online. I loved every last thing about it.

Not only was I was able to teach the Level II/III classes I’m so passionate about, daily (without the limits that these types of classes have at a studio), but I found that I was able to establish a deeper connection to my students.

And, the students that were attending the classes were having giant leaps forward in their practice. Giant. HUGE. So, what I found was there was nothing second-rate about it. 

And, it continued to evolve into something even better as we continue to move through the next week and the next.

Here I am at the end of 2021 excited for what’s to come. The program that has been built during this time is at the tail end of its second year and its stronger than ever and the most fun I’ve ever had as a yoga instructor.

So, if you think that online yoga classes are crap, or a second-rate education, I hope you keep your mind open to the fact that maybe… they’re not. Maybe they’re exactly the solution you’ve been searching for to get more out of your time on your mat.

Here are a few tips if you ever decide to move your practice online:

1. You might have tech issues during your first livestream class. So, prepare before you begin. Do not just sign up and log on and hope for the best. Make sure your internet is working well in the space you decide to practice in and that your device is working properly, too. And, log in to the class early to work out any of the kinks, or ask the instructor to test it with you the day before your first class if they have the time.
2. To get the best experience, hook your device up to a larger screen – whether it’s a monitor for a computer or a big screen tv. It will help you to see everything clearly and give you the sense that you are in the same room as the instructor and the other students in class. And, it’s a super easy and cheap fix.
3. Be open to being a beginner again. Especially, if you’re deciding to take a more advanced class than you have in the past. Do what you can and build from there. Remember, it’s not yoga perfect, it’s yoga practice.

I hope this helps and if it speaks to you that you give it a try.

Online classes do not have to replace your studio classes, but they can be a great addition to your in-studio practice. And, they give you the opportunity to work with instructors you might not have a chance to work with in any other way. It’s pretty cool when you think about it.

But, no matter what you think about online yoga, I hope you continue to keep up your practice. That’s the most important thing to me. Keep going.

Why? Because your yoga practice is important – not only to you, but to every life you touch.

xo,

Tori

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