YOGA TODAY
What Students Have To Say About Virtual Yoga
BY CLAUDIA NEUMAN, ABOVE Since March of 2020, everything about the yoga industry has changed. Gone are the days of live classes. Now, we’re all learning as we go, fine- tuning the experience of doing yoga through a screen. Since I believe that the most important ingredient in every yoga session is the student, I have reached out to mine personally, and asked them to share their thoughts, concerns, tips and comments about this journey. I was overwhelmed with their willingness to share their experiences, and this article is just that: what my students have to say about doing yoga online. What Students Have to Say about Virtual Yoga: Personally, I’ve really enjoyed the major- ity zoom yoga classes- The idea of catch- ing a class or workshop from anywhere in the world has been super exciting. Styles of yoga that may have intimidated me are approachable via zoom. Social distancing with love: Getting together with my girlfriends on the west coast for one of their local classes Is something we rarely find the time to do together during a physical visit. Some things I wished all teachers did: find the mute button. I left a workshop because the class kept stopping so the teacher could answer questions. It’s fine in a small setting but when the numbers increase you can’t answer every little tangent. Per- haps for this instructor she should have had a short Q and A after class. There has been a level of comfort/ cer- tainty when a note is sent out before the workshop or class to tell you the set up and props are recommended. I also find comfort from a new teacher to know what the focus may be, i.e.- twists, backbends, etc. when applicable I have taken classes where you can watch
the teacher get ready in the minutes before class- it’s nerdy But sweet but watch- ing the teacher set up the mats, props, microphone. I know some teachers will link a Spotify playlist if you would like music —more important to hear the teachers voice —and you can control music level from home. One of the best pre workshop zoom emails was from an Iyengar teacher in Tel Aviv; the workshop was being taken through- out the world and different time zones/ lighting. He asked everyone to have shades pulled down and all try to face the same direction so we would be uniformed in his ability to watch us and to watch each other. I think it also created the sense of unity, like we were all in it together. Other teachers have been able to spotlight students via zoom to show modifications and nuances in asana. – Lisa Miller Here are a few impressions I’ve had over the last 4 months about taking yoga via zoom. First of all, I love the convenience. I have access to several great teachers at various times during the day. I’ve even been able to take classes from teachers I’ve met at yoga retreats who live and teach in other states, even Canada. This has en- abled me to learn new styles. And for this veteran yogi, spicing it up, learning new things and putting my body into new and exciting postures has been enlivening. Something I would encourage any student to do is to find a nook or room in their home to dedicate solely to practice. Leav- ing the mat out, purchasing various props, and creating a alter, this becomes a sacred place to go to enrich the experience. Another useful note is to take advantage of getting online prior to class start time. Some teacher’s open their class 15 or so minutes prior to class time. continued on page 25
PATHWAYS—Fall 20—23
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online