“Yoga begins with listening. When we listen, we are giving space to what is.”
— Richard Freeman
Are you scared of joining back the yoga studio because of coronavirus? Are you
missing your daily yoga routine with your trainers? Or you want to join online yoga
classes but don’t know from where to start?
The fear of catching the virus has made us anxious and frustrated. And in these
uncertain times it has become very important to take care of our mental health and
wellbeing. This is where online yoga comes to our rescue.
Online yoga helps you to practice your daily yoga routine from the comfort of your
home and in your personal space. Practicing online yoga at home is therapeutic,
challenging and urges you to discover your movement and creativity.
So let’s throw that yoga mat, begin with some self-esteem and calm that anxious
mind.
GET STARTED
Once you are determined to begin your online yoga journey it’s vital to choose the
yoga studio that gives online tutorials for its pupil. Always make sure to read about
your trainers and instructors before enrolling with your selected studio. Once the
decision is made do check with your internet, tablet, smartphone or laptop. With
the availability of a good connection and a charged device you can access your
online yoga class without any pause from anywhere in the world.
EIGHT ESSENTIALS OF ONLINE YOGA
1. Find a trainer you resonate with: Yoga can be fun and easy when you find that perfect trainer, you are comfortable with. Research a bit before finalizing on your online yoga trainer.
2. Good space: Look for a peaceful and a comfortable spot in your house. Try and find a spacious area where you can stretch properly without hitting on chairs and tables. Since it’s your personal space you can be creative and add a couple of small indoor plants in the corner. You can also create some soulful atmosphere with an incense stick. Remember to look for a space
where you can concentrate without much difficulty. Also make sure that you
are able look at your screen without hindrance.
3. Get your yoga accessories : Often at yoga studios you are provided with every yoga essentials but once you start practicing at home, you are supposed to be ready with some basic yoga accessories which are as follows:
A good quality non-slippery yoga mat.
A pair of yoga blocks.
A bolster, pillows or cushions.
A yoga strap
The above four items are indeed the most used ones, your instructor might ask you to get some more props once your practice session deepens.
4. Be Attentive: While performing yoga at home you won’t be having your trainer in person to help you with your movement, so you need to carefully watch your instructor and perform your poses. Don’t hesitate to communicate with your trainer if you find some postures to be too complicated.
5. Prevent Injury: Performing yoga alone can be a little challenging as you need to be really attentive of your moves and postures. If you are a beginner then avoid poses that involves too much of stretching and twisting. Also avoid poses that can hurt your back. Don’t force your body beyond your limits and always watch your boundaries. You need to be more alert while switching poses as these are the minutes of possible risk of injury. Be mindful of your alignment.
6. Schedule your time: If you have enrolled to practice yoga online, you will be confined to a specific class and schedule. Select your days and time according to your everyday timetable. There is a difference between practicing yoga via recorded videos on youtubes and enrolling online for a live session. The former allows you to be flexible in your timings but the later
keeps you in a daily routine with proper schedule, making yoga a daily routine.
7. Find your flow: Finding your flow and style can be difficult in the beginning if you are a newbie. You can take a few attempts to be comfortable with your flow and then settle for a regular practice. This way your trainer will also understand the alignment of your body and help you with your postures in a much easier manner.
8. Keep up the Spirit: Enrolling for online yoga is just half of the work done. Now you must stay motivated and keep your spirits high. Virtual yoga sessions might not be easy for a beginner but you can do wonders once you find your flow. To make your online sessions more interesting you can practice with your friend or family member.
Indeed, the COVID emergency had enormously impacted our everyday lives and in
order to diminish social contacts we are forced to shift indoors. With the world
adapting to the new normal let’s enroll to our online yoga programmes. It is the
perfect time for all of us to strengthen our immune system and relax for a while in
these worrying moments.
Our studio has also gone online for its yogis. Check our time table. Get set and hit the mat!
Nida Zakaria