Online Yoga + Fitness is a Phoenix
I’ve had several conversations lately remarking on all the forced change the pandemic caused. And how a bunch of that has birthed some spectacular phoenixes rising from the ashes. The Be You Hub and the gift of teaching yoga online is my phoenix. It took dismantling the way things had been done to make this shift.
I know so many are looking forward to gathering in a studio for in person yoga and fitness classes again, but before we get there here’s a reflection on the benefits I’ve found in the past year.
Accessibility – Entering a yoga studio is intimidating as all get out for the uninitiated. And over the years as yoga studios became more ubiquitous in our culture, I saw a trend towards more rather than less homogeneousness. Meaning we were more of the same. In bringing yoga into the online space, it’s been a little easier to break those barriers. It’s a crowded space (and yes I get the irony of a white woman who is that sameness saying this), but I love that online classes have made it a bit easier for teachers and students to seek out their space.
Accessibility x 2 – I need to second this point. I’ve welcomed family members, friends, and strangers to my online classes in the past year that prior were resistant to yoga for any number of reasons (too hippie dippy, too easy, too hard, too boring, etc.). I see your kids, your partners and your animals all accessing the practice. Whether they are walking through while you practice, distracting you from the practice, or actually joining in – the point is that so many folks have been introduced to yoga in this pandemic time and that is a beautiful consequence. And most report it’s not at all what they thought. They realize it’s not about doing it right, being flexible, being coordinated, being athletic, or being “good” at it. It’s just about being.
Choice – As I look out on the brady bunch zoom windows while I teach my livestream classes, I love that everyone can choose their level of engagement. You can turn your video off and on as you like. As a student I love that I can join a class, say hello with camera on in the beginning, and then turn the camera and mic to mute while class is in session. I can still get in a full class while my kid does virtual school or plays in the background. And when even that plan goes sideways, I like that I can usually finish the class via recording later.
Choice x 2 – Ok this deserves a second to the point too. The other big bonus to me on choice regards touch. As a yoga student 99.99% of the time, I do not want a teacher to touch me. The trauma is real and going to an in-person class would often cause me anxiety. Even if I spoke up before class started and said no assists, I would worry that they would forget or not honor my choice. Online I never have to worry about that! And I love that from teacher perspective too. I very rarely give assists for these personal reasons, but occasionally I would, and it was always in my mind is this really ok or not. I think manual assists in group class settings will mostly be a casualty of the pandemic and I’m a ok with that.
Parenting Share – Now as much as I wish me, my hubby, our two daughters and the dog hadn’t been stuck in the house 24/7 for most of the last twelve months, the pandemic has forced us to re-evaluate our parenting share. I’m currently teaching about 6 classes a week. The space where I teach is the same space where Jason works. Even just that space share forced us to look at who works when and the trickle effects. Pre-pandemic I was pretty much always the primary parent for everything from logistics to emotional care. The pandemic shined a light on the extra load mothers bear, and I’m thankful it’s led to positive shifts in our household. I am more seen, and we share the load more than before. It’s always a work in progress, but no words can express my gratitude for this shift. The pandemic stress tested our relationship and the roles we play, and we’ve come out stronger.
Time – However long the length of a yoga class was prior to pandemic, one would easily need to double that in terms of time commitment. Now a 60-minute class is truly just a 60-minute commitment. When time is often our most valuable resource this is a definite bonus. And because the time commitment is different, I’ve noticed more students attending class with more regularity and more frequency.
Practice is Progress – With the ease of access I’ve seen and heard from so many of you who have seen progress in your practice. Sometimes that has come in finally “getting” a pose that had long been allusive. And often times I’ve heard that online yoga classes have given you the needed space to breathe, to grieve, to heal, and to reflect. I’ve heard that classes have given you power, focus, and regularity to what otherwise felt like an unsteady groundhog’s day. Practice has given us something to measure.
Empowered Teaching – In my over fifteen years of teaching yoga and fitness classes, I’ve never felt so empowered. For the first time, I really am fully in charge of how I teach. I teach best if I’m right in there with you and so the online classes that call for me participating pretty fully speak to my strengths. And I love, love, love working a monthly focus with a pretty set group of students. I feel empowered because I am teaching in a way that I know makes the practice enriching and sustainable for everyday living.
Alright I could actually go on and on for much longer on these aspects and more, but I’ll stop myself here. This is all a lesson to remember what we have gained from this time. Don’t ditch the baby with the bath water when we go back to in person classes. My goal is to find a happy medium. The community and the shared energy of gathering together in person is special, and so are the benefits of growing our practices in our homes and in new crevices of our lives.
Are you feeling like you’ve missed out on all these benefits? No stress – you can join anytime. I’d love to see you in a class soon and I’m also happy to help you find your best teacher if you are looking for something different than what I offer. Reach out.