How to get the most out of your online yoga
How to get the most out of your online yoga
Image credit Kari Shea
REMOTE YOGA CLASSES IN MY VIRTUAL STUDIO
In uncertain times where guidelines on social distancing, maintaining health, and combating the COVID-19 virus, more and more of our everyday activities have had to move online for the benefit of our physical and emotional wellbeing. But fitting it all in AND reducing time spent in front of a screen is a challenge for everyone, especially those working from home or small business owners.
So very briefly, here are some tips for getting the most out of your yoga practice online.
CREATE YOUR OWN ROUTINE
Making time for yourself is for some, a very hard thing to do. I know lots of people who are busy, busy, busy and then there’s no time left over for doing the things they love to do. I know this because I am one of those people.
It’s worthwhile making a mental list - or an actual list, if that feels better - of things that are very important to you. The non-negotiables of things you must have in your life; time for cycling, your morning cup of coffee, your skin care regime at the end of the day. The things on your list should be the things that light you up and recharge your pot of energy.
How can you fit those things in? Please do make time for them, they may seem like insignificant things, but they are important.
Within the Resources tab of my Members Area, there is an activity to help you work out the things you need more of. Perhaps you’ve already seen that (or perhaps you might want to subscribe to have access to all of these wellbeing activities? You would be very welcome 🥰*)*
Maybe you often find yourself feeling like you don’t have the time but take a minute to close your eyes and remember why you do these things in the first place. How do they make you feel? For example, you get home from work late, there’s traffic and it seems like a faff to clear your space and roll out your yoga mat. Think about how being on your yoga mat makes you feel.
The “effort” of preparing yourself to begin your yoga class is the cost. The way the yoga makes you feel is the benefit. Of course, we should be mindful of cost in most instances but we should never forget the benefit. If the cost outweighs the benefit, it’s probably not worth doing. But if the benefit is sooooo worth it, the cost is the investment.
SHOW UP
This might sound a daft thing to say, but it’s very easy to be scrolling through the internet from the sofa and be attracted to offers of online activities. We sign up with the very best intentions because, of course, we want to invest into our physical, emotional and mental wellbeing.
The day arrives and life being life, something happens - you have a stressful day, your sofa is enticing you with promises of making everything better, and quite frankly you’ve been that busy you’ve not had a minute to yourself. Well now, this IS a minute for yourself. 60 of the 60-second beggars, entirely dedicated just for you.
Making a commitment to anything is an investment of your time and it is a mark of integrity to honour those commitments. Honouring those commitments to YOURSELF is doubly important. The third of the Niyamas, Tapas, invites us to show up and follow through on our commitments.
PREPARE YOUR SPACE
It really is worth taking a little bit of time consider the space that you are planning to practice your yoga. Really stand back and assess your space. Perhaps there’s laundry that needs to be folded on top of the dining table. Maybe there is a box of work papers next to the pile of laundry. Perchance, the vacuum cleaner hasn’t had an outing for a little while because you’ve had a lot on your plate.
I feel like we should all take a minute to offer some appreciation for the Dining Table, or other such place in your home. This space is a wonderful space where you nourish your body with food, a space where you might connect with family sharing a meal or a board game, a space where the laundry sometimes gets dumped (no? Just me then 🤷🏼♀️), a space where school work might be tackled. A space where you might fix your bicycle tyre puncture, a space that may have become your office for working at home.
Image credit Dimitry Anikin
One of the things I loved most about my yoga studio was that it was a clear, clean space, free from clutter. There are limited things with which the eyes and the chattery mind can become distracted. I designed the space to be as free from distraction as possible, everything there was positioned for ultimate relaxation. It really was quite remarkable to observe students coming into the room and visibly exhaling and relaxing.
I know it can’t be replicated completely at home, but will you really get that same feeling of retreating if you roll out your mat amidst the laundry, work papers and passing dust bunnies?
So. Take that time. Fold the laundry, move that and the papers out of your line of sight. Take the vacuum for a spin.
Ready the space for becoming your retreat at home. The blog I wrote, How to create a sacred space for your life, might help give you a better idea of why this is important.
RETREAT AT HOME
You’ve considered your routine, you’ve prepared your space, you’re showing up. Now let’s put the icing on the cake.
Create yourself a retreat in your own home for your
REMOTE YOGA
Have to hand all the props that you might need. Things like comfy blankets, an eye pillow, yoga blocks or bricks, a yoga strap. If you need any help sourcing this stuff, I’m more than happy to help you if you drop me an email but sturdy books, pillows, tea towels, socks (clean!) and belts do just as well, you don’t need to have expensive stuff around you, just things that can support your movement and help you find ease. Have a read of this blog post, Props; what do I do with them?, to give you a better idea of what’s the deal with them.
Now, it’s all about the senses.
For me, I need my space to be comfortably warm - being cold is a distraction and being too hot can be counterproductive to healthy range of motion and stretching. I like to practice my yoga in a room without harsh lighting so I use fairy lights and I love the gentle glow of candles (burn them safely). It really is a sensory experience, so I like to diffuse essential oils into the air and I like to burn incense for the scents which gently sweep my concentration away from my busy brain and to a space that I can comfortably let go of the myriad of thoughts that happen for me. Perhaps they happen for you, too. I use Goloka Nag Champa incense sticks at the studio, should you be interested to recreate the scent at home and if you live locally, I’d check out The Wellbeing Studio because Scarlett stocks some lovely incense as well. Shopping local is great, right?
A NOTE ON LETTING GO
We ALL have our own stories, we are all faced with different challenges and get to experience emotions ranging from joy and pleasure to sadness, anger and frustration.
Please do let them come.
It goes without saying that all of those emotions are welcome in my classes and there is never any judgement or need for embarrassment if those emotions should start to leak out of your eyes, but in the comfort of your own home, you really can let go of whatever you need to. Take a look at my blog post, Why the hell did I cry in my yoga class?, so you can prepare yourself should this ever happen for you. There’s no shame in it - I’ve cried on my mat many a time, I’ve even cried in a yoga class from being so happy!
Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about
— WENDY MASS
Sincerely, thank you so much for taking the time to read this post. I truly hope it has offered some value for you and it may have given you some food for thought. I would love to know if this has helped you rekindle your love for your yoga practice even if we can’t practice face to face.
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Share, like, comment, forward - all that good stuff to build community and connection with someone else who might enjoy reading this perspective. Stay kind, stay happy, stay healthy 🙏🏼
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