Why Should I have Private Yoga
Don’t you just love a yoga class?
There’s something really nice about arriving at the studio and saying hi to people that you recognise from previous weeks. There’s something really nice about the sense of community and shared experience.
So why would anyone book private yoga tuition? What goes on there? Isn’t is like, awkward being just you and the yoga teacher? Won’t it highlight to the teacher that you cannot touch your toes, your balance isn't so great and attempting to take the binding position of your arms makes you feel like one of life’s greatest failures? Won’t it highlight to the teacher that you really aren’t good at this yoga stuff and sod it, why don’t I just go home?
IS IT JUST CELEBRITIES WHO HAVE A PRIVATE YOGA TEACHER??
I'm here to tell you why a private class might be exactly the thing that could further your practice beyond your imagination both in group classes and on your mat in the comfort of your own home. The clients I work with privately tell me they experience yoga with a whole new depth that impacts their life very positively.
And here’s why…
YOU GET MY UNDIVIDED ATTENTION
During a class setting, your yoga teacher may have any number of bodies to keep their eye on and remember the teaching queues, the sequence, the details, contraindications and modifications necessary for any injuries or issues declared by multiple students. Yoga teachers are AMAZING at doing this. Yes, I am including myself in this - I pride myself in managing all of these aspects of teaching a group class at the same time as using my words to convey a a sense of uplifting or relaxing the energy in the room. However, ding, ding, ding - yoga teachers are also human.
I know. It’s hard to believe, right?
There have been times that my group class has turned out to be a group class of one, which is always a lovely surprise. I’ve had experience of working one-to-one with people that I have been teaching in group settings for a long time and those people reported their yoga practice felt entirely different because the teaching queues were directed specifically for them and the group classes took on a whole new meaning afterwards..
Life is busy for mostly everyone on the planet and how often do you get to have the complete attention and focus of an expert on the wellbeing of you?
WE GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER A WHOLE LOT BETTER
Before elaborating on this point, I should mention that being in a private yoga session may or may not feel emotionally intimate and it might feel relevant or important for you to share elements of your life or things that concern you. This is completely normal when you feel relaxed and at ease with another person. Sometimes, things can weigh heavy on your mind and it feels better to let things go. I am not a therapist, nor am I bound by any Hippocratic oath, but let me assure you that I treat any information disclosed to me with the utmost respect and discretion. I won’t have the answers for you, but you probably don’t need them from anyone else but yourself. I will hold space for you if you need to voice something that worries you.
I have spent many, many years studying the wide ranging subject of yoga - it’s not just the yoga poses, did you know that? Read this blog post to have a better idea of what I'm talking about.
Working in a private setting with me can allow me to really get into the nitty gritty of poses that can help you find comfort and to ease problems such as back pain or stress management.
Getting to know a bit about you, your life and the challenges you face allows me to utilise my knowledge of yoga to offer you elements of practice that I may not normally offer in a group setting. For example; if you have a particularly stressful situation going on at work, I might incorporate extra pranayama practices. If you happen to mention conversationally that when you dismount your bicycle you have a niggling pain in your hip, I will encourage you to offer some more information so we can adapt or include poses that might provide you with some ease. If you mention that you have professional exams on the horizon, I might tailor your session to include dhyana (meditation) or dharana (concentration) to help with your power of mental recall and focus.
YOU GET A SEQUENCE OF YOGA POSES DESIGNED ESPECIALLY FOR YOUR OWN BODY
One of the most important processes of working in a private setting with a student, and one that I greatly enjoy, is the initial consultation.
This is where we get to discuss what it is that you hope to achieve from working with me on a one-to-one basis and this is where I can get really creative using my knowledge of anatomy and physiology, philosophy and my own years of experience of personal practice to design a practice to your own unique requirements. It might be that you’ve seen a yoga pose and you really, really would love to be able to do that with your body one day. It might be that you’re a cyclist and you struggle with back ache and you’d like to improve your core strength and stamina in order to cover a greater distance during your next jaunt. It might be that you’re a busy mum who finds it extremely hard to switch off and rest. Maybe you really want to experience the deeply calming and energising benefits of mantra yoga.
This is your life and you deserve for your amazing body to be facilitating whatever activity that you would like to be experiencing.
During you one-to-one practice, I will be watching your movements and observing your physical alignment, your energy, body language, words and facial expressions to ensure your utmost comfort and I can maintain the focus of the session to your goals or can adjust and modify the nature of the class, should I detect that you need something else in this moment.
In this way, working privately with an experienced yoga teacher can be a really great way of exploring yoga to a much deeper, more personal level and are so enriching and nourishing for both the student and myself as a teacher. Aside from strengthening your physical body and improving stability and mobility, there are a wide ranging variety of benefits including improved relaxation and sleep quality, increased self esteem and body image and a more positive outlook on life.
You know your yoga is working not when your poses get better, but when your life gets better
We can have our sessions in the comfort of your own home, in a local community centre or even online. That way you can really zone out and have the sensation of arriving at your practice and leaving the world behind for a little while. If you have your own yoga mat, it’s a good idea to bring it along so that you can cultivate a real sense of having your own sacred space that is also portable.
If you are investing into a a personal practice for specific health considerations, it’s great to seek the advice of your GP or medical professional before beginning any physical exercise. In my own teachings, I will always recommend and advise you to only move within your own personal level of comfort. Before coming to my classes, be sure to complete my online Health Declaration form to confirm you’re fit and able to practice (I need this for my insurance purposes and be assure that I adhere to a strict Privacy Policy) and if you take any pain medication, be sure to let me know ahead of time.
Work with me
I'd love to get to know you and support you with your yoga practice.
All my love,
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this post, I sincerely hope you have enjoyed it and it may have given you some food for thought.
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