What is Better for YOU:

Pre recorded Yoga Videos or a Live Virtual Class?

By Rose Sharon Moore

July 15, 2020

I asked the beginner yoga at home group why they wouldn’t want to take an online class for yoga and I got a few replies. The most common theme was that they preferred pre recorded videos. I totally get this. I learned how to do yoga at home for a variety of reasons, and today I’m going to talk about these pre recorded videos vs the pros of a virtual class.

Before I start I would like to let you know I have a class starting August 1, 2020 for Wild Self love. We will do yoga, meditate, contemplate, and journal for six weeks to help you gain self confidence, a life aligned with your values, and a fit bod. Click here to see the details and register. You can also message me for more info. OK let’s go!

 First of all, I do think they are awesome. I have to give credit to Psyche Truth on amazon prime, Crystal gray’s beginner chakra series. When I started making yoga a regular part of my daily routine, I was sick, agoraphobic, afraid of people, and incredibly out of shape. How the heck was I going to go to a real life studio? Amazon prime looked at me flashing a 30 day yoga challenge and I said hell why not. No one would see me fall on my face, no one would tell me I’m doing it wrong, and I didn’t have to leave the house. Fabulous.

Reasons you may choose Videos

1. Safety in not being judged

I’m an introvert, I’m shy, I don’t want to be judged. I thought that a yoga instructor would single me out because it had happened before when I had gone to the studio. Online, why would that be different? You will only judge yourself with a pre recorded video

2. You know it will end at a specific time

Ahh! A 30 minute pre recorded video, i know it won’t go over that time and that I can go along with my day easy peasy. The fear is the teacher going over, or under the time. With a pre recorded video, you know when it will end for sure

3. I don’t want people to see me!

So many people don’t want to be seen, and that is a legitimate feeling. Not everyone is an entertainer, an extrovert, or comfortable with a spotlight. 

4. Technology is hard

Getting on Zoom google meetings, or any other live streaming communication tool is difficult. I still have trouble with it at times. With a pre-recorded video you can cast your screen and go

5. I can go back to it and pause when I need the time

Probably the best pro of a prerecorded video is I can pause and spend more time getting into that twisty pose the instructor slides into. I’m not sliding into ANYTHING, give me a minute ok? 

So who wouldn’t say yes to all of these above? Certainly not me in the beginning. I didn’t know there were virtual classes at the time, I was scared, all the stuff I listed above. There is a cost, however, and it is paid with the price of INTIMACY. What? Are you a little worried when you hear the word intimacy? A lot of us are. People are scary right? People are mean, right? Well look, some people are, but when you take the step towards intimacy with a group of like minded people… they become your fertilizer. You bloom exponentially. Yoga is a safe place for me and with my students I want nothing more than for them to feel empowered, loved, and 

The Pros of a live online class:

1. You will know your alignment is correct

I didn’t know this was a problem until I started taking classes with my YTT instructor. Apparently an upward facing dog isn’t easy. Apparently I rounded my back a lot. Apparently I was not gaining the arm strength needed for inversions. A pre-recorded video is not going to tell you these minor (but important) alignment adjustments.

Alignment is important especially if you are going to make yoga a lifestyle choice. It will e easier to advance with correct positioning

 I live teacher will be able to see you on screen (I have a 64 inch TV I can see my students on) and tell the class little things they see which would be overlooked by a video. If you start these bad habits in the beginning, you won’t see as many improvements as you go, and you’ll eventually have to unlearn them.  PS I will not call you out by name my friends. There is no need to worry about that kind of embarrassment

2. Video yoga is Lonely

I didn’t realize this until I started taking virtual classes live. I was a loner, Id just lost a couple of my bffs, my job and I thought I had no self confidence. This was the reason i used pre-recorded videos. The problem though? It didn’t help these issues I had, and I know a lot of beginner yogis have said the same thing. We live in a lonely society. 

Virtual classes have helped me make friends with yogis all over the place. The community is eye opening, because all these cool online yogis get it. We are encouraging. We really know you and care. The community is huge online and the more we do it together in the safety of our own homes, the more we want to. Because I know my new friends are going to be there as well! 

3. Real encouragement will help you commit

I have made it halfway through tons of 30 day challenges from video yoga. Tons! In my personal practice, I am more likely to stick with something if I have a good mentor, a good teacher, and a person on the other side of the computer reminding me ‘we got class tonight’ or ‘I’m doing heart openers tonight!’ It helps me get excited. It helps me get jazzed for my class. 

And one more thing about commitment: your life will feel like a weight has been lifted from your shoulders. I see it over and over again. There is a reason the people who are into yoga are all really into yoga. It feels good, it brightens your day, it helps you see things in a way that will give you peace even in the darkest days. Commitment was a gift I gave myself, and I highly recommend it for you. Surround yourself with other yogis and its infectious. 

4. The Savasana is better

Savasana is weird, I will admit it. For those of you who don’t know, Savasana is how we end out classes in yoga. After you get sweaty and energetically empowered, we end the class in savasana which is a pose laying on your back for around five minutes, eyes closed, palms up. In the recorded videos I’ve noticed they only put you in savasana for a minute or so and then get you up to say namaste. 

That is not enough for me. As an instructor I will guide you through a full body muscle relaxation, help you calm your mind through mantra or counting, and then give you a good amount of time to relax and integrate all of the work you 

5. Its nice to hear your name

When I’m teaching an online class I will look at your camera. If you look great I will verbally validate you. “OMG Sara you look great,” I think I said this three times in my showcase which you can see at the yoga goddess collective. I am always excited and proud when I see my students in a beautiful crow, or even just a nice strong warrior 1. I am going to talk to YOU. I am going to give you space. I am here for all of my students. I can tell ya, the yoga videos on Amazon are not going to shower you with the praise that I have for you. If your camera is off, which some students prefer, I will still be there for ya ‘hey hope you’re doing good’ Its all

6. Having a scheduled class is a great structure

Some home video yoga recordings will tell you, ‘make a time in the day to do these episodes.’ and you start out like, ok sure. Then things get busy in life, and the yoga video becomes the first thing you drop. With a scheduled class, your time is managed. If you miss a class, you will make the decision with intention, thought and care. You won’t want to miss the class, though, trust me. It will be the best part of your day, and it will be something you can look forward to. 

Ultimately it is up to you how you want to do your yoga practice. My favorite is a combination of both. I will take a virtual class a couple times a week, a video class once or twice, and just vibe my way through poses intuitively when I’m thinking of classes for the future. I am, admittedly, a little obsessed. You can change your life with one or two classes a week. 

If you want to supercharge your yoga practice in a fun, safe, and loving environment I highly encourage you to look into my Wild Self Love Workshop. It is going to be a small group and you’ll get a lot of attention that you might not in studio, and definitely more than in a youtube video! Click Below

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and here is the schedule for my list of free activities available on my Facebook group for the month of July, 2020

Also please like me on instagram, facebook, and join my facebook group for updates and inspiration. Love you all, namaste.