The Sanskrit first, then the English pose, then the directions:
Tadasana, or mountain pose.
It’s like standing up straight but BETTER. Feet together, pointing forward, push into your feet and feel your pelvis rise. Squeeze your quads and feel a nice bend in your knee. Lift your ribcage, roll your shoulders back and down with your fingers pushing into each other at your side
Utthita tadasana or mountain pose hands raised over head.
I like to sweep my hands out to the side, really pulling my arms away from each other, and shift my shoulders once my hands are at shoulder length so that I can keep sweeping up up up until they are reaching the sky, palms touchingi
Uttanasana or forward fold.
Please have a slight bend in the knees! Tilt with your pelvis keeping your spine long (in other words, let your chest lead the way rather than your head). Keep your shoulders plugged in and let your head hang. Let your hands come to somewhere supportive whether it be your thighs, knees, shins, or ground. It would also be nice to use some blocks instead of your knees.
Ardha Uttanasana or half way up monkey.
Come half way up, pushing into your shins with your fingers feeling the elongation of your spine, look down.
Kumbhakasana or plank.
To come into this position from forward fold by bending your knees generously and planting your hands onto the mat. Pointer finger should point to the front of your mat, and spread your fingers wide apart. Put your pressure on the knuckles to alleviate tension from your wrists.
One leg at a time bring your feet back, standing tall on your toes and arms to hands. The aim is to make a straight line from the spine to the toes which you can do by tucking your tailbone slightly. If it feels easy you’re doing it wrong. 😛
Chuttarunga dandasana we just call this chuttarunga,
its like a plank but with your upper arm parallel to the ground. To get into this pose, first press your toes into the mat pushing your shoulders forward so that they are past your fingers. At this point, lower your torso with your elbows pointing behind you and right against your body.
If your elbows sprawl outward, you won’t work the right muscles in your shoulders to gain the strength for arm balancing poses later in your practice. NEVER SKIP THA CHUT!
Buhjangasana or Cobra pose.
Please come all the way down to the mat from chuttarunga dandasana and relax completely onto your belly as you exhale. Inhale and push your chest up, shoulders back by pressing your knuckles into the mat. Keep your pelvis glued to the mat, and keep a bend in your elbows despite how badly you want to straighten them completely. Exhale come all the way back down
Adho mukha svanasana or Downward dog.
Tuck your toes under, start to bend your knees so that they press into the mat. On an inhale push up to the top of a pushup, and then inhale pushing your hips back and up by pushing into your knuckles. Roll your shoulders away from each other AND your forearms so that they are in line with your wrists. It might take you a while to get used to the feeling.
Bend your knees to help give you space to make a straight line from your wrists to your tailbone. Balance your wait from the front and behind to make it easier to stay in this pose. I teach 3 breaths in downward dog in a sun salutation.
After the 3 breaths here, breathe in bend your knees, and look forward. On an exhale, with your hands still on the mat, walk your feet to the front of the mat
Ardha uttanasana or Monkey
push into your shins, elongate your back, look down in this half forward fold
Uttanasana or forward fold,
just like before, tilt your pelvis forward fold as far as is comfortable for you and relax into his pose as you exhale
Utthita tadasana or mountain pose.
Tilt back up with your head leading first and with arms raised over head. Keep your shoulders away from your ears.
Tadasana mountain pose. Relax, take as many breaths here as you desire
Sun Salutation In English:
Mountain
Mountain arms raised
Forward fold
Monkey
Plank
Chutarunga
Cobra
Downward dog
Monkey
Forward fold
Mountain arms raised
Mountain
Intuitive sequencing on your own
Here is a sequence to continue after a few rounds of sun salutations.
they pair really well if you are looking for a full body wake up. Feel free to add or subtract any thing as well. When you practice at home, part of the joy is being in control of where your going a lot of the time. Kind of like ‘homework’ practice between classes at school. I encourage you to think outside of the studio box and let yourself explore without the guidance of a class or recording. If you do please let me know how it changes how you feel about yoga, ok? I’d like to hear if it makes a difference for you, too.
Virabhadasana 2 or warrior 2
Utthita parsvottanasana or side angle stretch
Virabhadrasana 2 or warrior 2
On each side : its so important to do each side for these
or maybe
parsvottanasana
Virabhadrasana 1 with mudra
Virabhadrasana 1
On each side
Then meditate or corpse pose savasana
Next day start with sun salutations and mix and match a few different poses
Warrior 2
Side angle stretch
Reverse Warrior
Warrior 2
Warrior 1
Pyramid
Warrior 1 with prayer
Ok, well, i hope this entertained someone out there. Have fun, experiment, and have a nice day!
10 Common Things Standing in Our Way from our future goals: why and what to do
Published July 25, 2021
Written by Rose Moore
~Yoga instructor, meditation guide, peer mental health support, artisan and tarot reader
(THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS VIA AMAZON TO THE BOOKS IN CITATIONS FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE. AFFILIATE LINKS HELP ME TO SHARE THE BOOKS I HAVE READ AND MAKE A FEW CENTS FOR EVERY SALE THANK YOU FOR UNDERSTANDING. All other links are unsponsored)
10 REASONS WE HOLD OUTSELVES BACK
What holds you back right now?
Maybe you feel ‘lazy’
Lazy is another word I find synonymous with two things: Depression and anxiety. Some people will say laziness is a character defect. Something not to aspire to. Something that puts people off. I agree of course not to aspire for laziness, but I have never met anyone who calls themselves lazy who didn’t have a lot going on inside their heads. In some cases, it is self-preservation, and others are fear based. Fear of failure, fear of losing something, perfectionism, fear of the cost are rather common. And some of these reasons stem from depression.
Fear is different than depression. When we are afraid, we are thinking about the future, about what COULD HAPPEN. How am I going to get hurt? How am I going to fail? How will I disappoint? How will I overcome?
I have heard that ‘laziness’ can also come from perfectionism. You are too hard on yourself to even start. That’s a tough pickle, but CBT guidance can help you learn when your thoughts are distorted like ‘I have to be perfect to start’ this book, the feel good handbook, is written by a doctor of psychology and is the only book you will need to learn the ins and outs of CBT on your own (affiliate link)
Depression on the other hand is past orientation and can become ball of self-preservation. We are slow, our energy is depleted, we can suffer from inflammation, and we do not want to do anything to help it. Surviving is hard enough for a depressed person, so how can they possibly go out and get it?
You need to shift your goals to your health. Depression might feel normal to you, but it is draining to your life. Some people are able to thrive with depression, but it comes at a price. So please take care of yourself you can do this by:
Journaling
Doodling and coloring
Enjoy yourself even if you’re doing ‘nothing’
Learning cbt skills
Practicing mindfulness
Picking something to look forward to (in the past when I was most depressed I would be able to make it if I knew there was a book coming out soon or something)
Drinking enough water
Look online for free mental health resources
Find a therapist if it is within your means
Sequence based on the Devil card from the Lisa Frank tarot deck
Maybe self-control because you know what you want is destructive?
Drugs, sex, rock and roll. It is the Christmas list to the self of my twenties. I spent so much time doing exactly what I wanted, I neglected to ask myself, ‘well is this going to help me with my goals? Does it even make me happy?’ of course not, I didn’t even have goals! Networking became a hell of a time, getting drunk at galleries and telling women I met in the bathroom how they “are my best friends.”
Did this get me anywhere? No. Was it a hell of a lot of fun and something I do not regret? Well, yea of course. But the party did not last forever. I had been avoiding the real work I needed to do to become a fully actualized person.
I gave myself a personal evaluation when I turned 30. At a New Years party, I took a single shot of alcohol and projectile vomited on my friend’s date. I could not deny how destructive this was and I knew I had to change. The guy was nice about it when he should have left! I was only able to get the self-control to stop when I said goodbye to my alcoholic friends and got serious therapeutic help.
If you know what you want is destructive there are several steps to stop. I used a diet as example because people do it all the time, if you are trying to eat healthy work with your doc or a nutritionist! Anyway here are the steps from the The Transtheoretical Model Stages of Change
:
Pre contemplation – this is where you are starting to feel the negative effects of your habit
Contemplation – this is when you can identify the negative effects and how they are affecting you
Preparation – this is when you say ‘I will start my diet tomorrow’
Action – this is when you start your diet
Continued effort – this is the rest of your life, my friend!
Or you end up back in the precontemplation stage and go through it again like a samskara
Maybe you don’t know exactly what you want and its hard to focus?
Some poses I love most without focus
Instead of saying to yourself ‘jee what do I want to do when I grow up?’ and daydreaming about the things you are deciding to cut from the list, look at this book
I agree with her system and I use it for myself about once a year to see how things are going. She does not ask you what you want, instead she asks you to think about what it is you value:
What do you love?
What gets you going?
What makes you feel unloaded?
What sparks your creativity?
What turns you on?
What disgusts you?
What could you live without? What couldn’t you?
The second half of the book is tons of exercises with questions like these. Instead of focusing in on a goal, you focus on what your values are. Once you have a concrete idea of what it is you value in the world, you will have a narrower focus on what it is you want. It’s a great first step for someone who feels lost to the ocean of opportunity.
My second recommendation, at the point where you have an idea of what you want, is to close your eyes, turn inward into meditation, and then take a few minutes to visualize your life not during the journey but when you get to exactly where you want.
What does it look like?
Where are you?
What does it smell like?
Who is there?
What objects are around you?
What are the textures around you?
Where is the sun?
As you ask yourself these things try to imagine them. The more questions you ask like this, the stronger your vision will become. At this point you may be asking if I am referring to the law of attraction. Sort of, yes, but without the mysticism.
I think the law of attraction works mostly because it helps you identify what it is you are willing to go out on a limb for. By looking to the end goal and giving it a proper visualization you can focus in on the main things which are important to you and start to work on those things.
For instance if you want to attract a car, you will probably need to know how to drive. Visualize being able to drive and you’ll likely be less scared to take the driving test.
Moms, I am looking at you. Service workers I’m looking at you. Nurses? I’m looking at you too. Single provider for family? Always being the person to reset the router…? It’s all some tough stuff when it comes to moving forward because someone is counting on you.
Well for one, people in the first category I’m looking at you. You know what it is called when you finish the sentence ‘I am (insert title)?’
That’s your ego my friend! It is not an insult to say, ‘that’s your ego.’ Instead, I refer to it as the way you describe yourself and define yourself. We all do it, its part of humanity. For example, when I hear a friend say, ‘I can’t, I’m a mother, I need to take care of them first,’ I hear my friends ego identifying with motherhood.
But she is not just a mother. By her hyper focus on motherhood, she is denying herself other facets of her inner world. To be nothing more than a mother will drive you crazy and your kids will think you’re boring at some point jk jk jk. So, if you are a person who takes care of others at your own expense the answer is easy.
Prioritize yourself.
Follow through with prioritizing yourself. It is important to fill your own cup before you can serve others and it will only happen if you consider yourself one of your clients. Easier said than done I know.
For those who have societal burdens
Maybe you do not have other people to look out for you and have to do everything by yourself? Maybe because of student debt? Because of a felony? Because your house burned down? Because you must take 3 buses to work on the other side of town? Because of prejudice in your community?
It is all A LOT. We did not choose the era to be born in, this is the sandbox we were tossed into.
The pressure of modern life is soul crushing for most people in my country unless you are afforded luxuries like agood public education. How can we overcome societies heavy pressure?
For those of you with looming burden finding a goal is the most important thing. Viktor Frankl says in Mans search for meaning,
“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” ― Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning
“Don’t aim at success. The more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one’s personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one’s surrender to a person other than oneself. Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it. I want you to listen to what your conscience commands you to do and go on to carry it out to the best of your knowledge. Then you will live to see that in the long-run—in the long-run, I say!—success will follow you precisely because you had forgotten to think about it”
Maybe what you want looks so out of reach its unreasonable?
Hey you, do you also want to go to the moon? It’s been a dream of mine since I was little. I would look outside in the night sky and if I saw a satellite I would yell ‘please, aliens, take me with you!!’ Ok I still do that but I can identify satellites now, so it’s less magical.
I was watching the news recently and saw that one man decided to go to the moon and lifted off the other day! He is the richest man in the world due to his ingenuity, luck and resourcefulness. It must have been weird to become the richest man in the world. I was talking to a friend recently about how its hard to even imagine having that much money.
Most of us never will. If you do, hey send me a tip via cashapp! $royoyoga Hehe
A lot of dreams are far off reach unless you also have the same kind of resourcefulness. But the reality is most of us don’t seriously dream about going to the moon.
We can find reasonable goals by dreaming about having abundance, about living according to our dharma, we’ll be more equipped to do the actual work.
Icarus wanted to fly as high into the atmosphere as he could, but he couldn’t handle the heat of being so close to the sun. We don’t have to fly to the sun to find happiness or meaning.
For you I would suggest using SMART goals
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relavent
Time bound
It helps!
Risks are hard and you don’t want to deal with the prospect of losing something?
I am not a gambling woman, despite having four aces tattooed onto my left foot. Risks scare me especially to put a lot of money on the line. To lose a lot of money to me is to lose a lot of security. I hold the stuff close, I’m a squirrel.
It’s easy for me to see why you wouldn’t want to make the risk.
If this is the case, guess what, there are easy ways to get what you want that won’t potentially hurt you, did you know that?
There are boring ways to get to the point where you want to be. They aren’t quick, they aren’t exciting, but they do the job.
Tadasana, Mountain Pose
Go the boring way. When the subject of the lottery comes up I tell people, ‘whenever I have the desire to buy a lottery ticket I put a 1$ bill into a box and at the end of the year I have a nest egg. This is more than most people will ever make from playing the lottery.
But its boring. And its not an exciting amount of money. The only thing you lost was the thrill of anticipation and the blow of losing.
When you go through all the boring avenues to get where you want to be, you may also have a better appreciation of where you end up. Many people who win the lottery end up sad, depressed, and even broke again at some point! It is a difficult transition to have such a significant lifestyle change so quickly.
Is there something you don’t want to lose? Go the boring way
You unconsciously want to stay where you are
Heres the thing about holding yourself back, it can feel good. It is nice to be the big fish in a small pond. It is nice to feel cozy all the while ignoring the hard stuff it would take to change. A lot of people won’t tell you that part. It is the easy way not just because you don’t have to do anything, but because you already know how to do it.
To this I would say, please take a moment to appreciate where you are. This is the time for a moment of gratitude. Be grateful for all the things you have achieved because you are where you want to be.
You don’t have to climb a mountain to be happy. Don’t beat yourself up because you hear societies call for ‘the bigger the better the ladder climber’ philosophy.
Winnie the Pooh is a great toaist who loves to stay still. Get inspired on how to chill with the tao of pooh. It was one of my first world religions study guide back in university and its cute too.
Maybe you would say simply, ‘myself’ and none of the above seem quite right
This was the most common answer. What is holding you back? “Myself.” One word. I hear depression in this sentiment which is my own projection. For me when I say myself, there is a ‘should’ in the statement. How can I make myself get out of my way? If ever you end up saying should, by the way, its something you’re shaming yourself about. ‘I should do this I should do that,’ no, you are doing what you need to be doing in the moment.
I don’t even know what to say to this one though, because the more time I take to empathize with this statement the more reasons I can think of for why someone would answer this way:
It’s a cop out to answering the question because of course it has to do with you, its your own life
you take a lot of personal responsibility for where your life takes you.
you see yourself as a hurdle towards your pursuits
You are mindfully deciding you do not want to go forward, you want to stay where you are
You unconsciously want to stay where you are
?????
lots of cards to represent lots of reasons!!!
In the the case of A, I like the cut of your jib, partner. Thanks for the engagement. Tip of the hat to you~
In the case of B, Maybe you are too hard on yourself, maybe a perfectionist. may I remind you that this world is full of chaos, things are legitimately random, and you don’t have control of everything in your life. You have no idea what is going to come across, you tomorrow you can’t be ready for everything. Reframe your ‘I stand in my way,’ to ‘I lead the ship I’m just docked right now, ok.’
In the case of C, you are the hurdle as much as you are the jumper. This is the yin and yang of life.
D) nothing wrong with settling as long as it doesn’t make you feel empty some how! Glad you got to where you want to be, enjoy the view. You don’t have to feel bad about it.
You mistake what is in your control and what is out of your control
Because looking outward to the things you cannot control is going to drive you crazy*
My dog barks at the mail man every day as if this is the day the mail man will listen. How dare the mail man come so close to my door? This happens every single day.
She is mistaking what is in and out of her control. My dog does this a lot.
A lot of idealists want a world which is very different from the gritty ugly complicated world that is our sandbox. I was one of them once, though I’ve fermented in my years of paying attention.
I want to yell to you idealists ‘it isn’t worth it! It won’t change! It’s bigger than you or I! Try to be happy despite it all~’
But you can’t hear it from me, you must realize it yourself. I sure had to realize it. I went nearly insane hoping and campaigning for a reasonable future only to have the rug pulled from under me by the chaotic complicated world I live in.
Sanity came from giving up hope that I can change the world. It helped me realize what indeed I do have control over, versus the things I WISH I had control over.
“The wise who control their body, who control their tongue, the wise who control their mind, are indeed well controlled.” (Verse 234, )
Chapter XVII of the Dhammapada (ref. Max Muller’s Wisdom of the Buddha) compiles the teachings of the Buddha and his monastic community on the topic of restraining and dealing with anger:
Anyway here is a list of things you can control
Your breath
Your inner thoughts
Your speed
Your belief system
Your values
Life needs: Drinking enough water, sleep patterns, exercise
The way you react
The actions you take
Letting go of control, acceptance
The media you choose to consume
What you let other people know (who you confide in)
Follow me through my monthly zine where I’ll post the link to each of my new blogs
About Us
Royo Yoga strives to tackle real life by incorporating every limb of the yoga tree into self care rituals. From yoga asana focused on emotions to guided visual meditations. One of Royo Yoga’s first values is fun, a part of our lives which can take a seat in the back due to responsibility. With my help we can nurture our inner children and really live in the present to enjoy our lives fully
THERE IS STILL TIME TO REGISTER, STARTS JUL1 THURSDAY!!
My july class, yamas and niyamas for a beginner yoga student starts july 1, and will be hosted Thursdays at 8PM EST via my private zoom room. please message me if you are interested, its 30$ me/royoyogaco type July Yoga in the comment
WILD SELF LOVE YOGA SERIES
August i will be repeating the wild self love yoga crash series which was widely regarded as a great time. it will be four weeks meeting 3x a week once for a meditation, once for a short discussion or hay hello, and once for yoga asana. it a lot of self care 90$ me/royoyogaco type wild self love into the comments
TO REGISTER SEND ME A MESSAGE reply to this email directly its ok 😊
chakra clearing and higher vibrations with visualization
Article | Modesty, modernity, yoga and business
A reflection on the relationship between photography, yoga as a business, and personal values Blog | RoYo Yoga
Yoga Class:
bravery in 20 minutes with this mantras: “who am I? I am brave I am strong, I am peaceful I am peaceful I am peaceful, I am kind, I am a super hero” recorded on Facebook
From around the web: Cool thing from around the net:
where your mind’s eye meets your real eye
I stumbled across this study and tried it out. Do you have a high or low capacity for hallucinations in a controlled setting? Now you can test yourself in the privacy of your own home. I turned the lights out, put headphones on and watched this screen for ten minutes and woah boy did I see some stuff. Its cool, and it seems like 80% of people will see something whether it’s a simple shape or detailed images.
The Ganzflicker used for the study can be accessed online but you shouldn’t try it if you have epilepsy.
A warning on the page states: “Do not click the following link if you have photosensitive epilepsy!!
“If you do not have epilepsy but the Ganzflicker is highly unpleasant for you, you are not obligated to continue.”
I love planking. I’m not a cardio girl I am slow and still. Can anyone relate?? Walking, wandering, sitting in meditation. that’s easy. as much as id like to be a spark of electricity, I’m more a slow lazy river.. Planking tho? It’s the slow and still exercise that keeps mula banda strong.
It makes the times I need to run easier too. Because it tones soooo many parts of your body.
Has anyone seen pitch perfect? The blonde woman planks while she’s studying. When I saw that I was like ok this is an exercise I can do
did you know? planking for a few minutes a day will make you feel like you’ve exercised. NICE
From my practice:
I’ve been trying to get my back twisty heres where I’m at. Eric took these pictures. They are for the group only.. cant get comfortable with Instagram I don’t like using my body for advertising (it’s weird) but there’s only a few if you here so. Enjoy: the only way I can feel comfortable is depicted in the pictures below.
Anyway. Aren’t they cool? Check it out no filter
TUNES:
The winners from my sweepstakes were drawn on June 22, 2021
they are as follows:
1 Heather H
Lisa W
Taylor T
Kia Christmas
Congratulations, and thank you to everyone who participated in my opening ceramony ‘spirit week.’ it was fun.
A Note From the Editor
Hello and thank you for subscribing to the Royo email zine.
Right now it is going to look a little rough around the edges but It is going to be something really special. I’m essentially going to give you access from one place the entirety of my monthly original content several times a month. Articles, art, music, live yoga classes, meditations, journal prompts, tarot and popular psychology will be on the regular.
One of my side projects, alongside teaching yoga within Royo Yoga LLC. Is to create a magazine all about yoga from my inquisitive, nerdy, obsessive inner self. Consider this an evolution from my daily tips and tricks on the Royo Yoga Facebook Group. This idea came from my facebook metrics, along with some snooping around the internet at sites like patreon. I noticed the people who wanted to see my content were not, and my engagement was going down… or worse, the lowest common denominator posts were the most likely to have been seen. Facebook wanted me to spend money to let you, dear reader, see Royo Yoga at all.
All the scrolling we do on these sites makes us the product, and the advertisers the consumers. Think about that. The longer we spend scrolling, the longer they keep your attentions ad after ad after sponsored content. I’m not all about that, and I’d really like to see old style print niche magazine with my point of view through the lenses of yogi philosophy (an a little humor).
I welcome writers, merchants, teachers, illustrators, enthusiasts, social workers, etc etc etc to contact me if you would like to collaborate and be featured on Royo zine. Living a collaborative lifestyle is going to help us keep our small cottage businesses alive. Links to outside sources will be labeled sponsored or not sponsored. Transparency is valuable.
Eventually I would like to hit print copies of this zine and bind them myself. QR codes, printed articles, gorgeous artwork… I’m dreaming can you see it in my future?
This zine will be available on my website as pdfs to view if you want to print it out yourself for now.
If you would like to name a price for a subscription please send me a tip via paypal paypal.me/royoyogaco
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
Maybe you feel ‘lazy’
