Can You Study Yoga at Home?

Online Yoga- expectations versus reality 

Is it possible to learn yoga online ? 

Look at it this way,  when you learn to drive a car – you have to learn all of the mind to body actions of gear change, speed, other motorists, develop a feel for the car through practice.  Simulated experiences are becoming a way of us learning.  In India, train drivers are taught on virtual reality simulators for 1 month before they get to do the real thing – in fact it’s turning into a big global business to prepare drivers for unusual experiences and hazardous situations. Accessible Mind training is the way of the future. 

Can this work in Yoga ? 

There are amazing Yoga teachers out there like John Scott and Shiva Rea. The world can’t access them personally, but online they can!  All of us are now teaching online! The tables have turned.  It used to be broadcasting – where one person would broadcast to many – now it’s ‘narrowcasting’, where many come to one.  Hence the popularity of pod-casting etc. All of this been made possible by the web! 

In short:

If you are leaning from scratch it is always better to find a teacher … a live one!   It really helps to receive teaching points and hear other helpful tips given by the teacher to other students. However allowing your body to experience moves via an online teacher is going to help your mind to body pathways – so when you go to your first class you do have some idea of what to expect.

Where online is a huge advantage – 

Getting new ideas 

As a teacher you always need a bit of outside stimulation and new ideas.  YouTube and the many online yoga class sites will give you this 

Adding onto your existing qualification 

You are qualified but don’t feel confident enough – maybe you did a month course and don’t feel ready to teach?  Here you can benefit from additional training …. 

More realistic approach – you already have a 200 hour qualification bit haven’t quite found your niche yet? 

There are loads of you out there, qualified yoga teachers, but what makes you differnt from all of the others?  Keep learning, finding out who you are and what drove you to Yoga in the first place. Where is your passion?   What do you value in life? 

You have been teaching for years but getting a bit bored with the same old thing 

You are a really experienced teacher but your client retention could do with a little improvement – there are people opening up all around you, why should they still come to you?  Constantly improving your yoga brain to be new and interesting really helps, get inspired 

You need to be self motivated 

Online courses require self control 

1. Set a day and time each week for training 
2. Take up on any additional phone calls or contact offered, online providers want to keep you on until the end and will help you to achieve that! 
3. Go off to a local coffee shop with headphones for the non physical parts.  Being out of your own environment helps you focus
4. Set a goal or time to complete the course and imagine how you are going the feel when you have achieved it! 
5. Reward your self when finished – promise your self a new yoga mat or new yoga pants as a marker of your success 

Its the way of the future – just embrace its fabulous accessibility 

Julie Hanson 

To find out more about Julie and a Free Yoga Foundation course with Seasonal Yoga visit us here