On March 18, 2020 I posted a blog listing the available online yoga classes in Nashville. Here we are, 9 months later, and I either teach or take an online yoga class almost daily. I do look forward to the day I’ll feel comfortable being in a studio again, and not just because their floors are cleaner! But there are many reasons why I love virtual yoga classes and why they will continue to be a part of my practice from now on. Below are 5 of them!
- More Yoga! As I’ve mentioned, since March I’ve taken a class almost daily. This isn’t just because I became a “yoga teacher while social distancing.” For me yoga has become so much more accessible with multiple studios around the world offering classes through Zoom, Instagram, and Facebook Live.
- No Traffic/No Stress. As the population expands in Nashville getting around town isn’t quite what it used to be. Getting to an early morning class means getting up much earlier and often stressing about being late because of the traffic and/or construction. Many studios lock their doors and some studios give away your spot to someone on the waitlist if you’re not there on time. If I opt for an afternoon class the situation is often the same. Now I wake up, walk down the hall, turn on my computer, meditate a few minutes and take a class.
- Seeing The Postures I’ve got a pretty good setup for yoga at home and I’m able to see the teacher whether I’m on the floor in Locust position or in a standing posture like Tree. My favorite online teachers have a good camera, clear sound, nothing too distracting in the picture and bright lighting. They also give clear directions that lead you through each pose as well as model the poses themselves. Seeing the teacher in a pose helps me improve my technique. Often in an in-person class teachers are making adjustments or views are blocked by other yogis.
- My Favorite Teachers In a previous blog I’ve written about my favorite summer activity, paddleboard yoga! I discovered a wonderful yoga teacher at Nashville Paddle but unfortunately her on-land yoga classes were at the Y and I’m not a member. Like many other studios and teachers she started teaching on Instagram twice a week. Online classes have given me access to lots of different teachers, some of whom I was familiar with as well as some great new teachers.
- Affordability Many teachers are now offering yoga classes for free, donation or pay what you can. Some studios offer their online classes at a lower rate than their in studio classes. You can find a list of many Nashville yoga studios and teachers who charge $10 or less here.
A few more reasons to love online yoga is the ability to turn off our Zoom cameras if we’re new or shy yogis, the opportunity to try different styles of yoga and never again forgetting my mat and water!
As a new yoga teacher I love connecting weekly to friends and family, near and far with my online yoga classes. Streaming yoga classes gave me the opportunity to start teaching friends and family from British Columbia, Ontario, Minnesota and right here in Nashville, Tennessee during my YTT2 training. That early experience has allowed me to now teach 3 classes a week, including one with Liberation Yoga Online.
Karma Yoga Nashville 