Online yoga: Pros, cons and 15 tips on how to get the best out of it.
With YFH fast becoming the only option for students and teachers alike — here’s some honest and slightly irritable ‘gyan’ on how to deal with it.
It looks like the pandemic’s not going to go away any time soon. While factories and offices and trade will limp back to some kind of new normal, the possibility of gyms and yoga studios being allowed to re-open still looks pretty bleak. Between the two, gyms are definitely the worse off — given their dependence on sweat-trapping machines and equipment.
I believe yoga studios should be allowed to re-open since they can very easily adopt all the safety and social distancing protocols that offices and commercial establishments are expected to have in place — but the ‘flowers that be’ haven’t woken up to that fact yet. So we wait with yogic fortitude.
Meanwhile I guess its time to do my duty and share something ‘enlightening’ about doing yoga online.
I’m going to be frank.
The Pros
Here are the three best things I can say about it:
It’s better than nothing. It’s better than nothing. It’s better than nothing.
That’s about it.
Oh all right — let me think. What other ‘pros’ could there be?
Ah yes — you can practice from the safety of home.
That’s a BIG pro. No arguing with that.
No driving through miserable traffic and fighting for parking space either. HUGE pro.
If you are practicing to a recording, you can choose a time convenient to you. Another pro.
You can also sneakily leave the fan on, legitimately tell your kids to buzz off, have your dog join you in downward dog and tell your spouse to keep quiet or else…
And how about this — you can ‘come to class ‘wearing grungy kacchas* and a torn t-shirt if your heart so desires. This is especially true if you are practicing to a recording. (Actually — even if you are doing a live class you can still go ahead with the kacchas and torn tee. Nobody will really notice.)
Which brings me to the cons.
In an online class you are a two inch by two inch image — possibly in the midst of twenty more two-by-two images.
And if the light in your room is insufficient (and it often is) — the teacher can barely see you anyway. (Hence you can safely wear that torn Tee.)
This is exacerbated if the teacher is also demonstrating the practice — which most online teachers do.
Basically what happens is that the teacher demonstrates the asana, periodically looking into the camera. This gives you the illusion that she is looking at you. The reality is that when the teacher looks at the camera all she is seeing is that little camera light. She is not seeing you.
You may have noticed of course, that sometimes the teacher releases the pose she is demonstrating and scrambles closer to her screen, to correct a particular student. (Scaring you in the process because suddenly you are looking up her nostrils as she peers into her camera). Seriously though — it just isn’t possible for the teacher to keep leaping acrobatically from her mat to screen and back again every time, is it?
So most of the time you will end up following along as best as best you can.
In other words — essentially you are practicing on your own — with the illusion of being observed/taught by a teacher. Of course, it’s a nice enough illusion.
Now I can almost hear you ask — what about beginners?
My blunt answer:
1. If you must go online choose a live class not a pre-recorded one.
2. Proceed with caution. This is not the moment to audition for Khatron ke Khiladi.
3. Follow instructions but behave as though your body is made of delicate porcelain. The imported kind.
4. Do not attempt arm balances and headstands just because you want to post a cool pic on Insta.
5. Breathe as though your life depends on it. It does.
That should keep you safe.
Now — here are the 15 tips for safely practicing yoga online– and they are not just for beginners.
Getting the most out of an online yoga class:
1. Try to join a class taught by a teacher who has taught you in person during pre-Covid days. Or one who has been recommended by someone at the same level of fitness as you are.
2. If that is not possible do a thorough check on the teacher’s credentials. What is the teacher’s lineage ( she should be able to name her teacher’s teacher and her teacher’s teacher’s teacher), qualifications ( RYT 300/Ayush Level 2 at least), years of experience ( five years would be good). Check reviews if possible.
3. If you are a beginner, avoid fast paced Vinyasa (flow) classes. In fact — avoid anything fancy and fusion. Choose classical hatha yoga specifically meant for beginners.
4. Take a trial class and evaluate the clarity of the teacher’s instructions. Are you able to follow what she is asking you to do easily? Or do you have to watch what she is doing to understand. A good teacher should be able to ‘move’ your body with just a few clear instructions.
5. Check whether the teacher is observing the students as much as possible, offering modifications and guidance consistently. Plus — is she ensuring the students get a chance to rest after a relatively intense/demanding asana?
6. Pay close attention to how much emphasis the teacher places on the breath. An authentic yoga teacher will ALWAYS offer clear breath instruction and will emphasize the importance of breathing well throughout.
7. Unless you have been practicing for a few years and are capable of ‘looking after’ yourself, avoid classes that have more than 10–12 students. Beyond that it is pretty much guaranteed that the teacher may not have a chance to look at your image even once during the class.
8. Do not attempt to hold the posture through the entire time the teacher is talking/instructing. Hold for about five calm, deep breaths and release even if the teacher is still in the posture. What I’ve noticed is that many teachers get you into a posture and then start explaining some alignments or nuances — while the students may well be trembling and shaking trying to stay in position. Not required. If you are a beginner — releasing the posture after about five breaths is fine. If you are more experienced — use your judgment — not your ego.
9. Stop — just STOP — if anything hurts, if you feel breathless, dizzy or in any way uncomfortable. Take a break — lie down in shavasana. Don’t try to be macho.
10. If you are practicing to a recording — TAKE CHARGE of your practice. Do not attempt something just because it is being done in the ‘ class’. If it doesn’t feel doable just skip it and wait for the next posture. Again — leave your ego off the mat please.
11. Practice at 60–80% of your ability. Don’t be ambitious, competitive or stupid. Be smart and under-perform! You will still derive some benefit.
12. If you develop any kind of pain in the joints — rest for at least two days. Mild muscle ache is okay — joint pain is NOT okay.
13. Consistently pay attention to how you feel after the class. If you are feeling exhausted you need to back off and take it easier. A good yoga class should leave you feeling calm and rejuvenated.
14. Check whether at least five minutes are devoted to shavasana at the end of the class. That’s the bare minimum.
15. One last point — ensure there is enough light on you ( not behind you) and set up your screen in such a way that the teacher can see you fully when you are sitting and when you are standing. Most yoga classes begin with the students seated and fully visible. However, the moment the students stand up, it’s often just the lower body visible in the frame. Which is useful only if you want to hide the torn t-shirt.
P S: On second thought — ditch the kacchas and torn tee. Yoga (even online) is an opportunity to meet yourself. Respect that by ensuring you are feeling fresh and wearing clean fresh clothes. Believe me, it makes a difference — to how you will feel.
*Kaccha: A particularly thin, mandatorily crumpled and singularly Indian pair of shorts.
Namaste.
I am only one
But I am one
I cannot do everything
But I can do something
And I will not let what I cannot do
Interfere with what I can do.
