I have been practicing yoga for a few years now. I originally found the studio I considered ‘home’ the summer after freshman year of college. When coming home from such a significant year of changes, yoga was exactly what I needed to become grounded again. I practiced nearly every day that summer, however my practice dwindled as I went away to school again. Coronavirus impacted my practice further, as I was unable to return to the studio for the summer. This left me unmotivated to practice, and I fell out of touch with my practice again.
Starting up my practice again has been much needed, yet difficult. I had lost a lot of the physical “skills” I once had, leaving me feeling defeated in asanas as my focus and presence on the mat dwindle. Virtual classes make it harder to focus as well, however they have been a great tool for learning. For my first yoga class taken while in this course, I watched a vinyasa flow YouTube video posted by the studio I usually attend.
The video’s environment included the empty studio and my teacher. The teacher, Morgan, opened the video with a friendly welcome and an invitation to set our own intentions for the practice. Throughout the flow, anatomical terms for muscles and the use of sanskrit to name poses were subtly included. There was a large focus of pranayama throughout the flow. Furthermore, I was able to use the teacher’s cues to make sure I was using the correct muscles, engaging my core, and using ujjayi breath.
My physical environment included my mat and my semi-messy room shared with my roommate. The virtual class felt longer and less engaging versus attending a physical class, especially since I was able to rewind and pause the video. I found myself getting distracted, thinking about school work, and therefore thinking about how I am not focused in my practice. Furthermore, since it is a live class, the teacher could not give verbal or physical adjustments. Though focus was hard for me due to my physical surroundings, I was able to adjust during the practice thanks to the teacher’s constant cues. I believe that I will be able to fully adjust to these changes as I continue practicing virtually.
Ultimately, starting up my yoga practice for this semester will be slow going, yet I am excited to learn from many different teachers on a multitude of platforms. Virtual learning gives me flexibility in my schedule and space in which I will be able to practice more often in the comfort of my own home. Furthermore, I will be able to go into each class with an intention of learning what yoga really means to me thanks to the journal I will be keeping.
Great first entry. Continue to start each entry with a description of the class and the delivery method and keep up the comparisons with in person learning. What accommodations are your teachers making to ensure that the divide is bridged?