These days, you can pretty much practice yoga anytime and anywhere. There are countless online classes available and many gyms now offer yoga sessions as a way to relax and unwind following a long day at work.
While there may be a certain convenience to these options, choosing to take private yoga sessions is still an excellent option for everyone for complete beginners to experienced practitioners. If you’re interested in trying yoga in Mornington, read on to learn a little more about the advantages of taking private classes.
Tailored practice
The first and most important benefit of private yoga sessions is it provides the instructor with the opportunity to tailor your practice.
While yoga is for everyone, you may have an injury that prevents you from doing certain poses. Or you may be battling with a pre-existing health condition that means you can only exercise at a certain level of intensity. Perhaps you’re pregnant and looking for a safe way to incorporate movement into your day. Whatever the case, working with a private instructor means you’ll be partaking in a class that is designed specifically for your abilities and experience level.
Structured progression
Yoga is like any type of exercise in that the longer you do it, the more skilled you become. While you may not be trying to set a ‘personal best’ when it comes to yoga, incorporating more challenging movements into your practice will ultimately improve your balance, flexibility, and strength.
By working with a private teacher, particularly over a period of several months, you’ll benefit from structured progression that challenges your skills and abilities. Ultimately, you’re likely to find yoga more enjoyable if you’re constantly learning new poses and movements.
Opportunity for goal setting
Perhaps you have a particular goal when it comes to your practice, like being able to do a headstand or simply touch your toes. Much like anything, without concentrated practice, you will struggle to achieve this aim.
Before each private yoga session, you’ll have the opportunity to speak one-on-one with your instructor and discuss what your short and long term goals are. They’ll be able to tailor your practice to help you achieve these in a safe and focused manner.
Learn proper technique
While taking online yoga classes may have its advantages, (including convenience and cost,) these types of lessons certainly have one big disadvantage — there is no opportunity for the instructor to correct your technique.
In order to truly maximise the physical benefits of yoga, you need to be performing the poses correctly. A private instructor can gently and professionally make adjustments as required to fast-track improve flexibility, strength, and balance.
Ask questions
A group yoga class at your gym might be a convenient way to get your yoga fix in, but it rarely is structured in a way that allows you to ask the instructor questions. They’re unlikely to stick around for too long at the end of the class and even if they do, you may be competing with all the other class members for a few seconds of their time.
By taking private yoga sessions, you’ll have practically unlimited time to ask your instructor anything and everything about yoga, from its origins to how to perform certain poses and movements.
Focus on the breath
Ultimately, yoga is all about connecting your body with your breath. Unfortunately in group classes, this is often lost. The instructor may do their best to remind the class to re-centre themselves and focus on the pattern of inhalation and exhalation but they tend to have a lot else on their plate.
Private classes offer the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the importance of breathing and how you can incorporate breathing techniques into your life to improve mindfulness and emotional wellbeing.
Convenience
Private yoga sessions are actually the most convenient option, particularly when compared to group sessions at your gym. Taking a private class means you can pick and choose a time that’s convenient for you (within reason!) and may even be able to organise for the instructor to come to you.
If you find it difficult to fit physical exercise in between work and family commitments, private yoga sessions could be the perfect answer.
Deeper understanding of yoga
Finally, by taking private classes, you will develop a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of yoga, including the physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits of the practice. If there’s a certain area you’d like to learn more about — like the origins of the exercise, for example — you’ll have plenty of opportunities to ask questions.
If you’re considering trying yoga in Mornington, look for an instructor that offers private yoga sessions. Whether you’re a complete beginner or have been doing yoga for many years now, private classes are certainly the way to go.