12 Benefits of Private Yoga Classes

Why would a yogi want to book a private yoga class?

When people book a private yoga session with me, their reasons are personal in nature. There are always many reasons why someone would book a private session but in the same way, there are people that aren’t sure why they would invest in such a thing – after all, surely going to a group yoga class is good enough?

Yoga is such a personal practice, so the reasons for coming to your yoga mat each day are as varies as the people themselves.

Here is a sprinkling of the main reasons why you might consider booking a private yoga class:

1 – Alignment Clinic

alignmentWant to explore where your practice is at, check that you are on track with your goals, and holding your body in the correct alignment from pose to pose? Maybe you are new to your yoga journey, and keen to learn the poses properly in a safe and supported one on one environment to ensure you continue your journey without risk of injury.

Learning proper alignment is key to working efficiently on your yoga mat and building strength and flexibility without the possibility of getting hurt.

Even the more experienced yogi can use a check in alignment clinic from time to time. Often we don’t have the chance to see how our bodies look as we flip and turn and bend and fold, from pose to pose in our vinyasa flows. Having a one on one session with your favorite yoga teacher can help you to get even more from your practice in terms of personal development, and help you to become more mindful about your body which in turn helps you with injury prevention.

2 – Existing Injury

injuryDo you have an injury that is slowing you down or causing you pain? There is nothing more de-habilitating than something that causes you discomfort and prevents you from being able to move in the ways you are used to. Especially on a holiday!

Maybe you have an existing injury and have been working on the healing process during your normal week at home. Then as much as you welcome your holiday you worry that the healing may slow down without your normal access to your movement of choice.

Yoga can be the perfect low impact way to find and maintain strength throughout the body, while allowing the injury to slowly heal. While yoga teachers do not profess to be medical professionals – doctors, physiotherapists etc. –they can work with you with a focused program to help you both strengthen and stretch the appropriate muscles, and tissues to help to keep you moving and rehab your injury.

3 – On the Move Travelling

When we are traveling, whether for business or the pleasure of simply taking a holiday or the magical experience of traveling the world we remove ourselves from every part of our normal existence. Which in itself is just perfect from a sense of freedom and deliciously exciting life experiences! However it can cause havoc on our self-care and fitness routine!

Moving from place to place means that it can sometimes be hard to roll out your yoga mat in a small guesthouse room, challenging in knowing where to begin to find yourself a decent yoga class to go to, or let alone finding the motivation to do either! So easy to slip from a fitness routine and stay slipped 😉

Taking time to connect one on one with a yoga teacher during your trip is the perfect way to spend time moving again, and even better explaining your situation and having your teacher prepare a short and simple sequence that you can travel with and continue to add into your daily life experiences while on the move.

Yin yoga is beautiful for this very reason – it can be done anywhere, anytime, with the simplest of props as your pillow doubles as a bolster and your reading books as blocks 😉

4 – You’re a Newbie Yogi

Hatha yoga positionThere is no better way to familiarize yourself with yoga than taking a one on one yoga session with your yoga teacher. Ensuring that you learn correct alignment right from the beginning, and understand what each pose gives your body in terms of strengthening and stretching different muscle groups.

Your teacher can also work with you to help you understand how to self adjust your poses so that even when you are practicing on your own you can get the most from each and every single pose.

5 – It’s been a while…

Some of us have been introduced to yoga at some point in our lives, at one point we might have in fact been very good friends! However with time, our priorities and focus shift and change, and distance grows and it becomes harder to stay in touch! The more time passes, and the greater the distance between visits the harder it becomes to pick up where you left off!

You may feel shy to visit a group class session without a quick refresher, so take the opportunity to find the yoga teacher who works well with your personality and work through some simple sequences just to dust off the cobwebs and you will find your confidence grow instantly kicking caution to the curb!

6 – You want to learn how to modify poses in a way that is unique to your body

modifyAs we learn yoga, our body can be better supported if certain modifications are done. These modifications may or may not involve using props, but either way, they are critical to helping you build the pose properly and safely without doing too much too soon.

A qualified yoga teacher can help you learn how to modify to your own needs.

6 – Pregnant Yogi

Perhaps you are pregnant and unsure of exactly what the rules are about exercise during each trimester. Your yoga teacher will be able to put together a tailor made yoga program for your specific trimester, showing you modifications and self-adjustments to help you to maintain good flexibility and range of motion in your body.

Through a guided focus on pranayama (breath work), yoga can help you to learn how to use the breath to keep you calm throughout the length of your pregnancy, perhaps even extending into labor itself.

7 – Enhance Specific Sporting Goals

IMG_5805Learn how yoga can be welcomed into your training schedule to help you perform to your highest potential without risking injury.

Get to better know your body to prevent injury, to become aware of imbalances in the body and learn how to self manage these either through correct stretching or strengthening of key muscle groups.

Learn how yoga can be complimentary to your sporting goals, working with the body to create strength, and with the mind and breath to create calmness, focus and drive in reaching your goals.

8 – Yoga for Exercise

vinyasa-photo1-1If you’re interested in the exercise aspects of yoga, you might think that a private is not worth it to you. But this could no be further from the truth. One of the most common reasons people take private yoga lessons is to understand how to do the poses so that when they are in class, they are maximizing the impact of the exercise on their body.

The other general observation is the fact that classes these days are sometimes crowded and the instruction you receive in a class may or may not meet your needs.

9 – You can learn challenging poses with one-on-one support

photo7If you’ve wanted to learn arm balances or other challenging poses, working with someone privately can be a super perfect approach.

It can give you the support you need as well as that initial boost of confidence that comes once you get into that pose for the first time.

10 – You prefer the convenience of doing yoga on your own schedule and in privacy

Sometimes people come to private sessions simply because they prefer practicing alone and they can’t get to the studio when classes are held. Booking the session will depend on your schedule as well as the teacher’s, but chances are, you will find a better time for you.

11- you can ask questions as you work through the practice

Sometimes, in my group classes, a person will spontaneously ask a question, which I often feel compelled to answer there and then. I know that this can break people from their concentration but I’m sure there are lots of other questions that are left unsaid. In a private session, you can ask questions on the spot as you’re in a pose. It’s a very effective way to learn more about your yoga journey.

12 – You can explore meditation as an additional wellness tool

Sometimes people come to yoga with an interest in developing a meditation practice as well. In a private session, you can learn about different styles of meditation and practice as well. A short, seated meditation after a 45-minute yoga class can be a wonderful experience and one that leaves a healthy imprint on your body and mind.

It’s also a wonderful investment in yourself and your practice. Your body will love you for it 🙂

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