Yoga Classes or Yoga DVDs?

In the last 50 years Yoga has become more and more prominent in the Western world and continues to be popular around the globe.

With this growing popularity there has been a boom in the opening of yoga centres offering an array of classes for practitioners of all levels.

It is only recently though that yoga classes have become really accessible to all. When I first started practicing yoga, almost two decades ago, the only place I could go was my local leisure centre/gym. This was great because I didn’t have to travel far and to tell you the truth, in those days I didn’t really know any different.

It was only when I started going to India regularly and took a few classes there that I realized the environment you practice yoga in is just as important as how good your teacher is.

In Delhi, the yoga studios were independent and not attached to a gym and surprisingly for Delhi they were very quiet and very light. In fact, you almost forgot you were in the heart of one of the most populated countries in the world. It was so peaceful and serene. You would be surrounded by the beautiful scent of incense sticks, aromatic but not overpowering, and the sun would beam through the windows into this fabulously light and spacious room where a magnificent statue of Lord Ganesha would watch over you while you practiced. You really felt a sense of inner peace and calm.

The scene was a far cry from what I had become used to in the local gym, where the gym equipment was stacked up around the room and personal trainers would often walk in to pick up an exercise ball or weights, always apologizing for the intrusion of course but by then it was too late your focus had shifted.

Then, a few years ago I was chatting to a family member from Delhi who was spending a few weeks in London and we got talking about yoga and she told me about the yoga classes she attended at Triyoga. I had never even heard of Triyoga. It’s amazing how a visitor from another country knows more about yoga in London than a Londoner!

A year prior to this I had hurt my shoulder in a local class and was in pain for at least six months and couldn’t really move freely for almost a year and a half so I decided to give Triyoga a try. I was amazed at the difference in ambience and teaching styles. The teachers watched your every move to make sure you were in the correct position and would gently guide you into postures. This definitely wasn’t the one size fits all class I was used to. Even though this was a class of at least twenty I felt I was receiving one to one attention.

With this guided teaching, my neck and shoulder problems soon disappeared. This experience really bought it home to me that you can follow a class or instructions and for the most part you’ll be ok but on the off chance your positioning is not as it should be or you get a movement wrong and there’s no one there to guide you or correct you, you may be doing yourself more harm than good, especially when you’re new to yoga.

Now, I only go to yoga classes in dedicated yoga centres. Even though I’m more proficient in the practice I still need help from time to time.

That’s not to say that I don’t use DVDs or books to enhance my practice and learning. There are many DVDs and books that I have found really helpful as they consolidate what I’ve learnt in my classes. They also provide information on specific poses focusing on particular areas and conditions.

DVDs, books and of course the Internet have made it possible for anybody to have access to yoga without having to leave the house. In our busy lives there’s not always time to go out to a class so if you can practice in the comfort of your own home at a time that works for you that’s perfect.