5 Reasons Why Real Yoga Is Better Than Yoga Videos.
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There is no shortage of Yoga-changed-my-life stories these days, and there is also no shortage of ways to practice Yoga.
Many Yoga students are turning to alternative ways to practice Yoga because they can’t always get to a studio class. Rising numbers of Yoga students also want to practice at home and on the road. But Yoga videos are not a good replacement for real Yoga, and here’s why:
1. Video Invites Comparison
Plenty of Yoga videos show a beautiful and limber teacher often in an impossibly gorgeous place. Do they think this is inspiring or more than a little intimidating to the typical Yoga student? It’s hard not to compare your skill, flexibility level, and body (even your place of living) when you are watching something like that on a screen.
It all seems just a little too narcissistic and fake, almost non-yogic.
Vanity does not often lead us to Yoga, so why obsess over striking the perfect Yoga pose while wearing a teeny bikini in front of a sunset on the beach?
2. Blue Light is Bad for Sleep
The glow of blue light emitted by electronic devices poses a real danger to good sleep. Blue light, that found in television screens and computer monitors, stops the release of melatonin, a natural hormone that gently invites your body to fall asleep as the day ends and dark falls.
So, practicing a restorative Yoga class using your computer screen or television can actually inhibit your ability to fall asleep, undoing the results of the Yoga.
Turn off the screen to practice Yoga. You’ll find you are less distracted during the day, and you’ll fall asleep more easily and naturally.
3. The Presence of the Camera Limits the Guidance
Many Yoga video instruction is inherently flawed because the teacher is focused on the camera. The very presence of the camera inspires them to teach as if you are watching. The end result is the student often has to stop, watch, rewind, and then do the sequences.
When you practice Yoga at a studio, with a private teacher or by audio, you can turn inward and follow your teacher’s voice, letting their instruction guide you through your practice. The best Yoga teacher is one that provides plenty of precise verbal guidance so you can close your eyes and become one with your practice.
You don’t have to watch because it’s simply unnecessary; your teacher’s voice is all you need.
4. No Fights Over the Remote
It may be true for your household that not everyone practices Yoga, and having a class that doesn’t require the screen means a greater percentage of happy people occupying the same space. You don’t argue over the remote when you skip the screen to practice Yoga.
You can also park the children in front of a program and sneak in a Yoga practice.
5. Free Yoga Videos Devalue Good Teaching
Plenty of Yoga teachers put class videos up on YouTube, their own websites, and other places, but most of those result in zero income for the teacher.
Many teachers go this route because they’re advised to as a way to get their teaching out there, to attract students in the hope that they’ll wander into the studio or sign up for a subscription service.
Yoga teachers already give plenty away with donation-based and charity classes, but very few Yoga teachers are making a sustainable living from their teaching. Free Yoga videos devalue their training and their gift of healing.
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Virginia O’Connor is a long-time Yoga student who tinkered with the idea of stuffing her favorite teacher into her suitcase when she moved across country. The loss of her teacher’s guiding voice created a void that could not be filled. She created Audible Yoga to help Yoga teachers earn passive income and stay connected with their students. Now, she downloads classes from her favorite teacher and practices everywhere.
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