The Lotus and The Crane: Should I Do My Yoga Online Or Offline?
Written by Stephanie
October 12, 2022
The Lotus Pose. The Crane Pose. The Downward Facing Dog. The Half Lord of the Fishes. To some people, those terms may sound like sheer gobbledygook! But you’ll know exactly what they mean if you’re into yoga – or at least done some research into starting yoga classes. And if you’re even considering getting into yoga, then good for you!
Whether you’re a tentative yoga newbie or all-out yoga fanatic, you may be wondering: should I do it online or offline? This article will provide brief insight into just that question. To be fair, there are benefits to both approaches. However, we at Yip do believe you should seriously consider doing your yoga online – and we’ll tell you why.
So, take a good breath in and slowly out and read on!
The Benefits of Yoga
If you’re already doing it, you’re sold on the benefits of yoga. But if you’re still contemplating it, then you really need to know just how fabulous yoga can be for you.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, the benefits of yoga are multiple. These include that it helps improve your strength, balance, and flexibility. Holding a pose, like those of the lotus, crane or eagle (!), can be amazing to build strength. Yoga is great for the heart, as well as being excellent for relaxation and, unsurprisingly, quality of sleep.
Harvard Health contends that yoga offers practitioners additional benefits, such as the ability to be wholly present and better achieve mindfulness. Interestingly, it has also been associated with improving one’s body image. Who can say no to all that, right!
The Pros of Real-Time Yoga Classes
Yes, there are times when doing yoga real-time can be beneficial. Some of the benefits of doing your yoga offline may include:
- It can motivate you to just get started or get back into it if you left it for a while.
- It can get you into a good routine.
- Having a personal yoga instructor can be great for getting your poses and movements correct; and
- You can also learn alignment and breathing techniques directly from your instructor.
There are also social benefits to being part of a real-time yoga class. You can learn from others and inspire each other too. You can also make friends with other yoga attendees. This can be appealing for some people after the stressful lock-downs and social distancing of the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
Reasons Why Online Yoga Can Be Great!
However, let it be clear: there are multiple benefits to doing yoga online. Time is one of the biggest factors. After all, being beholden to a set class real-time schedule can be a real nuisance for your busy schedule. Online yoga should mean being able to do it when it suits you – or catching up in your own good time if needed. Most yoga classes will have videos of given sessions for just that purpose.
Furthermore, some well-known yoga traditions believe certain asanas (yoga poses) are best done at specific times of the day. For example, the Ashtanga system of Pattabhi Jois, believes very early in the morning is best, even before sunrise. That type of commitment is far easier to achieve in the comfort of your own home than having to do at some studio!
Speaking of comfort, what can beat doing your yoga in the comfort of your favourite room? And imagine being able to do it with your darling dog right by your side! Online yoga also offers priceless flexibility, which means you can do it anywhere, any time. So, suddenly, being on a business trip or visiting the in-laws doesn’t mean missing out on your beloved (and much needed!) yoga.
Choose A Sound Online Platform
You should therefore seriously consider doing you yoga with an online platform such as Yip. Here’s what we have to say about the wonderful array of people who do online classes on our platform: “The Yipee is an individual who is looking to participate in a class to upskill, gain knowledge, better themselves or just looking for a fun experience.” Hey, bet that might sound like you!
Oh, and by the way, doing online yoga doesn’t mean being totally isolated. Your class may very well have other fellow yoga devotees from all over the world. Friendships await! And you can still get the attentive, personalized assistance from your online yoga instructor that you need and deserve.
Go Beyond The Lotus and The Crane!
Perhaps you’d like to explore other options besides yoga. But what to choose? If done carelessly, Google searches can drive one insane with crazy results! That’s why knowing a little about search engine optimisation (SEO) and the many clever search tricks out there can be so helpful.
For example, you may know about using AND or OR in your searches, but have you ever used AROUND? Use that word, and Google will offer you your search terms with all the options in between.
You can also just delve into the multitude of super-duper, diverse courses available on Yip. Maybe you’d like to partner your yoga with classes in Bollywood Dancing! Or learn how to properly say hola and buenas dias with Spanish For Travellers. Or perhaps you’d like to finally take a class in Guitar Lessons? It’s all there – and more.
Life should be all about exploring new things and trying out new hobbies. It should even include things you didn’t even know you could enjoy. Doing your classes online cannot be beaten for convenience and flexibility.
Whether it’s online yoga or flamenco classes, don’t you think you deserve all that online classes can offer? We at Yip certainly do!
