5 Reasons your Yoga flow will improve with live, online classes
2021 is all about intentions and seeking out those goals and desires you hold within. The first step towards achieving these is a check-in with your mental, physical, and spiritual self. In these restricted times, taking wellness online and exploring meditation and yoga videos are becoming the go-to solution.
Is it possible to improve my yoga practice using online videos?
In short, YES!We have the privilege of having so many virtual health, fitness and wellbeing classes effortlessly accessible to us now, that we have a wonderful world of wholesome wellness at our fingertips.
But how do we know which online yoga videos to go for?
YouTube? Vimeo? Live? Recorded?
Ever heard of the phrase, "analysis by paralysis"? Too much choice can make it hard to filter through and find the top-quality valuable content you are looking for.
Is it even possible to learn Yoga online as a complete beginner?
Absolutely! But, with the large number and diversity of styles and options of yoga classes available, finding a good beginner video or class can feel so overwhelming and quite frankly, daunting.
If you're brand new to yoga, it's understandable to want to find somewhere that feels safe, comfortable, and allows you to go at your pace. Just remember, take things slowly. You don't need to know everything straightaway. You don't even need equipment, just grab yourself a mat, and choose your yoga practice. It's worth exploring some of the different yoga practices to help you decide which one sounds right for you.
Once you've chosen your type of yoga practice and explored some online classes, it's important to consider some of the other factors to help you decide.
So, what are the best yoga and meditation videos? How do we choose?
Part of the online battle is determining which online classes are the best use of our time. We're all short of it, and these brief moments of self-care and reflection are vital, and we don't want to waste it.
So, let's consider our first.
1. Reviews & Testimonials
There is nothing more reassuring to us than when we base a decision on a recommendation.\ How much more likely are you to take up a new activity or experience, based on the honest words of others?
That's why we are always so keen to share as many testimonials from our community as possible. When we know there is a whole host of wellness seekers out there, looking for the best online yoga videos or sessions, we want to help provide trusted insights into what you can experience within a VIVAYA online class.
"VIVAYA creates a special space for yoga, meditation, and healing arts, through which we can learn, grow, and support each other as we practice with our guides and feel held and united."
Tess Clarkson, VIVAYA Online Yoga Student
We are always grateful for our student testimonials -- we'd shout them from the rooftops if we could! Because it's not about us. It's about YOU. And how YOU feel.
What we want to do is to help you feel empowered, strong, spiritual and at peace with your day.
2. When it comes to lifestyle, convenience is key
We all feel that sense of being short on time. Embracing a new routine or habit takes time to condition into our daily life. This means that the more change required to make space for this new habit, the harder it will be to make it a permanent fixture.
When it comes to online yoga practice, you want to know that it is accessible to you, at all times. That it fits in with your timetable, without compromising on the quality of the practice.
By catering to students all around the world, we have built a portfolio of incredible Teachers, in every corner of the globe, to ensure a packed-out spiritual schedule is available to you, any time of day.
It's important to know that your guided yoga class is accessible to you online, whenever you need it and fits into your lifestyle, not the other way around.
3. Find your online yoga community
We may be living in a time where arguably, we've all gotten to know the four walls of our homes a little more than we intended, and we've never been more familiar with our personal space.
But the changes and restrictions of the modern world doesn't mean we can't be sociable. As living creatures, we need a connection to others. We crave interaction. It's not only good for our mental health but also amazing for our physical health too -- we thrive off each other, we lift each other.
And that is something that we are incredibly passionate about at VIVAYA. We created our platform to share unique, life-changing ways to experience holistic practices and learn new tools to heal ourselves. Not just alone, but to be able to share the journey with each other. We've worked hard to build extensive offerings of live-streamed classes, personalized, one-on-one sessions, and seminars with world-renowned guides, all vetted by our close collective of experts in the field. Through these offerings, we have built a bridge for anyone on a journey of self-discovery to meet face-to-face with master guides and like-minded wellness warriors, creating a global collective liberated from specific times or places.
4. Find out how online yoga classes work? What can you expect?
Obviously different online yoga videos can vary, but from the very beginning of a VIVAYA yoga class, you're introduced to your fellow tribe of Yogis. For 30-60minutes, you're closely guided throughout by our incredible, intuitive teachers who will take advantage of the real-time experience to be able to ensure you're working at a pace comfortable to you, you're learning, evolving and that you're getting everything you need from the practice.
What do you expect from your best online yoga experience?
Imagine joining a class; you login, switch your camera on, turn on your speakers...and sit back, waiting to see what to do next.
Now imagine that you don't, for once, see a screen of unknown faces, busying themselves with preparing their workout stations, or staring blankly back at you on the screen in front of them, also waiting for the class to start.
Instead, you find interaction, smiles, waves of acknowledgement and pleasant conversation. Our teachers make a point of opening every class early, so that they and the students have a chance to socialize before the day's practice starts. This is the moment that you are welcomed into a community -- a group of impassioned students coming together with a shared purpose. It doesn't stop at the end of the
session, either; we also allow time after class for more socializing and check-in with each other for post-class review.
Finally, imagine finishing that class, waving goodbye to the new friends you've made (some of whom you've acknowledged that you will see at the same time next week), you take a deep breath and reflect on what has just happened. Not only did you experience the peace and tranquility that you were seeking, in your much-needed break from reality, but you were welcomed into a new online family, and now you return to your day, having gained new connections to the outside world.
Enjoying the benefits of a clear, seamless virtual experience, a friendly approachable community and a dedicated, knowledgeable teacher - your body and mind both feel like they've had a reset and rejuvenation.
5. Can yoga be self-taught? How important is having a teacher?
Of course, with the content available in the world, sometimes it is possible to take on new learnings by yourself and see how you get on. It may take some extra research, and more time to ensure you are on the right path.
The value in having a teacher is that you learn the correct fundamentals, right from the very beginning.
We take classes to learn, to be taught. And we all want to be taught by top trusted, knowledgeable teachers who have the power to inspire, motivate and move.
When searching for classes online, it's a gamble as to the quality of the teacher you are going to find. And if you're a beginner, it's even harder to determine whether you've stumbled upon a qualified teacher who knows their stuff, or an impassioned enthusiast, who perhaps never took the time to properly learn their "craft".
"We explore our own bodies and minds to escape them. We seek the precedence of wisdom to transcend. We heal ourselves with fearless compassion as we become spiritual warriors in our own worlds."
Alexandra Amato, VIVAYA Yoga Teacher
VIVAYA features some of the world's most inspiring teachers, who are thrilled to share their wisdom with our interactive audience. Their mission is to empower you in your yoga and meditation, support your nutrition and enhance your healing, from wherever you are in the world.
By live-streaming our skilled teachers' offerings, we can connect you to your personal holistic guide, there to serve you, anytime, anywhere. It's just you, and your personal spiritual counsellor. We want you to find the stillness and strength that you're looking for, just as much as you are.
We carefully vet each and every one of our teachers. They are an extension of us, a part of our family -- and that means that we take every care to ensure that they will provide you with the best possible experience, every time you log on.
Our teachers come to us with their skills and experience, and we, in return, provide them with all the tools they need to be able to present those skills to avid wellness seekers around the world. With a seamless connection and world-leading live class technology, we work with our guides to deliver a seamless, rewarding experience. By applying them with all the tools, they can focus on delivering their craft and providing an incredibly interactive session with their students.
"You cannot control what happens around you, you cannot control what happens to you, but you can control what happens inside of you."
Cassie Brinkley, VIVAYA Yoga Teacher
Self-love is a powerful thing. And it can sometimes be a hard thing to find and embrace. That's part of what our teachers do. They empower you to love yourself. They encourage positive affirmations, they guide you to manifest and meditate on what you want in life, and what you want to become.
When you struggle to find that self-compassion in yourself, our teachers will help you find it. Because they want to. Because they care to. When you do us the honor of showing up to our classes, we want to make sure that your whole self is rewarded.
When you feel good, we feel good.
So, what's the verdict - is it better to learn Yoga from videos or online classes?
The internet provides a world of endless possibility for us. In terms of health, wellness, and healing -- it is infinite.
But our wellness journeys are all individual, and subject to change. Emotional, environmental, fiscal changes & more in our lifestyle can all feed into the choices we make when it comes to our wellbeing.
This means that Monday may feel like an Ashtanga Yoga session to kickstart your week with a productive, earnest mindset, but by Friday, your body and mind may be screaming out for dedicated Yin Yoga practice, to clear the toxins and free the mind of the week's stresses.
These changes in our needs don't allow for the time it takes to now search online, source whatever practice we're looking for, and filter through to find the most suitable or highly rated class. This is unnecessary time lost, that we don't need.
We're so proud of the extensive availability of classes, workshops and more on VIVAYA. Our mission is to be able to provide a wealth of options to you, from one, singular spiritual sanctuary.
No more time lost. Find your escape.
Simply log in and view the schedule of over 50 different class types within yoga, meditation, healing, movement and more. Rather than spending hours scouring YouTube or other video channels to find a suitable yoga class, your hub of accessible at-home classes is all here in one place. There's never a need to switch browsers.
Great! How do I start doing yoga from home?
You can start from today without even paying for a class. Try VIVAYA's 14-day free trial and you'll have instant, unlimited access to a whole host of classes, workshops and 1-1 sessions, at the touch of your keyboard.
Personalize your journey and explore teachers and classes all aimed at different skill levels, from beginner's yoga classes to advanced yoga practice. If you're looking for top home yoga and wellness classes, we've got you covered.
The beauty about wellness is that it can take all forms. By weaving together the wisdom and philosophies of the past with embracing the technology of the future, VIVAYA taps into a deep well of spiritual aspiration --- inspiring teachers and healers to share their talents, and empowering seekers to connect with their innate perfection.
Begin with Self-love
However you decide the right wellness journey for you, at VIVAYA, we are passionate about self-love, and to us, self-care starts with doing what you love. Feeling like you can take on anything and boost your self-esteem. We want to help you make sure you are taking the time to show yourself and everyone just what you're made of.
So, whether it's taking up a meditation class once a week, unleashing your inner yogi by taking on a new form of practice and showing us your best Vinyasa yoga flow, or owning the kitchen and taking charge of your food, guided by one our expert nutritionists - enjoying yourself and doing what you love helps to alleviate stress and anxiety, and embrace this wonderful life.
And that's truly what it's all about.