Using yoga videos
I wrote this before the pandemic! In March, 2020 I had to learn how to teach online and even created videos! My current offerings on ZOOM still offer a "personal touch" as they are live, I can see a small picture of students (if they choose) and you are part of a virtual yoga community.
Author: Jayne Sieverding
Finding a yoga video is frequently one of the first things people ask who want to learn yoga. Videos are schedule friendly, inexpensive or free and non-threatening. But while I can appreciate why students want to use videos to learn yoga, attending in person classes is important.
Yoga is a personalized practice that can vary extensively in both style and pace. As a teacher, I am watching my students carefully throughout the class and giving verbal cues specific to their needs. Examples are: "Bring your top shoulder back”, “check your alignment in the mirror”, “feel all four corners of your feet pressing down”, or my personal favorite, “no, lift the other right hand”. I also frequently change up my class plan in real time as I get requests for a specific pose/body area needing attention or realize that my class has either more beginners or more experienced students. I can dial the practice intensity up or dial it down depending on what is the best thing for that day/time and for those students. I can teach longer holds for strength or intersperse forward bends for back stretch. In smaller groups, I can work with each person to improve their personal practice. One size does not fit all.
When a yoga teacher makes a video, they are teaching to an anonymous student or maybe a collection of their students. They may even have a specific student experience level in mind as part of their intention. They are not receiving any visual feedback from their students because they aren't there. If they have people in the video with them doing the practice, they are not playing the student role, but are there for you to watch and help with visual learning. The teacher probably has practiced and memorized the routine. There is little to no spontaneity. If you took a class in person from that same teacher, it would be very different, and my guess, much better. You are probably getting a 50% product through the video.
Another issue with videos are both the meditation and warm up parts of the practice. It’s awkward to lead a virtual imaginary person through a seated meditation. Silence on a video presentation is a distraction. People expect you to talk. It’s like having dead time on TV. The warm ups are equally problematic. I’ve seen “start with 2 rounds of Sun Salutation (surya nameskar) as a warm up and then restart this video” or “go into child’s pose for 30 seconds and stretch”. Both approaches are fraught with injury risk. How many people do you think actually do the rounds of Sun Salutation before restarting the video? How many people know what a Sun Salutation is? Video formats may also encourage "Shavasana skipping", especially for new students who may not fully appreciate the importance of having a final relaxation at the end of their practice. Once the video ends, most people will end their practice.
So here is the bottom line: you should learn the basics and especially how to stay injury free from a human and then use video formats as an add-on learning tool. A certified teacher can warm you up safely and then watch you and give you detailed instructions on body positioning. There is just no replacement for that. Physical touches or adjustments can help you internalize the feeling. A yoga class also lets you have the freedom to be with yourself in your practice. No interruptions from the doorbell or text messages. No stopping to back up the video to repeat something you didn’t hear right. No cats/dogs licking your face! And classes allow you to take your time with stretching and listening to your body.
There is also the benefit of having a class environment and being part of a yoga community. It helps to have others around you to watch and cue from. I also encourage social interaction and fun in my classes; talking and laughing is therapeutic. It’s a safe place where we all share a common interest and enjoy being together in our practice. People come back to class because they know they have friends there. And then at end of class there is the powerful experience when a whole room of people are deep in Shavasana and you can literally feel their connection of silence and breathing. As a teacher, that is probably my favorite part of the class.
But videos are a wonderful teaching tool, and I certainly don’t want to discourage their use. I probably watch one every day. I like to use videos to learn a specific asana, sequences for specific goals, or just different approaches. Every teacher has something to give you, even virtual ones! You can view the videos repeatedly, maybe slow-mo forward and backwards, to study the details. And then later when you are safely warmed up in your home practice, you can try out your new learning. Or bring your learning with you to class. I also like working with videos when I’m trying to memorize a sequence as I can practice it over and over again while the teacher says exactly the same thing every time! Amazing!
So what videos do I recommend? YouTube and other online sources provide many free options, and some from very qualified and enlightened teachers, but you may need to surf around for a while and read reviews to find someone who fits your needs. If I endorse anything it would be Yoga Journal magazine’s web site as it has very good nationally known teachers and the videos are well done: www.yogajournal.com. I also encourage you to sign up for a Yoga Journal magazine subscription. It’s inexpensive and provides a bi-monthly magazine with good photo instruction.
And maybe I’ll make some yoga videos one of these days…..Namaste!