Where do I look...Inward of Course

Hello Yogi ,

How are the virtual classes going for you? Yay, nay, so-so? D) All of the above?

I hear you. I've been practicing and teaching virtually for a minute now and felt like something was missing. Thankfully, Yoga has encouraged me to embrace my warrior spirit. That's right, I'm not one to back down from a challenge.

Listen, I fully accept the fact that these classes may not be the same as they were in studio. That doesn't mean we cannot adapt or figure out a way to make these at home experiences as powerful as they were in community.

And to be honest, maybe having the security of being in our homes will allow us to unleash all we hesitated to surrender while we were around other students. Maybe this is cosmic intervention saying "It's time, . No more excuses. Stop holding on to this. It's heavy. Let it out. Let it be."

Whatever the reasoning, let's embrace the fact that we now have access to Yoga, Meditation, Pranayama, Reiki... whatever you're in the mood for, anytime, anywhere. Whoop Whoop!

Tough day at the office?

Boom! Yoga in your chair.

Kids, being kids?

Woosah! Pranayama on the toilet.

(Don't pretend like you haven't tried to hide from those lovely, little monsters!)

Fight with your partner?

Kapow! Meditation in the closet.

Clearly, I've thought a lot about this. Okay, maybe a little too much. Nonetheless, I've compiled some ideas about how we can make our at home practice just as satisfying as in studio. So grab a candle, burn some sage, cleanse your space and let's do this!

Hints & Tips

Yoga for Everybody & Every Body

-These are all level, experience, body positive, love your fricking self type classes, which means I will be offering lots of different options/modifications. No, not weaker versions. There's no "less than" here!

-LISTEN to your body, it is your greatest teacher and has known you for far longer than I have. Only you will know what's too much or too little. Discomfort is nice, pain is not... sense the difference.

-When you find your "edge," soften until you slip through the constraints and create a new rhythm, a new route, a new release.

Setup

- Place screen about 3-5 feet away from you, over to the side and resist the urge to stare at the screen.

-Practice like you would in studio by listening to verbal cues instead of looking at the teacher.

-If you must look, get out of the pose, watch the video, then return to your mat and practice. This will protect your neck.

-For interactive classes, be sure the camera can see your whole mat and body while standing on it. It's ok if I cannot see your arms when you reach them over your head.

-Check out the audio only files on SoundCloud to avoid looking at a screen all together.

-Watch the video below for more setup ideas.

Props

-Blankets, bolster, blocks, straps, eye pillows, etc...will not be required but will be cued so have them handy. Beach towels and pillows are great substitutions.

Noise & Tunes

-Music will be quietly played in the background to allow vocal instruction to be heard clearly. Play your own tunes or follow along with my Spotify playlists. Class playlist will shared at beginning of instruction.

-Find a quiet place. If this is not an option, use the sounds around you as a way to practice returning. Acknowledge the sounds without seeking or attaching yourself to them. Pause. Then find your way back to your anchor and back to your practice.

Personalized Guidance

-If there's anything going on in your body and you'd like some individualized guidance, Private Lessons are available. You can also reach out to me for quick resources on things such as prenatal, herniated discs... by booking an Ask a Yogi Session.

Community & Accountability

-Ask yourself the following questions

-What schedule can I realistically commit to?

-What obstacles will get in the way of this commitment?

-How will I adapt when these obstacles arise?

-Get a group of friends to keep each other accountable.

-Join the members app at the bottom of the page.

Thanks for being a part of this strange, beautiful, perfectly imperfect, warrior community.

Nicole Starr Bacon