The great migration: reflections after nearly a year of online yoga
I took this selfie on 1st March 2020, walking round Acle delivering flyers. If you’d asked me then, I’d have said that an online yoga presence wasn’t really for me, that my strengths lay in developing relationships face-to-face, and that the YouTube and Instagram yoga communities were for people who did handstands or drank green smoothies or balanced in dancer’s pose on a rock at sunset. It was true that I wanted to nurture my clients, and it was also true that I felt like an imposter in those bits of the online yoga community that often get the most attention.
Fast forward 365 days and now I LOVE online yoga! Zoom teaching has enabled me to develop a welcoming, safe approach to yoga classes and I think this has actually made our Yoga For Every Body community even more welcoming that I originally envisioned. We are no longer restricted by geography and transport links, and it’s been fantastic to reach new clients who live far beyond Norfolk. Another real plus has been seeing people become more independent in their yoga practice: making choices that suit their bodies, rather than copying the person on the next mat, and using home-sourced props for comfort and confidence. Once we dispel the myth that yoga must be practised at a ‘special’ place, mimicking the actions of a ‘special’ expert, it can become so much more relevant to our daily lives.
In addition to switching to online teaching, I’ve also started a subscriber newsletter, built a website, joined Instagram, trialled on-demand content, and recently started YouTubing. Listed all in one breath, it’s a lot! But each of those steps has occurred semi-organically, as a way to further support existing clients and reach potential clients who share our collective values. It feels healthy, not performative.
There are lots of fabulous people who’ve motivated and supported my transition to online yoga. If you’re wanting inspiration, my biggest recommends are Andrea Ferretti’s content blueprint course, joining the Accessible Yoga community on social media and as an ambassador, and finding a yoga friend who understands the setting/s in which you’re working. Thank you Clare for our monthly-ish remote coffees, you always leave me feeling grounded and excited about what’s to come!