You don’t have to be a movie star, professional athlete, or a “famous for no reason” reality TV star to enjoy the benefits of private yoga! From school teachers to at-home Moms, to corporate executives –there are more people from more walks of life doing private yoga than you might think!
After teaching yoga for 12 years in two different markets, Cape Cod and a St. Paul Suburb, I’ve taught a lot of yogis in the comfort of their own homes, for a variety of reason and motivations. Here are a few reasons why people do private yoga:
1) Ensures Commitment: I know where you live! I am convinced that some people need to 1) pre-pay and 2) have me on their doorstep to make sure they don’t bail out on what is, at the end of the day, a commitment to The Self. These people have a way of getting dragged into other peoples’ urgency (O.P.U.) at the last minute. Their conscientious employees, parents, caregivers, business owners, etc. who will pick up a ringing phone as they’re heading out the door to yoga (something I never do!). The world is a better place for them, but they tend to cut corners on self care. By having me show up, the yoga class becomes the urgency at hand, live and in person! I think they figure: better to spend a little more on private yoga than to keep signing up for group classes and not attend.
2) Relationship Enhancing: Some of my longest term private students do yoga with a partner, spouse, BFF, or small group of friends. They look at their private yoga as a way to spend quality time w/ loved ones. One of my earlier successes was a book club where members decided they needed to do something less sedentary together. Doing yoga as a “duet” class or small group keeps you accountable to more people = more commitment.
3) Health Limitations: While I pride myself as an instructor who can use props and modifications to make yoga accessible to nearly everyone, there are some conditions for which a group setting isn’t appropriate. It simply isn’t fair to monopolize the teacher’s time; and, you will likely start to feel self-conscious. It’s one thing to need extra help your first few classes –everyone has been there and your mat mates will be understanding. That said, it’s not an infinite well of patience. If you constantly need help getting in and out of poses, you’d better consider private yoga–in the long run it’s safer for you. If your issues require supervision, I can tell you that the teacher cannot be watching and ensuring the safety of your every move, all the time–even in a small class. The good news: after a critical mass of private yoga, you might be ready to “graduate” to a group setting if that’s your goal– and, you’ll have a lot more fun and confidence in doing so.
4) Faster improvement: For those wanting to “jump in with both feet,” a winning strategy is to combine a weekly group class with private instruction. In the tennis and golf world, this is the norm. Sure, you play a round or a match and might receive limited feedback from a pro, but to really fine tune, you need that private lesson. No different for yoga. We delve into subtleties and make adjustments, just like you would in any sport. We also have more time to explore the mental aspects or “deeper practices” which are extensive in yoga. When private students then turn up for group classes, I notice they’re more at ease as they’ve already been working with the material.
If you think private yoga might be for you, fill out a “contact” form and get in touch. While many personal trainers out there purport to offer private yoga, check credentials. Yoga credentials are different from fitness credentials and you could be overpaying by twice. At YogaHotDish, pricing is a function of time and distance. Times available starting at @$70 for up to 4 people.
