Customization

While everybody can do yoga, it isn’t a one size fits all practice. A good yoga teacher can teach to a full room of students who have varied experience and needs; however, it is very different when you are being taught one-on-one. Yoga is a personal practice, and people come to the yoga mat for a host of different reasons. You may be looking for a way to relieve back pain, open your hips, increase strength, assist flexibility, quieten the mind, reduce stress, or increase range of motion- these are just a handful of reasons people may take up a yoga practice.
In a private yoga class, you can focus on your exact personal goals. A 1-to-1 ratio allows the teacher to plan a lesson to your personal needs, whether that’s tailoring to a specific health challenge or working towards a series of poses that you find particularly challenging.

Alignment, Modification & Props

While yoga is designed to be a stress-relieving activity, there can sometimes be a LOT to think about! Especially when you are new to the practice. In a public class, the teacher is there to guide and offer suggestions. However, depending on the size of the class and skill of the teacher, there is usually minimal personal attention. You wind up observing the people around you and most likely, end up in a pose that isn’t exactly ideal for you! Everybody is different; therefore, each pose will also be different depending on your unique body. Attending private session’s enables the teacher to work with you in each pose and correct your alignment, offer props to benefit and support you in the pose, and offer modifications to help you go deeper, or to back out a little to ensure you are getting the FULL benefit of every pose. 

Personal Adjustments

Hands on personal adjustments or assists are one of the most glorious parts of a yoga class. However, in a large class, you are likely to get one hands-on assist if you are lucky! Furthermore, these days, teachers and studios can be apprehensive about hands-on adjustments, and so they avoid them altogether. Physical adjustments by a qualified and experienced teacher can really transform a pose. It isn’t like offering an alignment cue or modification suggestion, these hands-on adjustments help you to move into a pose far more deeply that you can on your own, and therefore, experience the real benefits of a pose. In a private session these hands-on assists can really help you gain an understanding in both body and mind of what a pose can look and feeling like. 

Communication

Unfortunately, in a public yoga class, there really isn’t much of an opportunity to ask questions, especially while the class is in session! Often a teacher will stay behind after class, but it can be tricky with time and other students around to really dive into your yogic ponderings in depth. No matter where you are in your practice, yoga raises lots of questions. One of the best things about investing in a series of private session’s is you can ask as many questions as you like. This is a great opportunity for you to air those niggling concepts that you haven’t been able to wrap your head around, or questions that you may have felt embarrassed to ask in a class setting. Being able to communicate in open dialogue during a private session is a terrific way to learn and really come to terms with the practice and philosophy as much as you feel to. 

Working With an Injury

These days there are lots of options for people who are coming to yoga with a certain ailment, however, in these circumstances, nothing beats working one-on-one, and especially with a certified Yoga Therapist who is trained and experienced to help support clients with health challenges. Maybe you are looking for a way of yoga to assist you with debilitating migraines or trying to prevent neck issues from being on a computer all day. Maybe you are recovering from an injury or illness and seek yoga to support you through your recovery program. While yoga can incite feelings of discomfort, it should never elicit pain in the body. Working with a teacher one-on-one is also a great way to ensure that you are practicing in a way that is safe and sustainable for your body. The incident of injury through yoga is unfortunately on the rise. So, learning how to best work with your own body on the mat is just as important as learning how to modify poses if you are working with an existing injury. 

Focus 

Yoga is designed to help us switch off the mind. Yet do you find yourself in class creating mental shopping lists in your forward bend, or wondering where your neighbour got their yoga pants from? Don’t worry, mental chatter is common, and it can be hard to switch off in a public class surrounded by other people. This distraction can essentially take away from the benefits and enjoyment of the practice. In a private session chances are, your mind will have very little chance to wander! Rather than looking around the room and comparing your practice to other students, you can really be in your practice alone. You won’t have time to keep glancing at the clock or backing off from a pose thinking the teacher won’t notice! The one-on-one nature of a private class means there is little outer distraction so you can simply enjoy and focus on the practice at hand.