In a fast paced digitally dominated world like today, it is good to see that people are growingly getting interested towards seeking yoga and inculcating yoga practices in their day to day lives. But usually this is done with the help of YouTube videos, online visual content or yoga instructors you find on the other side of the screen. So even though the online yoga classes make yoga accessible and allow you to enjoy yoga, it is only through in-person lessons in yoga through traditional yoga schools that will help you absorb yoga in its true form and in the right manner as a holistic way of life.
In India, yoga schools which often come in the format of traditional yoga ashrams located between lush green forests or alongside beaches like the yoga school in Goa which not only take the yoga experience one step ahead, but offer you a living and a breathing environment which helps you find connection with your body, learn the right alignment of performing yoga and build that discipline and presence of mind which elevates your yoga game. In this guide, you shall be coming across transformative lessons which you can experience only in a tangible yoga school and not in an online class despite its accessibility.
Find discipline beyond your mat
Well it is true that discipline is a personal habit and requires your prerogative, but online yoga classes in spite of the accessibility and convenience usually interfere with your discipline building habits. For instance, when following a video for doing yoga, you might skip a session or engage in multitasking or might receive a call and would have to pause the video for N number of reasons. Basically stop or hinder your practice and break that discipline.
Now this might not just be about a 1 hour or ½ hour commitment, it could be a prolonged effect in terms of you not following a particular timing to pursue your personal practice. The discipline to inculcate consistency beyond your mat can be learnt only in the physical presence of a yoga community led by a yoga guru. When you are enrolled in yoga classes in an offline format, you get the chance to follow the yogic way of life which helps you find discipline beyond your mat.
Experience the power of sangha (community)
One of the major perks of attending yoga lessons from a traditional yoga ashram instead of online yoga classes is the power of Sangha (community) you find in an offline format. Practicing yoga lessons and learning correct alignment with a like-minded group not only helps you deepen your personal practice, but also learn and support a community that goes way beyond yoga. You not only get a chance to learn about each other’s journeys, but you also share profound moments with one another which often results in deep friendships and a sense of belonging beyond you and your mat.
Benefit from the presence of Guru
Traditionally, India is vouched to be the spiritual capital of the world and given this position, all Indian philosophies stress upon the importance of Guru in one’s life and the following of the Guru Shishya Parampara. When you are enrolled in a traditional yoga ashram in India, you not only benefit from the presence of the Guru, but you find a friend, philosopher, and guide in the form of a guru who not only helps you learn the correct alignments about yoga, but also helps you understand the anatomy of your body and how you can improve your practice. This is not just limited to the physical aspects of performing yoga, it often stretches way beyond just the asana practice. A right teacher will not only help you perform a pose correctly, they will show you the right approach to life and raised awareness about yourself.
Experience the yogic way of life
Performing yoga in the comforts of your home definitely gives you the chance to choose your meals and drinks and follow your body’s demands, but when enrolled in an offline yoga ashram you not only get a chance to experience yoga in its truest form, but you also gain the experience of living the yogic way of life. This comprises of starting your day with the sun, waking up to nature’s rhythm, engaging in yoga practice, mantra chanting, guided meditations and consuming satvik food which is prepared to keep you healthy and balanced. These are added benefits which you cannot find in the confinements of your home.
Experience the joy of living in the present
Perhaps one of the greatest lessons you learn in a yoga school is the experience of living in the present. It is often said to not worry about the past, not stress about the future, but just simply enjoy the present and perhaps this is one of the most difficult tasks for any human. This is an unconscious habit which we might also experience while performing our yoga practice. So yoga schools help us enjoy the joy of living in the present through the means of performing yoga in a group of like-minded people led by a yoga instructor who not only helps us correct our alignments but also motivates us to enjoy the practice in the present by avoiding distractions and unnecessarily engaging the mind elsewhere.
Conclusion
Yoga is a way of life and yoga schools teach one to live it the right way. When enrolled in a yoga ashram, you not only learn Yoga but also discipline, self-awareness and lifestyle integration along with correct alignment of yoga postures. Online yoga classes are a good way to maintain your everyday practice, enhance your flexibility, and stretch your body and unwind after a long day, but yoga schools elevate your yoga practice profoundly. If you are someone who is interested in learning yoga teacher training from traditional Indian yoga masters in a traditional yoga ashram setup, enrolling in a Yoga TTC in Goa offered by credible institutions such as AdiYogam located in Arambol N Goa under the guidance of Bharat Ram ji himself, can be the perfect way to gain a professional skill and a depend yoga practice.
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