The benefits of a practicing yoga are well-known, ranging from the physical to the spiritual.
Even folks who have never practiced yoga know its reputation to improve flexibility, balance, strength and overall physical fitness.
Yoga techniques - meditation and Restorative Yoga in particular - offer an effective way to manage stress and anxiety.
Pranayama - the breath work of yoga - teaches us how to harness the power of our breath to influence our energy levels.
And one of the benefits of yoga that I value most is the community and heart-felt person-to-person connections that the practice inspires.
It might seem odd that someone who values community would be here to tell you why one-on-one, private yoga sessions are so beneficial.
For as much as I love teaching and participating in group classes, training, and retreats, private yoga lessons have a particular set of benefits.
The Top 3 reasons to Take One-on-One Yoga
1. Personalized Attention
When I plan a group class, I am thinking of a handful of folks in my community who need a particular thematic inspiration or a common complaint among students such as tight hamstrings or cranky shoulders.
While I offer many modifications and adaptations, as well as ways to tell which might be right for each person in the moment, these are group classes with a group in mind.
The number one benefit of private lessons is that they are designed specifically for you.
The question that drives every one-on-one session is this:
What does YOUR body and mind and soul need from this yoga practice today?
When we work together one-on-one, each part of the class is tailored specifically to what will work best to support you. I take copious notes before, during, and after our sessions so that I can plan exactly which practices, poses, and exercises will be right for you.
Because you are the star of the private lesson experience, we can make massive progress towards your goals. There is always time to answer all of your questions, no matter how small and specific they are to you and your experience.
2. Adaptability
While I come to every private lesson with a specific plan for you, another benefit of one-on-one yoga sessions is that we can adapt and change on the spot in response to your experience.
Have you ever attended a yoga class and realized at some point that the pace or the poses or the energy of the class just didn’t fit with what you wanted or needed?
In a group class, there’s not much you can do, aside from sitting out or just doing your own thing.
But if this happens in a private yoga class, we will pivot immediately to what will benefit you the most.
No more slogging it out in that vigorous flow class when you really want to be in savasana. And no need to wait it out in a Restorative Yoga pose when you really want to move and groove in sun salutations.
In addition, private lessons are great places for us to sort out which modifications and variations are going to be best for you in future group classes. If you are recovering from an injury or experience discomfort in certain poses, private lessons are the perfect place for me to help you figure out yoga can work best for your unique body.
Recovering from surgery? Or preparing for one?
Private lessons are exactly what you need. I’ve helped several students prepare for and then recover from knee, hip, and shoulder surgeries with private yoga sessions.
3. Accountability
Folks often ask why private yoga sessions are so expensive. The answer is multi-dimensional but one aspect is accountability. If you book a private lesson that costs four times as much as a group class, you will be much less likely to skip out in favor of an evening on the couch with Netflix. (For the record, I also love the couch and Netflix.)
In other words, you are investing in yourself and in turn the cost and the appointment specifically held just for you will hold you accountable to your practice.
Private Yoga Lessons Are Great!
Private lessons are the perfect way to get personalized attention, make great progress toward your goals, learn adaptations and variations of postures that will make your group classes more enjoyable and effective, and hold you accountable to your yoga practice.
Still have questions? Check out these frequently asked questions:
Is Tara the right private yoga teacher for me?
I discovered yoga when I was in college in 1999. Over the past 23 years of yoga study and 17 years of yoga teaching, I've engaged with many different styles of yoga.
I’ve taught nearly 10,000 hours of yoga in group classes, private lessons, workshops, trainings, and retreats.
Students who come to my classes like my teaching because it is:
Dogma free authenticity in harmony with honor for tradition.
Offered with joy and compassion by a well-traveled guide, not by an authoritarian who promises all of the right answers.
About feeling empowered and fortified, even when - or especially when! - you are lying around on a pile of props.
Inspired by relatable stories rooted in yoga tradition that feel relevant to everyday life.
Are private lessons only for beginners? Or only for advanced-level practitioners?
Private lessons are perfect for any student at any level! If you would benefit from more individual attention and accountability, this is the right way to practice yoga at any level.
What supplies do I need?
I love using props for yoga practice. Most folks will need a yoga mat, two blocks, one or two blankets, and a strap. Check out my favorite props.
How do I get started?