Online Yoga Club Digs Deep Into The Basics
“Cyber-Yoga?! You must be joking!”
That might have been my initial reaction 10, maybe even 5 years ago, but not so today. Considering our current lifestyles, it’s actually quite logical.
Gaiam’s Online Yoga Club features renowned instructor Rodney Yee along with his wife, Colleen Saidman, also a long-time yoga instructor. Club members have online access to twelve 1-hr. sessions. Each session focuses on a different category of poses, for example, Week 1 covers Standing Poses; Week 2—Sun Salutations; Week 3— Backbends, etc. You can play each session at your own leisure; however, you cannot move on to the next until you’ve completed the prior. Sessions can be repeated as often as you like. Additionally, members receive downloadable podcasts and printable pose guides to help refine poses and principles.
Some initial observations:
- Practicing yoga on the computer seemed a little strange at first. But I quickly got used to it. Viewing it first on my large computer monitor, then on my laptop, proved equally satisfying.
- The instruction is superb. I have been practicing with Rodney Yee’s yoga DVDs for years, and in my opinion, no one compares. He gives clear, straightforward instructions without any flowerly, new age clichés. He and Colleen go into extensive detail about every pose, but never seem superfluous. They provide the right amount of instruction that beginners need to familiarize themselves with the basics, and also for long-time practitioners who have fallen into a pattern of simply “going through the motions.”
- I like these 2. For those who don’t know, Rodney and Colleen are married. At first, I worried that I’d be annoyed by their too-cutesy interaction. They briefly cross the line in the introduction, but then quickly get down to business. After awhile, I started to feel like I was in the room alone with the Yees receiving private instruction. It was very comfortable and most importantly, I felt great afterwards.
Here’s my review of the 1st session along with a sample video.
