The Future of Online Yoga

We've all felt the guilt that comes with making the choice not to exercise. We know how good yoga make us feel, that loose spine, that strong flexible body. We know without it we'll be stiff and sore, we  know without it our exercise levels will be too low and we'll likely be unfit and gain weight.  We know Yoga is the ultimate de-stressing(as opposed to distressing!) activity.  But then when yoga time rolls around closer and closer, the reason to not go arrive and for one reason or another these reason overwhelm us, and we don't go.

Why? All manner of reasons

• No one to watch the kids
• Got held up at work, and now don;t have enough time to get to class then get home.
• A headache.... maybe you are coming down with something?
• There's alway toomrrow, missing one session won't matter?
• Then one missed session becomes two, then three, then the effort of restarting seems too hard

There is always an excuse.

Part of the problem is that, as much as we love yoga, many yoga studios themselves are not always what they are cracked up to be. They can be expensive and, unless you have free time to burn and out of reach of many people. Newcomers feel they suffer from performance anqiety, or lower level snobbery. Many people just don;t liek their body on show.

For as egalitarian as yoga should be, the yoga studio can be a daunting place. Online yoga is increasingly being seen as an alternative and a cure for these studio shortcomings. And the yoga studios are figuring it out. Every day it seems another yoga studio starts a website seeking to extend its reach into cyberspace. Some sites offer written instruction.

Most offer video programs of their yogis' most popular classes, which can range from simple hand-drawn animations to high-definition video. Some of these videos are such high production value that they look like something out of Hollywood! But videos are not where online yoga sets itself apart. After all, you have been able to buy a yoga video and watch it on your TV for at least a decade now. Where online yoga is making real strides is where it takes advantage of the power of its medium.

The internet is a dynamic, fluid place where sites and experiences change on a daily basis in response to their users' choices. Your online yoga class should be the same way. Guided Yoga is one of the online yoga sites that have transcended video. It was developed by a team of yogis and programmers, and allows you to control the difficulty of your yoga class and the length of the class down to the minute. It uses an algorithm to search through hundreds of poses to put together yoga classes that are personalized to your preferences.

The yoga classes it creates are always different--there are literally thousands of possible classes for each length and level of difficulty. In an ideal world, we might all have the luxury of a studio yoga class every day. After all, there is no substitute for a knowledgeable yogi helping you into a new position. But for most of us, we have neither the time nor money for that level of personal attention on a daily basis, and online yoga makes for a great way to keep up your practice between studio visits.

Although online yoga is still in its infancy, it already makes a great complement to a studio class. Online yoga is the alternative that many people have been waiting for. The online yoga sites are now sophisticated enough that everyone from beginners to experts can find a good class. It's time to get over the guilt and jumpstart your yoga practice today!

Ashley Hecht
Ashley is one of the founders of Guided Yoga, located at www.guidedyoga.com, an online yoga studio bringing personalized yoga classes to aspiring yogis of all skill levels, and dedicated to improving the quality of the online yoga experience.

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