- A regular class with the same teacher allows you to build a relationship with the teacher and community with the other students. Instead of being one-of-many in a busy class you become a valued individual and student. Your body’s movements and limitations are uncovered by the teacher each week in class with relevant assists and pose modifications to down-level or up-level your practice appropriately. In addition to the physical knowledge your teacher will gain about your practice, there is the opportunity to approach the teacher before/after class to share thoughts or emotions or part of your spiritual journey.
- The layering of the different themes and intentions each week gives the student a deeper understanding of the philosophy of yoga – the yoga of the mind and the body. The same ideas and intentions can be built on adding more information and complexity week by week as the students develop knowledge. I find working with the same intention for a few weeks gives greater introspection and self knowledge.
- The body takes time to adjust to the cumulative effect of the physical results of asana. With regular asana practice you will see your body get stronger and more flexible. Doing cleverly thought out sequence and under the guidance of a teacher you can undergo this process safely.
- The number of poses and variations of yoga poses is mind-blowing (if not infinite)- I have no idea how many there are! Sun Salutations which many a home practice is born out of have many different forms. Taking a class where the same consistent versions of poses are done each week creates muscle memory. Over time you will build your mental pose library. If you are serious about taking up yoga sign up for a block – check out my 6 week Alwoodley Yoga course to get you started.
- It takes discipline to practice the same time each week. Some weeks at the assigned time you may not feel like class you’ll be a little tired, hungry or have a long list of things to do. This is when the interesting work happens, which version of yourself will you meet when you show up to the mat with a distracted mind? Try a teacher and a class time and commit to one class a week for 4-6 weeks. My dear friend Susie taught a 40 day challenge and the findings were fascinating. Sometimes self care (i.e. going to the yoga class) takes a little bit of hard work… but the results are worth it – in my opinion. In the yoga sutra’s Patanjali talks about discipline:
Practice becomes fairly grounded when well attended to for a long time, without break & in all earnestness
Rebecca Bibby - Forrest Yoga Teacher in Leeds 
