The other day I met a restaurant owner.
He was explaining how much the price of ingredients had gone up lately. I shared that I’m a business owner too, and empathized with him.
He asked me what I do.
When I tell people I teach yoga, they reply in one of two ways:
- They tried it once and it wasn’t for them, or
- They LOVE YOGA! It saved their life, and they practice 3 times a week.
This guy was in the latter camp, and gushed about his practice. So he understands the benefits of yoga, if not the specific benefits that I deliver.
Then, he asked if I charge the same for online yoga as I do for in-person classes. When I answered that I do, and started to explain the many benefits of practicing online, he scoffed.
“You see, that’s just wrong.”
I was like, “But why? Don’t you charge the same to deliver your food as you do to eat in your restaurant?”
That gave him pause.
I Don’t Buy Into the B.S. That Online Yoga is Inferior
If you think live online yoga is less valuable than in-person yoga, I'm here to change your mind (without even mentioning the pets đ). Yoga online is convenient, global, accessible, and here to stay.
Take-out isn't the same as eating in a restaurant, but both are valuable. Both have expenses associated with them. Nobody scoffs at that.
When you're ready for a restaurant experience, you make a reservation. You get dressed up, get in your car, drive, park, sit at a table, see other humans, and get served high quality food that you don’t need to cook or clean up. Amazing!
You know what’s ALSO amazing? The same high quality food delivered to you spontaneously in your sweatpants - with no reservation and no parking. You get to stay in the safety and comfort of your home. You savor your food, understand its value, and gladly pay for it, as long as it is delivered on time and the quality is as expected.
When you practice yoga online, you benefit from accessibility, convenience, and global opportunities - as well as quality yoga instruction and community.
These are my 5 favorite things about online yoga:
1. Teaching online aligns with my core value of inclusion. Online yoga is physically accessible. Students have told me they feel freer to explore posture variations when they’re at home. The other students aren't watching them, so there’s less risk of comparison.
2. The convenience of online yoga can't be beat. Roll out of bed, Grab your sweatpants off the laundry chair. Roll out your mat, and roll up to Zoom. It's easier than Grub Hub.If the class time isn't convenient, there's a replay. You get reminder emails to help you stay accountable to your practice. Technology can be used for good, especially when you're supporting a values-driven small business!
3. That technology can expand your horizons. Online yoga makes it possible for students to join our membership and workshops from all over the world. I've attended trainings internationally without having to get on a plane.
4. You'll find specialty yoga instruction online that's probably not available in your hometown. Experts in everything from scoliosis to anxiety, there's a yoga niche to support you.
5. We build community online by seeing and chatting with the same like-minded people each week, just like we hope to in a yoga studio. Except that my online students have been able to connect more deeply with each other online than they ever did in person. That was the inspiration for The Compassion Club (the only LIVE online mindful movement membership for empaths and highly sensitive people who want personalized support, encouragement, and connection).
Restaurant owners and yoga teachers have a lot in common. We can offer a nourishing and enjoyable experience at our place or yours, and there are good things about both options.
Like food delivery versus eating out, online yoga classes are not better or worse than in-person yoga classes.
They're just different. And they're here to stay.
I'm Kate Lynch (she/her), a somatic mindfulness coach on a mission to create a more inclusive world. I'm a cycle-breaker, an empath, and a vagus nerd. Since 2002, I've supported thousands of highly sensitive people internationally to regulate their nervous systems so they can feel more grounded, focused, and relaxed.
My core values include integrity, equity, and respect. My approach is trauma-informed, inclusive, and judgment-free. My little neurodiverse family lives in a magical land called Brooklyn.
Stop Walking On Eggshells!
Gentle yoga to release your stress and shift your mindset about struggle.
If you get your buttons pushed often by other people's issues, you may be hypervigilant. You might feel it in your body as clenching, tension, or chronic pain.
You'll become more grounded in awareness of your body.
