Moving to small town... worried about quality of yoga

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Hello all,

I am possibly moving to a small town (think hills of Alabama) within the next couple of months. I have set into a wonderful asana practice here in Baton Rouge with some gracious teachers which really resonate with me. I have practiced yoga for a couple years now, regularly for about a year. While my practice continues to improve, I am worried of the hit it might take with a move. There is no studio in the city I may be moving to - only a Y and Gold’s which feature a couple of classes a week. The content of these classes really worries me.

I aspire to teach someday and if we wind up staying in Gadsden, maybe open up the first yoga studio somewhere down the line. Do you have any recommendations on DVD series or anything that might improve my solitaire conditions? I have heard of an online site which features a new class each day. Is anyone familiar with the site? How do the classes compare with an in-studio class? I know there really is no substitute for a real class - the energy, the guidance, hands-on experience - but sometimes you have no choice. Birmingham and Atlanta will be close enough to travel for workshops, but daily is not an option.

I appreciate the time you have taken to help me I out. Much love to you all.

Blessings,

Katie

#2

Katie,
I’ve been in the same situation many times, except its always in a new country where I didn’t always understand the language so fast. What I did with these situations was to deepen my own daily home practice and get out to a class elsewhere now and then. Some of my best growth and meditation has happened after a long self-guided practice in the peaceful quiet of my own home. Perhaps you can grow your practice the same way.

You may also find people in your new town who practice yoga, want to get started again, or want to learn - and be able to start your own small group.

Or, you may find that the classes at the Y will be wonderful. If the content is not quite what you are used to, perhaps you can enrich them by what you’ve learned from your teachers in Baton Rouge - and help spread bliss to ever more people.

For every door that closes (or looks like it may be closing) , several more will open before you…including perhaps even the one you think is closed!

Namaste,

Kiran

#3

Hi Katie,

I can’t really respond on the moving part as I am living for the past 21 years in the same place. However, I would like to draw your attention to the search function on the forum. There are many threads with DVD recommendations and some of them are a feast. Check them out, you might just find a few gems there that might make the transition easier for you.

Good luck with the move.

#4

Hi Katie,

I think I might have found what you’re looking for. Try this [B]link[/B].

Hope it helps some,
Dustin

#5

Thank you all so much for your help. That link had a lot to offer as will searching the forum. I appreciate your insight, Kiran, on the opportunity of seeing my situation as a blessing. I look forward to approaching new doors in the coming days.

Many blessings to you all :slight_smile:

#6

Hello Katie,

of course that is something to consider very seriously before moving. And you are correct, sometimes there is no choice. Of course the opposite is also true, sometimes there are choices where we see none. So on the path of yoga there is much to unearth:-)

A thriving home practice will serve you but I’d encourage you to get to a very sound class (or better yet workshop) every two months in order to have your alignment viewed and adjusted by a senior teacher. Of course this presume you have an alignment-based practice:-)

gordon

#7

Classes run in gyms often tend to be different from studio classes in some ways, in particular I see less personal attention and hands-on adjustments than in the studio classes I attend. (And if someone has no other experience of yoga and starts with a bad instructor or goes to an inappropriate class, well they don’t know the difference and don’t know how to take care of themselves, and there is usually no one who will tell them otherwise.)

But you might get lucky with what is available at Gold’s or the Y. See if you can get a weeks free pass and try out as much as you can. I actually joined Gold’s mostly because it provides me with access to lots of yoga classes for cheap, as there are many Gold’s in my area and where I travel. While I’ve run across a very few bad and a number of average instructors at Gold’s, there are also good to truly outstanding ones, who also teach in studios or their own classes. And you may very well find that a person who teaches at a gym also teaches in some other space, and discover a class that way. A surprising number of good teachers don’t seem to have websites or advertise, it’s mostly word of mouth so they can be hard to find. (I think teaching at the gym or other venues is a form of advertising for some of them.)

#8

I know your pain. I moved from a city with a thriving Ashtanga community to one where it was nonexistent. I cannot live in regrets but what Inner Athlete said is on point. There are choices. I moved from there because we were running after money. It is funny thought, I am now experiencing what we were trying to get away from…but anyway…back to you.

My home practice has been a blessing and it is the strongest it has ever been. Like Inner Athlete said, when I first moved here, I would practice at home and go to workshops in nearby cities as often as possible to keep improving my skills.

#9

My new fav site:

#10

Your feelings are totally understandable. Checking out Welcome Wagon reviews might help you discover what's around, maybe even some great yoga spots you hadn't thought of. Small towns can sometimes surprise you with really personal and dedicated yoga communities. Keep an open mind, and you could end up loving the yoga scene there.