5 Ways To Recognise A Really Good Yoga Class

Which yoga is best? Put simply: the best type of yoga is the yoga – and the teacher – that you love and gets you on your mat. It doesn’t have to be more complicated than that.

But after attending millions of classes (probably) I’ve whittled down the best things about REALLY GOOD yoga classes – both in-person and online. Consider these 5 things a barometer of sorts; does your yoga class feature these things? Then bosh. You’re probably in the right place:

1. The Playlist

Music. I’ve been to *way* too many yoga classes with terrible music, too-quiet music, ineffective music, or even silence that seems to be used wrong. Do you understand how much a teacher – and us students – miss out on by not using effective music? It’s like watching The Fellowship Of The Ring without Howard Shore’s musical magic; it can feel really weird. So watch out for a yoga class that features a playlist that gets you pumped at the right moments, and slowing down at the right moments. Used correctly, music brings half the feeling. It’s incredibly powerful.

2. The Feeling

A good yoga class will put emphasis on what *this pose* and *that pose* should feel like. Not just arm here, leg there. Not just “do this and look like me”. But you should be encouraged to think about the FEELING we’re after. So much more magic happens when we focus on feeling.

3. The Breath

Breath in a yoga class can sometimes be left behind, not talked about. Maybe there’s a moment of pranayama (or breath practice) at the start of class, but that’s it. But it’s one of the most fundamental nervous-system altering tools we have in a yoga class (and everywhere else). Why the hell don’t we talk about it more? You got it: a really good yoga class will get you thinking about your breath *a lot* of the time.

4. Savasana

I feel like this should go without saying, but a good savasana is vital; too many classes, especially online, miss out on this important yoga class feature. Savasana, if you’re not familiar, is a feature of the end of a yoga class (mainly) and involves lying flat and doing nothing. How important can that be? I hear you ask. Very. Put simply, a yoga class is a journey through your nervous system to get you to a place where you feel at-ease, connected, relaxed, engaged. The winding down at the end of class is a way to get you there. Miss out on this session, and you’re missing out on the nervous system down-regulation this provides.

5. The People

This one’s a bit more specific to in-person classes: a good yoga class will have folks speaking to each other. I know, it’s wild. I’ve been to plenty of classes, once the session had ended, where it felt like an icy wind had blown through the place, as if making eye-contact meant we’d turn into stone. Look for a class where people are warm, welcoming, familiar, and encouraging. This is what yoga’s about. Promise it makes a massive difference.

If you’re after all of the above in your online classes (even the nice people part, our community is epic), come try one of our live classes for free by joining the inner circle. This is about really good yoga. Once you find that, so much other stuff in your life starts to fall into place.