By Annette van Gent
From time to time, you might have seen The Yoga Nook advertise a type of yoga class called an Iyengar Yoga “led practice”. You might have wondered what this is, how it differs from one of our usual yoga classes, and why you might do this “led practice”. If this has ever been you, read on as we answer these questions!
What is a “led practice”?
In a led practice, students come into the school at a specific time, as they would for a normal class. Students are then guided through a yoga practice sequence by a teacher. The teacher guides the practice from the front of the room, naming each asana in the sequence as it is being done, and doing each asana with the students.
A led practice is different from a normal yoga class in that the teacher is providing the students with guidance through the yoga practice, but not offering very detailed explanation, or making corrections (unless absolutely necessary for safety reasons). A led practice is also different from practising yoga on your own at home, because you have the guidance of the teacher, access to the yoga studio space and yoga props, and the supportive presence of other students doing the same practice sequence as you.
Why do a led practice?
The practice of yoga asana really comes alive when we start to integrate it into our day-to-day, through practising regularly on our own as well as coming consistently to class. Regular solo practice provides us with the opportunity to really reflect on what we have learnt in class, and deeply integrate it into the way we move our bodies and breath through the asanas. Through this integration, we develop our own relationship with each of the asanas, and through this relationship, we can start to find a deeper understanding of both our physical and emotional self.
Wonderful as it is, starting a regular solo yoga practice can be hard! We might be unsure about what to practice. We might lack confidence in doing the asanas without the direct supervision of our teachers. We might not have all the equipment we need for an Iyengar yoga
Develop your own home yoga practice by coming to led practice at the Yoga Nook
practice at home. Or perhaps we find it hard to carve out a quiet space in our home and family life to do our solo practice without distraction.
This is where doing a led practice can help. Led practice offers all the supportive conditions of a class – such as the studio and the presence of a teacher – but with a little extra element of independence for you as the student. In this way, led practice can be a lovely bridge between practising only in class, and developing your own solo practice.
So – when can I do a led practice?
We will be offering a led practice from Monday 18 November 2024, from 6.30am until 8am. Please feel very welcome to come along and give it a try!
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