Back-to-school time is the perfect opportunity to get back into–or start–a yoga practice. Especially if you’re brand new to yoga, or are working with specific health challenges, age-related issues or injuries, custom-tailored private sessions are the way to go. I recently had an online yoga student ask me what my private yoga sessions are like. I realized that if she had questions about them, you might too. So here is what you can expect at your private yoga sessions with me–in my own words, and in the words of some of my current and past private yoga students.
Before Your Private Yoga Session
Before your first session, I ask you to fill out a Session Intention Form so I can get to know you better. I work in a very holistic way. You are not coming here to do a cookie-cutter yoga class; you can do that anywhere. I want to find out about your current level of activity, how many hours of sleep you average per night, what your diet is like, your stress level, and what kind of health conditions or injuries you might be dealing with. This all helps me begin planning in advance how I can support you and tailor your private sessions to your specific needs.
When you arrive for your first private session, from the moment you walk down the tree-lined pathway to my private west-side Ann Arbor yoga studio, nature is my helper in starting to calm your frazzled nerves. The poolside yoga studio is housed in a pretty ‘cottage’ that overlooks sprawling gardens, and features a cork floor, meditation loft, high ceilings, lots of natural wood, green (for the heart chakra) walls, and a peaceful setting. Soft music is playing in the background, there to enhance the experience, never to overpower it. I have had so many students express how tranquil my studio is. One student told me, “I was very hesitant to do yoga, and the second I walked into your studio everything about it was welcoming and healing – for the body, mind and spirit.” Another told me that my studio is the most beautiful place she has ever practiced yoga in. My favorite comment?: “As soon as you walk in you feel better.”
During Your Private Yoga Session
I spend a portion of our first session getting to know you better, going over your Session Intention Form and clarifying your goals. Some people are here purely for the yoga and, if so, we then get right down to business with a custom-tailored yoga sequence filling the rest of the hour. Others are looking for additional guidance with other aspects of a healthy lifestyle, such as nutrition, stress management and dealing with (peri)menopause, so we might spend extra time talking about these topics. If you are doing a solo private session, I will do some of the yoga practice with you while keeping an observant eye on you, making corrections and offering modifications where needed. If you’re coming with a friend or loved one, I will simply guide you both through the practice verbally, demonstrating postures as needed. I will take notes after each session about what we talked about and the yoga sequence itself so that I can keep track of our progress. I adapt subsequent sessions as needed based on these notes and a student’s desires. As one of my private students remarked, “It’s wonderful how you adapt the focus of your approach and attention not only to the overall needs and abilities of your students but also with sensitivity to what is unfolding for them as they arrive on any given day.”
BTW, some nuts and bolts about private sessions: I always let students know it’s their practice. They should feel free to talk/ask questions/share observations as much as they like–or be quiet for the whole practice. Strong emotions or tears sometimes come up. This is a safe space and, as an HSP, I will probably be tearing up right alongside you. There’s no need for fancy yoga clothes–sweats and a t-shirt are fine if that’s what you’re comfortable in. Bare feet are highly encouraged.
Students work with me privately for various lengths of time. I don’t generally teach one-time only sessions, but I have many students who will do a 4-session package (or two 4-session packages!) to get them back into a yoga routine after many years, or to help them come up with a routine that they can do on their own at home, or to feel more comfortable moving on to group classes elsewhere. I have some students who come once a month on an ongoing basis as a ‘check-in.’ Others want ongoing weekly support. I’ve had clients that I’ve been working with on a weekly basis for several years now. No matter how long a person works with me, what’s most important is that each individual is seeing the benefits of their private yoga sessions, and that I am helping to make a positive impact in their lives.
After Your Private Yoga Session
Speaking of seeing the benefits, I’d like to close this blog post by sharing a few comments from past and current private yoga students:
“These private sessions have been very helpful. I feel more relaxed knowing that I am doing the postures correctly.”
“Working with Christy is one of the highlights of my week. She is very kind, genuine and knowledgeable and in our sessions together I’ve not only learned about yoga but she has helped me keep centered and ready to take on my days with energy and positivity!”
“I’m consistently practicing yoga one or two days per week. I’m feeling stronger and have had no injuries from basketball. Lower back also feels great! Thanks for getting me back on track!”
“One of the things I like most about our sessions is the energy that you bring to everything you do and how caring you are. When I asked [my partner] to start coming to yoga with me, one of the things I told him was that your studio was so much more that just a yoga/exercise class. That the peace and ease of mind that he would get from being there was something that I appreciated beyond the physical activity.”
Learn more about private yoga sessions with me here.
To Sleep, Perchance to Dream