Beyond The Screen: What We Gain From Practicing Together.

Yoga has become more accessible than ever before. With just a click, you can join a class from your living room, hotel room, or garden, often at a time that suits your schedule. Online yoga has opened doors, removed geographical boundaries, and made yoga more inclusive for many. But as with most things, ease doesn’t always equate to depth.

There is something powerful about stepping into a shared space. In-person yoga classes offer a kind of presence that goes beyond simply showing up. It’s in the eye contact, the quiet smiles, the shared breath. There’s an energy that builds when a group moves and breathes together in real time, responding to the same cues, held in the same silence. This co-regulation, the nervous system syncing that occurs when we are physically present with others, is harder to recreate through a screen.

In-person classes also offer immediacy. A teacher can spot the subtle tension in your shoulders, the effort in your breath, or the wobble in your balance and respond in the moment with a suggestion or adjustment. The feedback loop is alive and responsive. For some, especially beginners or those with injuries, that support makes all the difference.

That’s not to say online yoga isn’t valuable. Far from it. Online classes offer flexibility and comfort, allowing people to practice more often, especially those with time constraints, chronic conditions, or caregiving responsibilities. For some, practicing at home can feel safer, quieter, and more personal. It can be a bridge when life makes showing up in person difficult.

But here’s why the difference matters: yoga is not just a set of physical postures. It’s a practice of relationship, relationship with your body, your breath, your awareness, and yes, with others. In-person classes often highlight this relational quality more clearly. You are witnessed, supported, and sometimes gently challenged, not just by the teacher, but by the community around you. That accountability, that shared humanity, often helps us deepen our practice in ways we might not expect.

So, whether online or in-person, the key is intention. If you’re practicing online, can you bring the same presence as you would in a shared room? Can you still show up for yourself, without the external structure? And if you’re coming to an in-person class, can you stay open to connection, to the quiet, powerful presence of others alongside you?

Both have their place. But knowing what’s different helps us choose more consciously, and perhaps find a balance between convenience and connection, between solitude and support.

Naomi Hurst