Health Benefits of Practicing Group Yoga

Group yoga can be extremely beneficial. It may even be more beneficial than an individual yoga practice, as a group session supervised by an instructor can help improve your form and movement.

Some people prefer to practice yoga alone, while others prefer to practice in a group setting. Whether you do yoga alone or with friends, the goal is to get the most out of it. Those who do do yoga in a group benefit from the experiences of others in the group in a variety of ways. Read on to learn more.

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Health Benefits of Group Yoga

Check out the following benefits that cultivating a group yoga session can offer:

1) It can make starting off easier

Let's be honest: it can be difficult to start doing anything new, and an exercise or yoga session even more so.

It's even more challenging to do it by yourself. Starting off anything new can be much easier when you're doing it with a group. Everybody needs that extra bit of support and encouragement to push themselves for something new, and a group yoga practice serves that very purpose - to help you start a yoga practice that can be life-altering.

Here's how you can practice yoga for health and longevity.

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2) It will help you build a consistent yoga practice

Research has shown that people who practice anything in a group are more likely to stick to it than things done individually. That's because an individual needs a high level of motivation to perform something regularly, on his own, with discipline.

When you join a group, your consistency automatically increases. It's much easier for you to stick to a group yoga session than to wrestle with your brain every day to do it alone. Being a part of a group is extremely motivating, and it can make it easier to show up to class (even when you don't want to) if other people are expecting you to.

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3) It can improve your yoga skills

Group yoga classes are excellent for instilling a spirit of friendly competition, and we don't mean this in a strictly competitive sense. Rather, seeing other members of your group yoga class improve with each class can inspire you to push yourself a little further outside your comfort zone.

It's well known that learning in a group is accelerated due to friendly peer pressure. In a group, you not only practice, but you do it more intensely. That can help you integrate yoga and meditation into your lifestyle and maintain your commitment to daily spiritual practices.

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4) Group energy and synergy

When you practice in a yoga class, you always have more energy than when you practice alone.

The energy shared by everyone in a group is indescribable and can be infectious. Whether you're working on a new pose as a group or meditating, the energy generated by a group is immeasurable. You can also use the energy of the group to help propel your own practice and push yourself further.

In a group yoga session, many people working together and focusing on the same goal, i.e. breathing together, chanting together and performing moves together can create a positive environment that can support you in your hard practice spots.

Meditating and breathing together can help generate energy that lasts long after the class ends. Even if you come to class tired, you will leave it feeling fully charged, refreshed, and energized - it's not us saying this, but many people who have experienced this change for themselves do so.

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5) Increase your confidence and motivation

Practicing yoga with others allows you to improve your skills faster, boost confidence, and stay more connected to your practice. As you will be interacting with many people of all levels in a group yoga class, you will always have help from other people as well as your instructor.

Check out these yoga poses to boost self confidence.

People who work together in groups often develop a close bond or friendship. That can help you to come out of your shell, and the shared sense of community at performing something you all love together can mean that your brain will feel more calm and at ease.

You will also have increased motivation and confidence as the group works together to help each other grow together.

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6) You will meet like-minded people

A group yoga class can help you achieve a sense of community. Yoga studios are excellent places to meet and form friendships with like-minded individuals. Synchronizing your breath and movements to come together for an uplifting session of yoga can help you feel part of a community based on shared values and intentional friendships.

Yoga practice in a group also promotes synergy. Great things happen when a group of people work together to achieve a common goal. You can find others in your group yoga class who share your goals and work together to achieve them.

Group yoga sessions foster a sense of community, willingness to help each other, and encouragement. Encouragement is one of the most valuable aspects of a practice, and it can undoubtedly help you stay motivated when things get tough.