Group Classes: The Meeting Point of Movement and Philosophy
The online yoga space loves a dichotomy. Scroll long enough and you’ll notice the tension: on one end, group classes are dismissed as exclusionary or superficial, and on the other, there’s the idea that realyoga is found only in stillness, study or pure philosophy.
I’ve seen both sides and I’ve stood on both sides. Now I truly believe that the best entry point into yoga’s philosophy isn’t found by rejecting group classes for being physical, it’s through them.
Why Group Classes Work
A group class carries an expectation of movement. That expectation can be a gift. It gives us a familiar structure, a place where people show up ready to engage physically and within that teachers have the chance to gently weave in the deeper threads of yoga philosophy. Movement becomes the hook but it’s not the whole story, it’s the doorway.
When taught with intention, group classes land in a way that doesn’t alienate. They provide a starting point that’s approachable, even for those who might not feel ready for a deep dive into ethical study or long hours of meditation.
A Place for All Stages
Over time group classes can open the door to all avenues of yoga. They allow intensity of asana for those who crave it without making anyone feel bad for wanting more or less. After all, people come to yoga at different stages of their lives and practice. The beauty of a group class is that it lets them find what they need, when the time is right—not when the teacher dictates that it’s time for either headstand or an ethical debate. Just as I don’t want to be force fed an arm balance, I also don’t want a lecture shoved down my throat either.
Where We Truly Meet People
To me the group class is the truest meeting place. It’s where we encounter students exactly as they are – with their expectations, their limits, and their curiosities. If you’re a teacher who loves solving problems, there’s nothing quite like it.
The real magic is when you subvert the expectations of a group class, not by denying movement or denying philosophy but by blending them in such a way that no one can label your class as ‘just physical’ or ‘just philosophical.’ Instead, what’s left is something far more valuable: a student’s own lived experience of yoga.
