LIVESTREAM LEGENDS + THE HIGHS AND LOWS
WE WANTED TO CELEBRATE SOME OF OUR LIVESTREAM LEGENDS!
At the end of March we celebrated our 1 year live stream anniversary. As we cast our mind back over the past 12 months it brings up a myriad of memories and emotions from pride, to sadness, to despondency & ultimately gratitude (we are so lucky to have weathered the past 12 months and come out the other side - many of our yoga peers abroad and friends here in other industries like travel, hospitality and events have not been so lucky).
I’m not gonna lie! The last 12 months have been really stressful….we never set out to be an ‘online yoga’ studio, but Covid forced our hand to adapt quickly.
It’s been a very big lesson in letting go of needing to be perfect and embracing the flow of everyday life and being ok with that.
IT’S NOT ALL BAD THOUGH…
The one silver lining has been the way that live streaming has enabled so many students in our community to maintain a regular yoga practice - in some cases SO MUCH MORE SO than attending studio classes.
When you login to a live stream lesson with us here, you’ll be greeted by name, sometimes we’ll pick on you (in a loving kind of way), you can continue to practice with your favourite teachers that you already know & trust AND roll out of bed 2minutes before the 6am class and still make it on time!
Even if you haven’t shared your story with us (there are SO many of you that continue to practice with us in person and online) so even if you don’t see your face below - please know that we appreciate you and every class you’ve taken with us over the past year.
KAT
A year of online yoga! I personally have loved logging on to the livestream classes during lockdown and beyond. Last April having the opportunity to feel safe doing yoga in my backyard with my pup was everything.
Still getting to connect with the Younga community and flip upside down with my daily practice was a world of support in a pretty dark time. I’ve continued my online practice since then with a hybrid of in- studio classes and at-home Zoom.
I love getting to crank my own Spotify playlists (or Sofia’s killer ones!!) and experiment confidently with more advanced moves. My personal yoga practice has grown and expanded this last year in ways I couldn’t have imagined pre-COVID and I’m thankful to Younga for the online platform.
JO [be sure to check out jo’s kombucha company below]
When COVID restrictions hit and my daily yoga ritual was under fire I thought I would go mad. For me, yoga at Younga Yoga Studio provides a connection to self, community, and husband (he works in the area and we practiced together, often referring to the sessions as our date ). I hated the idea of ZOOMing yoga.
I didn't want technology in this part of my life. HOWEVER, the thought of not practicing was worse so I gave it a go the first day it was offered and I haven't stopped. I even went to the lesson bank when I couldn't fit a live scheduled class. I think the key has been the attention to detail made by the Studio.
The online classes feel the same as the Studio, the Instructors have remained, the aesthetics are lovely and I even hear the usual banter between Russ and my Husband. So really, a year on, I have gained at least 200 hours in travel time back - thank you Deb! AND I get to practice in my own home, in whatever I want to wear, with my dogs (sometimes problematic), jump in the shower, eat dinner and do a little work afterward, all in the same time it would have taken to travel to Wollongong. Pretty perfect if you ask me.
ANDREW
I started yoga in early 2019 and after completing the beginners course kept going to the studio once a week which was good but I wasn't progressing as much as I would have liked. When livestream classes started a year ago and we were all locked away at home it seemed like an ideal time to really get into learning and practicing a lot more. Then when the studio opened again started doing a mix of livestream and in studio each week.
By doing several classes a week of Vinyasa and Yin, over the past year I have noticed a difference - feeling better physically and mentally, less aching in my shoulders from working at a desk, gradually gaining more strength, balance, flexibility... all the benefits that I wanted have started to happen. For this I am very grateful to my teachers and very much appreciate all your instruction, advice and encouragement.
CAROL
I’ve undertaken around 220 livestream classes over the past 12 months and they have been my saving grace. It’s been a particularly stressful time filled with anxiety and uncertainty but once that mat is rolled out and a class begins with meditation and breathing, a calm and balance returns. Thanks so much to all at Younga Yoga for the opportunity to practice my yoga from home. I’m truely grateful.
CELIA
Livestream is rock and its save my life to being a full time worker and a mother of two primary school age daughters. Livestream allow me to have flexible duration of each class and save my travelling time as I can just do it at home. My kids go to school early some days therefore I can still squeeze in 45mins yoga time without any hassle. Time efficient is important for me. At last, livestream allow me to do what I am passion about which is ‘YOGA’ so Livestream just suit my life style.
KAREN
I became a Younga Yoga Studio livestream member during Covid and it has been a lifesaver. I have always attended classes in person but the studio I was attending closed down. I am not a You Tube yoga person and need to feel like I belong to a yoga community. I remembered that my old teacher had spoken highly of Younga Studio so I googled them and found the online classes.
The classes have kept me mindful, happy and centred. I was fortunate, as I was familiar with yoga and was able to adjust to the classes online quickly. I have loved all of the classes and teachers and I cherish belonging to the Younga Community.
Energy connection and philosophy is really important to me and I do feel a great energy flow and find online I have become much more focused. You have to concentrate. This leads to being mindful as you listen carefully and get into the class. It is too far for me to travel into classes so this has become an ideal way for me to practise yoga.
I find I am getting busier now but take great comfort in knowing that even if I can’t do as many classes I can be consistent.
DI
When I started attending Younga Yoga Studio in 2008, Deb and Russ had an upstairs space in Keira St and even after practicing yoga for years, I learnt so much from their classes and was hooked. I have been a Younga yogi ever since.
When I moved to Kiama late in 2019, I continued to attend the studio after work. However, when we went into lockdown last year, I began working from home and the opportunity to continue practicing online with teachers I knew and trusted, via Livestream, was a gift! I couldn’t believe how quickly Deb and Russ made the switch via Zoom and I have been grateful that this has continued even though we can now attend the studio.
I have chosen to continue attending classes via Livestream as I no longer work in Wollongong. Although I miss aspects of face to face contact with the Younga team, I really like the convenience of practicing in my living room. There’s nothing like doing a late yin class in my pyjamas and dropping straight into bed! Or practicing Vinyasa in the morning sun during Deb’s Saturday morning class! I feel that all of the teachers are attentive and considerate of those of us doing Livestream and the quality of the classes is excellent. I am so thankful for having had this option.
A SHOUT OUT TO DARKES FOREST BEVERAGES…
We love small business - and wanted to give Jo and her business a huge shoutout.
Jo shares her story here about what inspired her to start a kombucha company! We totally recommend this stuff…. especially the ginger!
Dark Forest Beverages was born from a desire to create gut-loving beverages for the social adult in an earth-responsible way.
I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and told I would be on a chemotherapy drug for the rest of my life - and here I thought eating well and staying fit was the universal insurance for a drug-free/ pain-free life, right?! It didn't take long for me to discover the healing properties of fermentation and the consumption of living foods.
I started taking the drug and drinking Kombucha daily, which wasn't easy because Kombucha (old school slow-fermented Kombucha) was hard to find, especially when socialising. I got stronger, got back into the yoga studio (@youngayogastudio) and started to think if I was looking for some gut love in Pubs and Restaurants, surely there are others! And presto - Dark Forest was born.
100% Australian-owned, lady start-up, Vegan, Gluten-free, zero-waste manufacturing. No Stevia or weird ass sugars, just Organic green tea, raw sugar, and whole fruits. And a lot of time!