Why Private Yoga Sessions Bring Us Back to the Roots of Practice

If you’ve ever been to a yoga class and felt a little lost — wondering if you’re “doing it right,” or unsure how to modify something that doesn’t quite feel good — you’re not alone.

Modern yoga classes often teach to the room. The teacher offers cues that (hopefully) land with most people, but with twenty different bodies in the space, it’s impossible to personalize everything.

That’s one of the reasons I love looking back at how yoga was traditionally taught — especially in the Ashtanga lineage.

The Mysore Style

In Mysore, India — where Ashtanga yoga originated — classes don’t look like what most of us know today. There’s no teacher at the front saying, “inhale, raise your arms.” Instead, it’s quiet. Everyone moves at their own pace through a set sequence, and the teacher walks around the room giving one-on-one guidance: a gentle assist, a whispered cue, a new posture when the student is ready.

Each person might be doing something completely different — one in backbends, another still learning sun salutations. The beauty of it lies in that independence within community. You’re surrounded by others, but you’re really in your own practice, at your own rhythm.

And here’s the interesting part: the led class — the one where the teacher guides the whole group together — actually came later. Traditionally, it was for students who already knew their sequence, their limits, and their modifications. In a way, it was considered the “advanced” class — not because it looked harder, but because it required self-awareness.

How This Applies Today

Fast-forward to modern yoga studios. Most people begin in a group class, following along with the teacher and hoping to figure things out as they go. There’s beauty in that, but also a challenge — especially if you’re brand new or recovering from injury.

When a class is moving quickly, it’s easy to miss those tiny but important details that make a posture sustainable. And while a good teacher will always offer variations, there’s often not enough time or space to address everyone individually.

That’s why I always recommend starting with a few private sessions — not as an indulgence, but as a foundation.

What Happens in a Private Session

In a one-on-one class, we slow things down. We explore how your body moves, where you might need more stability or mobility, and how to make postures feel good rather than “perfect.” You learn modifications, prop options, and ways to make practice your own.

Then, when you step into a group class, you know how to listen inwardly — when to pull back, when to expand, and how to move safely and confidently.

Private yoga brings us back to what yoga has always been at its heart: a relationship between student and teacher. A space where learning happens at your own pace, with care and attention.

Because the truth is — yoga isn’t about fitting your body into a shape. It’s about shaping the practice to fit you.