All of our pose images are hand drawn by our resident artist based on a rendered 3d model to ensure they're anatomically correct! Though this means it may take more time to create each image, we think it is important to be accurate in our representation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are your pose images created?
"How do you create the YTL avatars? What is the inspiration behind each character?"
All of our avatar designs are based on real people we personally know and love! Some are yogis, some are not, but all have given us permission to use them as base models/muses. After we select our next model, our art director then uses photos to create illustrations in our signature YTL style. From there, in collaboration with the person we are modeling off of, we decide what tweaks to make. For example, sometimes we will swap out the body shape of the new avatar with a similar body shape from one of our preexisting avatars. Since we want to create as large of a library of avatars as possible, as quickly as possible, adapting previous images allows our artist to create new pose images much faster. We intend to have many different body types represented in our pose library and we continue to expand our selection as we find new real-life muses to work with! Sometimes our finalized character designs come out looking exactly like their real-life counterparts and sometimes they end up looking quite different, but we love them all and hope you do too.
To see our current avatars and the ones we will be releasing next click here.
"Why are some poses available for some avatars and not others?"
Is there an avatar you enjoy using that is missing some poses?
There are a few possible reasons why that may be.
1. We believe accurate portrayals of the asanas are important, and for that reason we are building out our avatar options as quickly as possible! However, it is important that we take the time to make sure all of our pose illustrations are anatomically correct and consistent.
2. We may be working with one of our advisory board members to make sure that a particular pose illustration or character design best represents the demographic it is intended for.
3. Our avatars are based on specific physical traits that inform their pose. For example, our avatar Rosa (seen in the illustration on the right), is based on an individual who uses a cane. Her pose library consists of chair poses and supported poses. One of the beautiful aspects of yoga and yoga therapy is that each individual is able to design a unique practice that is best for their body, wellness, goals, and mobility level. Not everyone's practice will look alike - and that's a good thing! Since we approach yoga from a therapeutic point of view we feel it is important to exemplify that. We are always willing to re-examine this decision if we receive enough feedback that our users would like all poses to be available for all avatars so please feel free to contact us with your thoughts!
"Will you be creating new avatars in the future?"
The short answer? Yes!
The long answer? We have many avatars already planned and on the way! Check out our Coming Soon page! We will continue to build out the library until we feel it is representative of anyone visiting the site that wants to see a reflection of themselves in our avatar list. Is there a specific community, character type, physical trait, or other characteristic that you would like us to work on next? Contact us here and let us know! The more requests we get for a specific character type the easier it is for us to organize our future plans!
"Are you going to continue adding new pose images? What if there is a pose I want to use but I don't see it as an option? "
Our extensive pose library is ever-growing! We will be regularly updating with new poses, pose variations, new therapeutic exercises, etc. If there is something we have missed or a pose you would like us to prioritize please contact us here!
