The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Yoga Online

The yoga and wellbeing world is going through massive changes at the moment. With social distancing and lockdown measures due to COVID-19, self-employed yoga and wellbeing practitioners have to drastically change their offerings and business setup. At the same time, more and more people are struggling with stress, anxiety, fear and uncertainty, so yoga teachers and wellness practitioners are needed more than ever. But how can you still reach your students if you can’t meet with them?

Let’s take a peek into the fun and manifold world of online yoga.

The world of online yoga

Thanks to technology today we can stay connected even when we can’t physically meet. Many yoga teachers have now risen to the occasion and moved towards teaching yoga online. They’ve courageously thrown themselves into a virtual world and are helping people cope with a worldwide pandemic by bringing mindfulness, meditation and movement to their homes.

Still, it’s a completely new form of teaching yoga with lots of challenges, both from a technical and a teaching standpoint. I come across so many yoga practitioners who are struggling, overwhelmed and on the verge of giving up their virtual yoga class. But I truly believe that the service they’re providing is crucial to helping people overcome the circumstances we’re all facing.

That’s why I would like to encourage and give guidance to all the yoga teachers out there. Read on to learn about 7 steps that will help you successfully host your online yoga practices, so you can keep on making an impact with your work.

1. Adopt a growth mindset and embrace mistakes

When I first started to teach my own online yoga classes, I was SO nervous before each class I taught. Even though I know all about the tech stuff, it’s still a BIG transition to teach online, in a room all by yourself, without being able to read the room. It was also disheartening when things didn’t work out the way I had planned with people cancelling at the last minute or dealing with tech issues.

It’s hard to get out there nonetheless, over and over again. It’s hard to keep on believing in yourself, even when you’re making mistakes and things aren’t all sunshine and rainbows. 

That’s why the most important thing to start your online yoga teacher journey is to adopt a growth mindset. A growth mindset enables you to see challenges and mistakes as opportunities, instead of limitations or failures.

Every transition takes time. The learning curve is VERY steep. As an entrepreneur, you learn through trial and error, there is no way around that.  So give yourself the permission to make mistakes, learn from them and get inspired by the success of other yoga teachers instead of feeling small or threatened by it. Stop looking at all the content out there, comparing yourself to everyone else. I truly believe that we all carry SO much more potential in us than we give ourselves credit for. You got what it takes to figure this out.

And don't worry if it doesn't come easy in the beginning - a growth mindset is like a muscle that we have to train every day. The more you'll start to look at your challenges and thought-patterns with an open mindset, the easier it will become. Remember, when things get hard is when most people quit. If you push through and persevere, it will get easier.

2. Get clear about your niche in order to stand out

As a yoga teacher, you might feel overwhelmed because it seems like every. single. yoga teacher is teaching online now. You might feel lost in all the noise online. While it’s true (and amazing) that a lot of practitioners are now teaching yoga online, there are still plenty of ways to stand out and reach exactly the people who could benefit from exactly YOUR approach and teachings.

That’s why it’s so important to understand your niche and the specific value YOU bring to yoga. This is true even for your future in-person yoga classes. If you’re crystal clear about your dream clients and students, your teaching style and what makes your approach to yoga special, you’ll not only differentiate yourself from the masses, but also form a group of regular students who love what you’re doing.

As the famous online entrepreneur Marie Forleo put it: "Knowing and truly understanding your customers is a vital part of a profitable and purposeful business. It helps you create better products and services, write infinitely better copy and focus your time and energy when it comes to marketing." 

So let’s get creative! As a starting point, you can use my free workbook to narrow down your niche. Once you have more clarity about your niche, come up with niche topics for your classes to stand out, like “bedtime cozy yoga flow”, “grounding yoga flow for uncertain days ” or “yoga flow for anxiety and stress”. Remember to stay authentic to yourself and your practice. Create topics that you care about and believe in and soon enough, you’ll find like-minded people who are looking for your specific help.

3. Decide on a format for your online classes

As a next step, you need to understand your offering. For example, would you like to teach private one-to-one classes and/or group sessions?

Also, what type of online classes do you want to teach? The two main ways you can teach yoga online are through pre-recorded video classes or live streams, and each come with their own pros and cons. 

1. Pre-recorded yoga classes
These are recorded and edited videos, usually hosted on a video streaming websites like YouTube or Vimeo or on your own website.

Pros: You’re creating everlasting content, so you’re able to repurpose the content easily (e.g. by cutting out certain clips to use on social media or for sharing in your newsletter). Online video can also be great for growing your audience and for boosting your SEO, helping you rank better on Google and other search engines. Finally, it allows students to be flexible with when and how long they want to practice. 

Cons: You do lose a level of personal touch through pre-recorded videos. You’re unable to see if and how your students are performing the poses and you as well as your students might feel more disconnected than through a live stream. Additionally, an online video doesn’t have the same sense of commitment than a virtual live class, where students have to sign up and show up to at a specific time.

If this is the route you feel most comfortable with, definitely check out my online course that gives you in-depth knowledge and best practices on how to create your own yoga videos with minimal equipment. Enrolment is currently open with a 50% discount to support yoga teachers during the current crisis.

2. Live streaming

The other option to teach yoga online is to stream your virtual yoga class in real-time to a group of students using online live video communication tools such as Zoom or Facebook Live.

Pros: As previously stated, you’re able to create a really strong sense of community. It’s the closest thing to a live yoga class possible, allowing you to interact with your students and guide them in real-time through their practice. There’s also more accountability for people to show up, as they’ve accepted, prepared and maybe even paid for a set time and date for them to attend. Plus, it’s super fun and a great learning experience as a teacher, as you have to make your instructions super precise.

Cons: Barring flexibility for your students and the benefits of everlasting content that I previously discussed, you’re also facing more technical challenges. If something goes wrong, for example your internet cuts out, it’s happening in real-time. This can be daunting and stressful, but it’s important to remember that no practice, live or otherwise, is perfect and 100% controllable.

If this is the format you prefer, you will have to choose your tech tool of choice for video streaming and calls. I use Zoom for my online classes and really love it, but there are also other great tech tools for hosting your virtual yoga classes. If you need more inspo on that, check out my blog post on 6 tech tools to teach yoga through virtual live streaming. 

QUICK TIP: Make sure to check with your insurance before you start teaching yoga online, to double check that you are covered for the type of online teaching you choose.

4. Equipment check, one two

Remember the growth mindset we spoke about earlier? It’s especially important when we start looking into equipment and the more techy side of things, which puts many people off from even trying to teach online.

It’s time to lose those tech fears and replace them with curiosity! Remember that it’s all about figuring out the right setup that works for your unique budget, space and circumstances. Work with what you have, it doesn’t have to be perfect.

Let’s dive into your filming setup. Here everything from the camera you use to the audio quality of your classes can affect the type of space you’re able to create for your yoga students. Of course, it’s amazing to have great equipment, but it’s not a must. There are many ways to teach online with minimal equipment. The type of equipment you need depends on whether you choose pre-recorded videos or live streaming as your online yoga class format.

Generally speaking, if you don’t have much equipment at home, it’s easier to get a good, professional result with pre-recorded video than with live streaming. In my yoga video creation course, I teach a process on how to create professional yoga videos with minimal equipment (all you need is your phone and your laptop). I’m also sharing all the equipment I use for my own yoga videos. Enrolment is currently open, so if you’d like to learn more about it, check out my course page here.

Live streaming, on the other hand, might require a bit more equipment.

• Firstly, it’s a good idea to get a webcam with decent video quality. While some laptops today provide this, some don’t, so check your laptop if you have one. It’s easy to find a relatively inexpensive webcam that will make sure your students are able to easily see you as you guide them through the practice and even feel as if they’re in the room with you.

• Similarly, the type of microphone you use is crucial. You need a good microphone that you can either place right in front of your mat, or a wearable microphone (best case wireless or with a super long cable). Many people are resorting to just using their Apple Earpods, but they don’t seem to work with all streaming applications, so make sure to research that beforehand. Since good sound quality can be even more important than good video quality, it might be a good idea to invest into a decent microphone.

• Your filming setup is important regardless of which online teaching format you choose. Find a clean, designated space in your home that’s big enough for you and the poses you plan to demonstrate. Make sure to set the right tone and atmosphere for your class. You can use plants and props to get a really nice setup.

• Finally, it’s equally important to consider your lighting and make sure you’re well-lit throughout the whole class. If you have to film in front of a window, make sure there is no direct light coming in, as the backlight won’t give great video results.

5. How to price your online yoga classes

Unfortunately, money is still a bit of a taboo topic in the yoga world, so it’s even more important to talk about this.

Before you decide on your payment setup, always remember that you’re offering a (very valuable!) service, and that you are pouring all of your heart and creativity into your work as a yoga teacher. Yes, you care deeply about the work you do and you are here to help and support people, but you also have to make a living and care for yourself and maybe also a family or relatives. If you are always under-charging or offering your work for free, you might start resenting your work or even burn out somewhere along the way.
 

There are three ways to set up your online classes financially:

1. Offer your class for free

2. Enable donations or pay-what-you-can/pay-what-you-feel

3. Set a fixed price for each class (either per class or with a weekly/monthly subscription)

I personally run my online yoga classes on a pay-what-you-can approach that lets people choose from different options on what they can pay. I made a conscious decision to handle my online payment this way, because I wanted my classes to be as accessible as possible so that people who really need yoga in today’s circumstances can join regularly. People who can pay a bit more can then subsidise people who can’t afford to pay anything at the moment. This system works really well for me. However, the choice is completely up to you. What’s most important is that you are intentional about your decision and that it makes you feel comfortable, happy and confident as a yoga teacher.  

6. Ways to take online payment - with and without a website

Generally speaking, there are three main ways to take online payments: through your website, through third-party services like PayPal or booking systems, or by bank transfer.

Here are a few great options:

• If you have a website:

  • With Squarespace or Wix it’s super easy to enable eCommerce on your website. You can then add your service as a product to your website/shop, where people can pay for it directly.

  • You can also add a PayPal buy now button to your website, it’s super easy and you don’t have to set up any eCommerce for your website. You can simply create the button code on PayPal (you need a PayPal business account for that), and then add it to your website so that the button will appear on your website, wherever you want it.
    

• If you don’t have a website:

  • Firstly, now is the time to get your own website up and running! Having a website today is a must, regardless of whether you’re teaching online or in-person. It’s central to your online presence and lets people find and learn about you and your offerings, as well as build trust and form a connection. The current crisis around COVID-19 will have long term effects for the wellbeing world, especially regarding the need for more digitalisation, so really consider to get out there with your own website asap. If you want to save hours/weeks/years of guesswork, check my new course “Website 101 - How to think like a web designer and build a website that converts” for yoga teachers and wellness practitioners, to learn how to build your own website that actually works FOR you, not against you.

  • Another popular option is to create an event for your yoga classes on Eventbrite. You can set up each yoga class as an individual event in Eventbrite and then also take online payment through the platform. It’s important to note though that they tend to take quite a big cut (over 10% in most cases). 

  • You could allow people to send you money through a PayPal.me link if they have a PayPal account. It’s super easy to set up and you can then simply send people your customised payment link. However, keep in mind that not everyone uses PayPal, so you’ll have to offer another option as well.

  • Finally, you could just ask people to send you money through a bank transfer. While this way is truly free for you and anyone with a bank account can do it, it can be a big barrier for students. The act of logging into their bank accounts, putting in your bank details and completing the transfer alone increases the chances that they won’t go through with it. For this reason, I generally don’t recommend this; dropout rates are high enough already, so make it as easy as possible for your students.

QUICK TIP: I know that many yoga teachers and wellness practitioners don’t want to enable online payment, because every online payment comes with a small fee for every payment (usually around 2-3%, depending on the payment provider). Yet, I strongly recommend to enable online payment for your students, as you will probably sell way more spaces in your class and make the fee right back. It’s the easiest way for your students to pay and when it comes to purchasing you want to facilitate the easiest way possible.

7. Promoting your classes with joy and authenticity

You’re putting so much work, heart and effort into your online yoga classes. Yet, if nobody knows about them and how great they are, nobody can show up for them and you cannot make a positive impact with your work. 

So let’s clear up one big misconception at first: promoting yourself doesn’t have to be icky or salesy. It can come out of a place of authenticity, clarity, joy and integrity. How you feel about your class and work will make a massive difference. If you truly believe in your offer and the positive impact it can make on the lives of people, if you are truly excited about it, your students will be, too.

This step of the process can even be fun (yes, I’m still talking about promoting yourself), as you can get super creative!

There are so many different ways to promote yourself and your practice online. However, the best place to start is with formalising your promotion strategy. You want to start by writing down your goals, the channels (e.g. Instagram, Facebook ads, blog, etc.) you plan to use, how you plan to use them and your resources (e.g. budget, time, tools, if you have anyone who can help you, etc.). However, try not to spend too long on this, it’s easy to get so caught up in creating strategy that you end up spending far too long planning how to promote your yoga classes rather than actually running them. A quick brainstorm is usually enough to be more intentional about your promotion efforts.

Once you’ve finalised your strategy, it’s time to implement it. Try to set up a regular content posting schedule. I usually use a content calendar in Trello, where I plan all my blog and social media posts for the month ahead. I then schedule my Instagram posts with Planoly, which saves so much time. It allows me to only focus on promotion on one day of the week and leave the rest of my week to plan my virtual yoga classes and do other fun tasks.

You also want to make sure you use email to its maximum potential. Your email community consists of people who are already interested in your work and your offerings, so they are the people you can approach now for your online classes. Now is the time to focus on growing your email community as well.

If you have budget, advertisement can also be a solid route. Here, paid search and social media ads can increase your outreach. However, this is not a necessity. You can get very far, and often arguably further, by investing your time and resources into a well-thought out content strategy that provides real value to your community.

Remember, for most yoga teachers, their primary goals and ambitions are to teach and connect. Besides your in-person yoga classes, the best way to teach people is through content. For example, you could create an at-home COVID-19 meditation guide for people to download for free if they sign up for your email community. From here, you start building your community and providing them with content and practices that they’re interested in and can help them.

Most importantly, you have to consistently keep on promoting your classes, over and over again. Share it on social media (repeatedly, not just once), get people excited about joining, share your vision behind it, your why, your story and whatever makes YOUR online yoga classes unique. Give yourself time, class numbers will fluctuate as always, but keep up your consistency to become more visible. I know that it can feel scary at times to become visible and to be seen, but I truly believe that the world needs you and your work more than ever before, so keep on believing in yourself.

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Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions or feedback.

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