What we've learned so far – livestreaming yoga

If you're a yoga teacher, you're also an online yoga teacher now. Whether you like it or not. Overheard in a yoga podcast last year, oh so true. We've had to adapt and adjust, fumble around with cables, software and angles like never before. Here are a few things we've learned so far about teaching vinyasa flow online to a live group.

1. SOUND | Sound quality is by far the most important technical aspect of livestreaming. Assuming your cues are super clear. A microphone with a transmitter does the trick. A lav (one of those little skin coloured thingies that attach to your head) can be in the way when you teach vinyasa as you're moving a lot. The Røde Wireless Go (around €220) is a fantastic device that Elin uses. Lisa decided to go with AirPods Pro (also around €220), which can double as a microphone. And of course, the AirPods are also useful when you take an online yoga class yourself. We've both had positive experiences.
2. VISUALS | Video quality is trickier to deal with and not as important as people are doing yoga, not eating popcorn and watching from the sofa (we think). We've tried using the iPhone as a camera, the laptop camera and a webcam. The conclusion is that the visual quality is only as good as your internet connection. In addition, unless you are operating a production company, your visual quality will simply never be as good as if you're using a real video camera. With livestream, it will also be a little on the grainy side for most of us. Acceptance is good here.  
3. NO-GO | Using a good "real" camera/video camera is great for producing yoga videos. For livestream, it requires a lot of extra tech and it's healthier for most of us one-person-shows to think of livestream and production as two different things. The set-up has to be simple, so that you can focus on giving an awesome class.   
4. PLATFORM | Zoom works fine, but there are services popping up designed for teaching yoga online. Both of us are currently working with vstudio, a smaller start-up specialising in making it easy for us as yoga teachers. The big win here is the professional look and the integrated payment system. It's easy for your yogis to sign up and pay, and easy for you to use. You pay with a percentage of your revenue, so it feels like a win-win. There are other services doing similar things, like Ribbon that we also heard is good.
5. MUSIC |  If you have a good microphone you're music (if using) will not be picked up. Either instruct people to play their own music at home, or send a link to your playlist on spotify, which most people have. During class, tell your group when to turn on the playlist. 
6. SEQUENCING | As much as we love mandalas and half mandalas, funky transitions and spinning around – this is difficult for people at home since they are being instructed from a screen and screens don't move around the room. Try not to confuse your class, keep it fairly simple.  
7. MODELS | When teaching the class, it can really help to have a couple of people in the classroom, if that's available. Even just one student will take pressure off you to demo everything and it will also give the person at home a studio feel. And another body to glance at. You will unavoidably demo the entire class – a little less if you have a few bodies practicing. It's hard to demo and teach – you'll feel your heartbeat and start to sweat. When your class is in downward facing dog, it's a good idea to sit on your knees a little. It will be more calming for you.
8. CLARITY | Being clear is even more important when you teach online. Say not too little, not too much but just enough.  
9. RELEASE | It can be good to record your classes – you can keep them as pay per view or post them for free. It can also be calming to let livestream be only live, to not record, and to release the experience completely.    

Your can find both Elin, Lisa and Nazareno online streaming away in the winter and spring of 2021. Take a class with one or all of us to get an idea of what you can expect in a daily practice at a 200 hour vinyasa teacher training.

Inpsiro Yoga's (Lisa & Nazareno) Virtual Studio ››
Elin Jensen's Virtual Studio ››