Teaching Yoga Online

Okay so let's jump straight in with a few ideas of how we can support teaching our students through a screen.

Ask them to set their space well - make a calm space, clear the energy by making the physical space clear and clean, close the door, dim the light, all the things that make it feel scared almost shrine like. I promise this will help so much to encourage the student to actually step into this practice and not become distracted by their room and life.

Encourage them to listen to your cues and not to keep needing to see the screen - this also means you need to cue well. Looking at the screen breaks the flow and isn't helpful for them to actually be in their body and practice.

Cue clearly, don't over complicate your cues, get them into the posture and then feel free to add on all your eloquence & love.

Don't be too creative, have fun and be free, but really your students will receive more if they have clue where they are going. Trust in the asana's.

Make a plan, when teaching without bodies in the room, you may speed up or slow down and end up teaching a strangely unbalanced sequence. Have a plan so you teach something yummy and wise.

As much as their space is important so is yours, it does not need to be fancy or studio like, but it should be clear and calm to see. A busy screen doesn't help students to follow you. Even if it’s just your voice/cues they are following if this screen is all busy and all things, the mind becomes congested.

Start slower than you might ordinarily in a class, they are not stepping into the energy of a studio where they are used to leaving their life and work outside. They may have been working away, or be in the same room all day, so we need this slightly longer time to step into the practice to make the switch from the other stuff and into this practice.

Set clear and light themes, ones that are more widely open for many to connect with, not being in the same room means that you less aware of your students you may not know them and how they are feeling. Essentially make no assumptions.