If you are here because you have started an online yoga practice, good on you. Congratulations on taking that first step! So the next question really is how to sustain it. Most of us are really to all these virtual and online meetings, and the tools that we use – be it for work or school. What more for yoga, right?
If not, and you want to know about the basics of starting a yoga practice at home.
To help you with maximizing that virtual yoga practice at home, here are some best practices that I hope can help you. This aims to help you and also the other participants in your online yoga class to have an awesome experience.
Choose the gadget that suits you best.
For virtual yoga classes, I suggest you either use your tablet or laptop. Mobile phones might be used but it is not very ideal as the screen is very small. Make sure that your gadget is put in a stable and sturdy place to avoid having to adjust its location every so often. A table or small chair or a side table might work – just find that place that suits your height and line of sight accordingly.
Get your yoga equipment or props ready for the session.
If you think you need your yoga props, then make sure that they are easily within your reach before you start the class. You don’t want any unnecessary disturbances during your session, right?
If you are joining a live virtual yoga class, be online at least 10 minutes before the start of the online yoga class.
Most of the yoga instructors open the online meeting rooms 10-15 minutes earlier than the actual start. Why? Simply because doing a technical test is a best practice. If your instructor doesn’t do this, well, you can definitely do this by yourself before joining in. Also, by being early, you will be able to adjust the settings to suit you.
Check your audio and video preferences.
If your yoga instructor doesn’t do a technical test, then do it on your own. For Zoom meetings, audio and video preferences are found on the lower right-hand corner of the Zoom screen – just look for the mic and camera icons. Explore the dropdown menus to see your options.
For Google Meet, these preferences can be found on the lower left hand of your screen – find those three dots and it will give you various options that may suit you. If you are watching a pre-recorded class, make sure that you are able to hear and see the instructor perfectly so you can go with the yoga routine smoothly. Don’t be scared to explore.
Put that camera on, and adjust your view and how you are viewed (this is only applicable for live virtual yoga classes).
Don’t be shy to put your camera on. It’s nice to see everyone and it adds to the feel that you are actually in a yoga class. Additionally, if you are live, you don’t want to be too far nor too near the camera. The yoga instructor needs to see you in the same way that you need to see them. Your camera should capture you fully. This way the instructor can provide feedback on your pose, stance, etc when needed.
Don’t forget to put yourself on mute.
This is simply an online etiquette – if you are not speaking, put yourself on mute. We only want to hear the yoga instructor speaking and not the background noise in whatever places we all are. This will also maintain the peace and quiet the virtual yoga class aims to provide and achieve.
Enjoy the practice and interact!
Don’t feel limited only because we are now doing our yoga practice online. Enjoy the experience and continue to interact with everyone. We may all be separated by distance right now due to the pandemic but we are still all connected virtually.
Hope these tips can help you get the most out of your yoga practice at home. Let us know if you have other best practices that you want to share, and topics that you want us to explore and share for you. InSyncBML currently offers live virtual yoga classes, don’t forget to check out the schedules here.
Namaste!
