Todays Tuesday blog post is full of questions for readers, yoga students, yoga teachers, and website/internet/business pros.
I recently came across a website service that allows teachers (yoga teachers, dance teachers, fitness instructors, etc.) to teach from their studios ‘online’. This is a concept that fascinates me and yet also terrifies me. Teaching private lessons via webcam is something I have considered for awhile now, but this service seems to open that up into a whole new realm of possibilities and opportunities.
It is an affordable package, probably worth the investment even if it’s for the learning curve. However my question to you is: Would you be willing to pay for an online yoga course? If yes, why does it appeal to you? And if no, why not?
I still feel new to this online world of business. Wordpress blogging, Facebook and email have all become a major source of my communication with yoga students and like-minded folks. I enjoy the connections I have made, and am grateful for the new and old students who have come to my classes as a result of this online work.
This is what excites me about trying an online yoga course:
- It opens up the opportunity for people who are far away to try my gentle yoga classes
- It opens up the opportunity for me to connect with more yoga students
- I could offer my personal Yoga Teacher Training to anyone around the globe with internet access
- I will be able to expand my business in all directions through classes, workshops, e-books and meditations.
These are the questions I am hoping some of you may be able to answer for me!
- How does insurance work if I’m teaching people online?
- What are reasonable prices if someone is paying for a webcam session, which does not include the perks of being in a real class directly with a teacher?
- Do any of you have any stories of online-business ventures that succeeded or failed?
- Any advice or hidden catches I may be missing because I’m blinded by the excitement of expanding my business?
I would really, really, really appreciate any feedback, advice or other questions in the comments below. This is new territory for me, and I would like to gather information from people who have some wisdom to share!
Gentle Hatha Yoga | Jenni Burke 
Hi Jenni. I don’t have any words of wisdom to offer but I can add this:
I think people are attracted to online services because of the convenience (i.e. not having to leave the house in the frigid winter to attend a class).
I would consider signing up for that if the cost was low enough.
I hope that helps a little. 🙂
That’s great input, thanks Wendy! 🙂
You’re very welcome Jenni. I hope you are well. 🙂
I do some of this now for clients using Apple’s Face Time … Donation only, I also use a software platform that acts as a “live” whiteboard between clients and myself. There is an additional time element to consider although I do enjoy it.
Interesting, so it works for you! 🙂
Interesting idea, Jenni. I have noticed that a major problem with success in anything is that quality often suffers as quantity grows. As you know, I have my own Yoga centre at home where I practise, but I find that the atmosphere and the environment that you produce with your immediate presence and touch is far superior to what I can achieve at home. The question is: will that personal atmosphere and touch be transmitted on line at all or as well? I see the online approach as supplementary to the in-person class. Consider this: one, two or three short (15 to 20 minutes) online sessions per week (quantity) with instructions and practise leading up to one in-person full hour class session (quality) with your personal atmosphere and touch completely in tact. All sessions could follow a single theme so that online sessions could be “rehearsal” for the class session where the students put into practice what they have learned. In the online sessions, there can be questions and discussions while the in-person class can be as it is now. A positive side effect might be getting students to build their own solid home practise. It also would give you an opportunity to build teaching themes as you did with the Chakras. Of course, you are still limited to local students, or you could structure the online sessions to stand alone at the same time as they build toward the class session. That is possible to do. Yoga Journal, the magazine, has a very strong online presence where they provide short instructional streaming videos of single or multiple Asanas, Aryurveda recipes and other Yoga teaching points, many of them associated with the longer print articles from their magazine.
Just a thought. Namaste, George
George, thank you so much for that input! I think online in addition to personal would be great too, but yes it does limit to locals. I have my doubts that the same ‘essence’ of the yoga experience would come through fully online, but it may be worth a try. I would definitely hope it could help people around the world begin their own personal practice at home. This could get them started!
Hi Jenni
I would love to hire you for online sessions – but via skype so I can see & HEAR you ! I am also very interested in “sound” yoga – I’m sure there is a proper name for it but I think it has to do with making sounds (maybe mantras or chants ??) while doing yoga.
Here in France, there aren’t any yoga classes near me that are offered in English. Frankly, getting into some of the poses is enough without having to try to translate the instructions !!!
Good idea !
E
OH I like you’re ideas- will have to email you soon!!
Hi there – surely yoga teachers need to be physically present in order to physically correct posture and alignment, no? I receive a lot of touch from my one on one teacher which I couldn’t do without.
Thanks for the feedback! I agree, and that is one of my hesitations about teaching online. However, people do yoga all the time to dvds and out of books. I guess the online teaching would be best used in addition to other classes.