For the most part, change happens gradually, like the patient, slow growth of a tree decade by decade. And then there are times when change happens suddenly and dramatically, like spring buds turning into flowers from after a mild spring rain, revealing what has been growing below the surface for months.
We might say that the sudden shift in the yoga community to teaching live online yoga classes is one of those dramatic shifts. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced yoga studios to close down, yoga teachers and studios acted quickly to move to online learning, and their students were quick to follow with some teacher reporting even an increase in attendance in the live online format.
The shift towards online learning has been so comprehensive and universal that it prompts the question, is this more than just a stop-gap measure? Are we living through what will turn out to be one of the most dramatic, swift, and permanent shifts in the way yoga is being taught in the U.S.?
We have long had telehealth, online college degrees, and now also online learning for grade-schoolers. Why should live online yoga classes be any different?
Interactive, live online learning is an important step up from pre-recorded online yoga classes. And, they have the potential to permanently turn into one more way yoga teachers can connect with their students, and even succeed in reaching students who might not otherwise be able to do yoga in studios.
If so, what are some of the most important features that make live online yoga classes work? How do you create a lively, interactive environment which makes students feel involved and which delivers learning targeted to their individual needs, rather than following the one-size-fits-all of prerecorded online yoga classes?
In this free download, Eva Norlyk Smith, Ph.D., C-IAYT, founder of YogaUOnline and Lynn Crimando, C-IAYT address some of these questions and look at what it takes to build an online community. Learn what your students need during this time and how you can draw on the teachings of yoga to offer a calm port in the midst of the storm. We also talk about how to create a live interactive environment while teaching online, some of the unique features to keep in mind when teaching online, and the best ways to reach out to students to stay in touch between classes.
You may also be interested in Eva and Lynn’s course, A New Era in Fitness? How to Be Successful Teaching Yoga Online.
