If you have been living under a rock and haven’t used Zoom yet, please read on.
Oh, Zoom. It has saved our bacon a bit in 2020 (Skype, who?)
Who’d a thought we’d all be practicing yoga in our own homes, tiny little squares on a screen. While it’s not quite the same as the real thing, there is something quite wonderful about rolling out of bed and yoga-ring in your pjs.
No judgement here
To download Zoom
To view the class you’ll need to download the free Zoom software onto your Mac or PC, or if you are using your iPhone/ipad just download the app.
I recommend doing this now, way ahead of our first class together so that I can be on hand to help you beforehand if you have any problems.
For the class
Please join the class 5-10 mins before we start so we can iron out any technical stuff and have a nice chat
Place your laptop, tablet or smart phone (whatever you used to log onto Zoom) in a good position near your mat – I’d recommend having the device camera placed to your side if you want me to see you well enough to help/adjust you.
But if you just roll out of bed and want to do it in your pyjamas you can keep your camera switched off. I won’t judge.
During the class you want to be on “SPEAKER VIEW” which you can select from the Zoom menu at the top right corner (or top left corner on ipads). This allows you to see me on full screen so you can watch what I’m doing.
Check audio and video function at the bottom left menu bar (by clicking on arrows next to audio/video icons you can adjust your settings. You will automatically join with your camera on, but feel free to turn it off if you are wearing aforementioned pyjamas.
Zoom has a chat function if you want to type any questions or comments to me once you are muted. It’s preset to message everyone, so if you have anything private to say, just check you are messaging me privately.
My friend Ellen once messaged the whole class about something very hilarious and private and everyone read it. How we laughed. Don’t be like Ellen.
Music
Any of you that have been to my classes before will know how much I love music, and have made a zillion different (and really badly titled) playlists for my yoga classes over the years.
I won’t be playing music to you through my laptop mic, as it sounds awful. But if you want to listen along, follow the links I send out in my weekly email
I’ll even instruct you when to press play so it flows nicely with what I am teaching. This means you would need to have the pro version of Spotify (so there are no adverts) but it’ll be there if you want it.
Obviously you can practice in silence if you like, or choose your own music to play in the background as you’ll be muted to all of us 🙂
Class noise
To minimise echo and sound issues, I will automatically mute everyone from the beginning until the end of the class, and if you have time and would like to stay for a chat after or have any questions then you can unmute yourself at the end. Please bear in mind that when chatting the mic and sound focuses on one person at a time so we miss things if we all talk at the same time.
Tech issues
If you should have any problems and your session ends just go back to the link you clicked on at the start, and it will log you straight back in. If it does not then please check your internet and reset.
The quality of your audio and video depends on your personal wifi or mobile connection – if you struggle with bandwidth, make sure no other devices are connected to your wifi router, and maybe turn your video off. If you struggle during the class it may be worth switching to your phone, but bear in mind the screen will be much smaller.
Props
If you have a yoga mat great, but if not you could use a towel/rug or play with the surfaces in your house and find the most grippy option. Same with blocks, bolsters and straps – if you have them please have them to hand, but if not here are some suggestions:
Shoelaces, belts or ties will work for straps. For blocks you could use a few books piled up. For bolsters you can use cushions or pillows.
Bring a blanket and socks for Savasana!
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