How to Set Up Your Devices to Teach Yoga Online

Article by Lucas Rockwood


I’ve taught over 3,000 classes online including 200 hour online yoga teacher training courses. Here’s my go-to setup for
filming.

  • Natural light or ring light behind your phone
  • Phone as camera
  • Laptop as control center
  • Bluetooth earbuds

Lighting

Lighting is perhaps the most complex and variable aspect of video class, so I usually skip it altogether and use natural light. Make sure your light source is behind your phone camera, not behind you, or you’ll show up as a dark silhouette. During evening classes (post-sunset), I’ll often us a cheap, USB-powered ring light. They conveniently come with a built-in tripod for your phone, and for around $20, you have a totally decent solution. Will it look like a Hollywood movie? No, but it doesn’t matter. Good enough is great. Focus on your teaching instead of wasting time with clunky lights.

NOTE: these ring lights are small and light. I often travel with one even in my carry-on luggage.

Phone as Camera

I own all kinds of cameras, but I don’t use any of them. My phone works better because the lens is great, the battery life is excellent, and most importantly, we’re all extremely familiar with how it works. Use your phone as a camera. The back camera is better. Connect your phone to your computer using EpoCam. Install the app on your iPhone and your computer and your phone turns into a powerful high definition webcam.

Always use horizontal view as it will give your students a wider view. When you connect to Zoom, chose EpoCam as your camera and you are ready to be seen like never before!

Laptop as Control Centre

Your laptop has a bigger screen and a mouse, so use this when teaching over just your phone to mute participants, spotlight your phone while teaching, and control recordings and chats during classes. You can do all this via your phone, but it’s clumsy. It’s nice to have a bigger screen, keyboard, and mouse. If you are on the go, you can always keep it simple and teach with just your phone if you need to.

TIP: when you login to Zoom, make sure you open the app on both your phone and laptop to use your phone as a webcam.

Bluetooth Earbuds

I use Airpods, but there are lots of great options. The key thing is they are charged up, hands-free, and ready to go. Some teachers do use old-school Bluetooth headphones (with a band over the top of their head), but they are heavy and can fall off in some poses. If your earbuds fall out in Down Dog (mine often do) you can buy small ear hooks on Amazon for a few dollars that will allow you to do anything including inversions without them dropping out.

Zoom

I can’t tell you how many software developers have contacted me telling me they have a solution to Zoom that is better for yoga. The problem is, Zoom doesn’t have any major problems. Really, Zoom is awesome. There are lots of options, yes, and you need to learn the interface, but I’ve been teaching online yoga classes since 2010, and I can tell you that a $15/month Zoom account is life changing. Don’t wait time with anything else.

Organization / Scheduling

If you have your own system for scheduling classes, this is great. If you need a system, our YOGABODY.bio site is free and makes it easy to plan classes, charge for classes, store recordings, and more.

How to start teaching yoga online by writing a great yoga teacher bio.

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