Online Yoga Teaching Tips: How to Create an Affordable Home Yoga Video Studio

Teaching yoga online through your home yoga video studio has now become the best way to grow your career as a yoga teacher. The COVID-19 pandemic pushed us all online, and it looks like it just might be staying that way! The good news about the growth of teaching yoga online from home is that you can now access students from all over the world, all from the comfort of your own home. 

But the question remains – how can you create an affordable home yoga video studio? In this article, we will go over all of the information you need to create your own home yoga video studio and start teaching yoga classes online to your students. So, let’s dive in! 

What Do You Need to Teach Yoga Online & Start an Affordable Home Yoga Video Studio?

Teaching yoga online from home and starting an online yoga studio is much simpler than doing it in person. For a brick-and-mortar studio, you have much more overhead for the rent, materials, staff, and many other factors. But when you teach yoga online, you only need a few basics to help get you started! A lot of what you need to teach yoga online is really just your own yoga equipment, such as a yoga mat, blocks, blankets, and bolsters. But the good news is, you only need enough for yourself!  How to Create an Affordable Home Yoga Video Studio

Beyond your personal yoga equipment, the main thing you need to worry about when starting your home yoga video studio is getting the right filming equipment. The two primary things you need are a good camera and microphone. High video and sound quality are essential to making enjoyable online yoga classes for your students and inspiring them to stick around. But a lot of this equipment gets expensive very quickly! We will go over affordable cameras and microphones below. 

Another factor to consider when teaching yoga online from home is how to market your classes to your students. At the minimum, you will need social media pages to advertise your services. You will likely also need a website and some kind of video streaming platform, such as Zoom, Google Meet, or Skype. And if you’d like to sell your videos prerecorded, you’ll also need a video hosting platform, such as Vimeo or YouTube. 

Teaching yoga online from home has many moving pieces to it, but when you are just starting out, it is best to keep it simple! Over time, you can let your business grow naturally and invest in nicer equipment or more complex software. Starting your home yoga video studio doesn’t need to be complicated. 

Best Affordable & High-Quality Camera for Teaching Yoga Online From Home

Having a clear video is so crucial for teaching yoga online. If your video is not clear or the lighting is terrible, your students won’t be able to see you, and this can be a very frustrating experience!   How to Create an Affordable Home Yoga Video Studio

If you are just starting out and you have a nice quality smartphone or laptop with a webcam, this can be an excellent option to get the job done, although you will undoubtedly sacrifice a bit on quality. Some people also choose to upgrade the webcam on their computer. One of the most popular webcams for teaching yoga online is the Logitech C920. Getting a webcam can significantly improve the quality of your videos, and it is an affordable option. 

But the best cameras for teaching yoga online are the DSRL or mirrorless camera options. This professional video camera style makes high-definition videos and has many more settings to give you more versatility, but it tends to come with a hefty price tag. The most popular brands for this camera are Nikon, Sony, and Canon. Some of the most popular cameras for teaching yoga online in this genre are the Canon EOS M50, Nikon D850, or the Canon EOS 90D. 

Best Affordable & High-Quality Microphones for Teaching Yoga Online

Perhaps even more important than your camera is your microphone. With a lower-quality camera, people can generally still see you teaching, which isn’t as big of an issue, but if people cannot hear you clearly, it is almost impossible to teach yoga online. Having a good quality microphone to teach yoga online is absolutely essential and is probably the place where you will want to invest more money. 

A popular option for an affordable microphone to teach yoga online is AirPods. AirPods don’t have a pesky wire to get in the way while you are moving through your yoga flow, and you can hear your students if you are teaching live. But if you’d prefer something more professional, the next option is to choose between a lavalier mic or a shotgun microphone. 

The lavalier mics attach to your shirt with a portable box with batteries that attaches to your pants. This is a good option if you want higher-quality sound. There are tons of lavalier mics on Amazon with varying reviews, but if you’d like to make more of an investment, the RODE Wireless Go is considered the top of the line for a lavalier mic, but it is also quite expensive. 

Another option that is considered the best microphone for teaching yoga online is a shotgun mic. The nice thing about this option is that you don’t need to wear it, so it doesn’t get in the way as much while you teach. The two most popular shotgun mics for this purpose are the RODE NTG5 and the Blue Yeti USB microphone. 

Connecting Your Microphone and Camera to Teach Yoga Online

Once you have selected your options for the best camera and microphone for teaching yoga online, it is pretty easy to connect them either through Bluetooth or a USB connection. But make sure to take some time to set this up correctly because there is nothing worse than running into technical issues in the middle of teaching a yoga class! 

Online Yoga Video Platform Options: Zoom vs. Google Meet vs. Skype

Once you have your equipment, the next step is to choose your online video platform for your home yoga video studio. The most popular option is typically Zoom. Zoom allows you to set up meetings with people from all over the world and record them to upload to your video website, but it now requires the Pro account for all teaching purposes with more than 1 student. 

Two other streaming options to teach yoga online are Google Meet and Skype. These options tend to be more reasonably priced and even free, but the quality and ease of use aren’t quite as good as Zoom. 

How to Play Music on Zoom in a Yoga Class

One issue new online yoga teachers often run into is how to play music on Zoom for their yoga classes while still allowing the students to hear your teaching directions. One popular option is to send a link to a Spotify playlist for your students to play independently. 

There is also a feature on Zoom to share your computer sound while in a Zoom meeting, allowing you to have the music play and teach simultaneously. But some students report that there are times when it is hard to hear the teacher speaking with this option. So, make sure you have a good microphone in this case and set it up properly. You might also consider teaching your Zoom classes in silence and allowing your students to experience a more meditative practice. 

How to Position Yourself for an Online Yoga Class in Your Home Yoga Video Studio

The nice thing about teaching yoga online from home is that you don’t need to pay for a studio space. But it is still essential to be conscious of your teaching environment and make it aesthetically pleasing to create the best quality yoga videos for your students. When teaching yoga online, the lighting, background, and camera angle are the main factors to consider. 

Lighting:

No matter how good your camera is for teaching yoga online, no one will be able to see you without good lighting! Some professional online yoga teachers invest in ring lights and other camera lighting equipment to improve this. But for a more affordable option, you can bring some extra lamps into your space. Just ensure the lights are behind the camera and adjust the angle, so there isn’t a distracting shadow. 

Background:

Create a clean and relaxing background for your online yoga classes. If you prefer the minimalist approach, then you can teach in front of a blank wall with just your yoga mat. But it is also often nice to add a small altar, some plants, or other relaxing objects to set a peaceful tone for your yoga classes. 

Camera Angle:

The camera angle is also important to ensure your students can see you clearly. Try to position your camera so that you are in the center of the frame, and make sure that your students can see your entire body when you stand up, including your arms. This might mean that you have to put your camera a bit farther away, and you may also need a tripod or a higher table to adjust the angle. 

Become a Yoga Teacher Online and Start Your Own Home Yoga Video Studio! 

Starting your home yoga video studio and teaching yoga online from home may sound overwhelming, but it is actually quite simple once you get the hang of it! Launching a successful yoga career is just a few steps away; all you need is a bit of time and patience. Remember to have some patience and start small. You don’t need all the fancy equipment immediately, no matter how tempting it may be! 

If you are interested in starting your journey as a yoga teacher, then check out our online yoga teacher training to get you started! Teaching yoga online or in-person is such a fulfilling job, and the first step on this beautiful path is to get your yoga teacher certification. Reach out to us for more information on our online yoga teacher training courses to get started!