Tech Advice for Getting the Most Out of Your Online Yoga Class

I’m taking a break from posting about the specifics of your yoga practice today to give you some tech help. Online Yoga is here to stay. Even when we’re able to go back into spaces and safely gather together again, the conveinience factor for online yoga alone is likely to make it a part of our yoga practice far into the future. But if you’re straining to see a small screen or your teacher can only see your ceiling, you might not be getting the best experience from your Online Yoga Class. Here are a few ideas from a technological perspective that might help you get the most out of your online yoga experience and calm your fears about diving in if you haven’t done so already.

First, let’s talk devices. Did you know that you can do your online yoga practice from nearly any device? Zoom has apps for phones and tablets as well as laptops, desktops and everything in between. It can also be used through any web browser such as Chrome or Safari. You can use it on Apple and Android devices as well and your account will work across multiple devices. Most other platforms have multiple device compatibilities as well. Perhaps this is obvious to most of you reading this, but we wanted to be sure you knew that you could use nearly any device.

Second, the bigger your screen size, the better your viewing experience will likely be. You may want to try casting to your TV or directly plugging into your TV or other monitor. Here’s where we get into some nitty gritty details in the tech, so hang with me here. There’s typically two ways of taking what you’re viewing on your smaller device (like a phone or tablet) and making it work with your TV. Whether or not either of these will work will have a lot to do with how old your TV and your device are and if they are on similar operating systems. Let’s talk about these two ways individually. First up:

Casting or Sharing Your Screen

These are terms for wirelessly transmitting the sound and video from your smaller device to your TV. This can be accomplished through your home WIFI network or with the help of additional devices such as an Apple TV, Chromecast, or Smart TV such as a Roku or Fire TV. To do this, make sure your TV is attached to your home WIFI network. If you’ve been streaming Netflix that’s probably already happening. The next steps depend on whether you’re using Apple or Android devices.

For Apple devices including a Mac computer, you can share your screen using Airplay. You can do this with a compatible Airplay device (such as Roku, Smart TV or adapter) or an Apple TV, which is another box to plug into your television. Follow the instructions that come with it for connecting it to your TV. Once that’s done, make sure your phone or tablet is connected to your home WIFI network. Then go into the Settings on your Apple product and look for “Screen Mirroring” or “AirPlay”. Once you open that, your Apple TV should show up in the list of available devices. Click on it and you will see whatever you had been working with on the phone show up on your TV. If you’re using Zoom on a Mac, you’ll have to set your speaker choice to Apple TV to hear sound on your TV.

For Android and Samsung devices, you can use a Chromcast to share your screen. Some TVs will come with this built in nowadays. With older TVs you’ll need to buy an additional device, similar to Apple as described above. Once you’ve connected that to your TV following the instructions that came with the device, you’ll follow a similar procedure as above for connecting. On your Android device, go to the Settings menu, click on the Cast icon. Then choose the TV or Chromcast you want to connect with.

For PCs running Windows 10 you can share your screen using the Connect function in your Settings panel. You may be able to Cast directly to a Smart TV or Chromcast Device or by using Microsoft’s wireless display adapter.

Remember, with any of these options the camera on your device will still need to be used so I can see what you’re doing during your class. More on this below.

Direct Plug In

This is my preferred method because it’s typically more reliable and easier to manage. You’ll need a couple of things to make it work. The first is an HDMI cable. You can get one of these inexpensive cables from the typical big box stores like BestBuy or Amazon.

One end is going to plug directly into your TV through an HDMI port. They are often labeled as such but they typically look like this:

HDMI Input on Back of a TV

The other end is going to plug into your device. Many computers and laptops will have an HDMI out port on them somewhere but phones and tablets will not. For those smaller devices, you’ll need to purchase an inexpensive adapter such as this:

Various Adapters

When you plug into your TV, you’ll be able to control your zoom meeting on your device, but you’ll see a much bigger picture of everything that’s happening on your phone on your TV screen. You can do this same thing with a big external computer monitor as well. Just look for the HMDI port on the back of the monitor and use the same adaptor on your phone or tablet. (Adapters are also available if your computer does not have an HDMI port or if you need to connect to a monitor using USB-C, VGA, DVI, or Displayport.)

Audio controls

If you’re using Zoom on a computer, you’ll have more choices on how you can hear and be heard on your device. There’s a little microphone icon on the screen while you’re running Zoom. Click on the little arrow next to it to explore your options.

Zoom Audio Settings Menu

If you are using a phone or a tablet, some of the audio settings will be available by changing your zoom account settings. You’ll need to access zoom’s website from a browser on either a computer or other device to change these settings. Connecting an external device such as a bluetooth speaker or wireless headphones may be an available option through these or your device’s settings.

A Note About Hearing Aids

I’ve had a couple of students who have bluetooth capable hearing aids tell me about sending the audio for these classes directly into the hearing aids. Basically, the hearing aids are connected to your smartphone (I think the hearing aid companies typically help with this setup, but I imagine it’s the same as connecting any two devices together via bluetooth) and so instead of using the audio on the computer or tablet, you would choose to “call in to the meeting" with your phone when you enter via Zoom. If you do this, be sure to mute the audio on the computer or other device or you might get some unpleasant phasing of the audio (the delay in the audio being heard on your computer will be different then in your hearing aids) or feedback (just like when you accidentally aim a microphone at a speaker). You may also be able to pair your hearing aids to your device directly. We aren’t experts on this one at all, so I’d advise you to talk to your hearing aid provider about this if you have questions. I just wanted you to know this was possible!

Help Me See YOU!

Now that you can see and hear me better, time to make it easier for me to see YOU! My interactive livestream classes are meant to allow me to help you since it’s a two way system. I’ve made jokes lately that I’m getting used to only having half of you visible at any time, but it doesn’t have to be that way! Here are a few ideas to help me see you better.

1. Now that you are using a bigger screen to see me, the device you're using and the camera on it can be farther away from you. That will give me a better picture of your whole body and is a really good start.

2. Ideally, you’ll place your camera so that I can see you from the long side of your mat, with the full length of your mat in view from floor to ceiling. I’m talking about something similar to the view I provide you of me. Something like this:

3. If a full view from the side isn’t possible, a small angle can also be helpful for me. It allows me to see a little bit of what is going on on the side of your body that is facing away from the camera. Something like this:

4. Depending on how far away your device can be will often determine how much of you will be in view from floor to ceiling. From my perspective and from what I’ve learned over the last several months of teaching this way, if your whole mat and body are in view, but I can’t see your arms when your standing and reaching up, that’s better than if I can’t see your legs and feet. Opt for a camera angle that gives more of a view toward the floor than the ceiling if possible.

Making sure I can see your feet more than your arms will help me help you!

I certainly hope you found this post helpful. I’m happy to provide a bit of tech support for you for my livestream classes and private lessons if you feel like you still have questions. Feel free to email me to let me know what specific devices you might be using or would like to use. We can even set up a time outside of class to test things out and make sure they’re working for you, to talk about camera set up and other issues as well.

Many thanks to my husband Justin (who often gets referred to as the I.T. Guy around here) for his help in making this post possible.

[Links in this post are for clarity and convenience only and are NOT affiliate links. We always encourage you to support your local small businesses whenever possible!]

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Aparigraha and Technology

One of my recent favorite podcasts is a show called Wild Ideas Worth Living. The show has evolved over time but the interviews with people who are living outside of the box that most of us might think of, are so inspiring to me. On a recent episode the topic of discussion was about unplugging from our internet crazed world to be full present for our lives. It made me think about our class theme this month, Aparigraha.

Do you find yourself spending a lot of time on social media and other online tools? Do you find yourself not doing the things you really love because of all that time you spend with technology? It’s happening more and more to so many of us. We know what we need to do to be healthy and even happy, but the possibility of that next “like” coming in to give us that little lift seems ever so much more important. 

There’s science that even backs this up. Each time we get a response to our social media postings we get a little bit of a hit of the feel good chemicals that our brain naturally makes. And while that’s a nice thing, we can get those some good vibe chemicals from much more healthy pursuits such as walking, interacting with people in person and, dare I say it, yoga! 

Don’t get me wrong, It’s not a big deal if you use social media. I certainly do all the time. I have many friends in far flung places and it makes staying in touch with them a lot easier. But when these tools of connection keep us from connecting (when’s the last time you saw two people out to dinner together, not talking to each other at all, just looking at their phones? For me it was just the other day. ;-/) to each other or more importantly, to the things that truly make us healthier and happier, we have a problem.

Aparigraha asks us to find ways to start to loosen our grip on things that impede flow. If we’re constantly grasping at that next like or that next post, we loose a lot of what’s meant to come to us because we can’t even see it (around our phone or computer screen even). So how do we break the cycle? Here are a couple of ideas:

1. Don’t have your phone in your bedroom or at least don’t reach for it as soon as you wake up. - This can be tough, especially if you have people in your life that may need to get a hold of you at any hour for whatever reason. But if you can at least not start your day by checking your email or social media accounts first, you set yourself up for success for the day.

2. Turn off your notifications. - Another one that may be really hard for some of us. But, if you turn off your notifications just for certain things like Instagram or Facebook or maybe even your email you are given yourself a CHOICE. YOU get to choose when you check in on these things. Having a choice and not being ruled by that infernal *ding* is a big way to take back control of your time. I did this with email years ago and it had the single biggest effect on my time and attention of anything I had done to that point to control my technology time.

3. Make a no technology rule with friends/family for a certain time of day. - You’ll have to negotiate this one in advance but talk to your friends and family about this. Maybe you have a party and everyone puts their phone in a basket (this is mentioned in the podcast), maybe you decide that for the hour after you and your spouse arrive home you both don’t use your phones. Again, prior negotiation is key here (you don’t want to spring this one on the equally tech attached in your life) but if you can come together to create boundaries around your technology you’ll actually get to be with each other in a more meaningful way.

I hope this helps you find a way to start being more mindful about the technology in your life. Do you have other strategies you use? Leave a comment and share them with others! I think we can all use some ideas around this topic these days.

My number one strategy (and a couple of others) for getting my ass to class

Isn't the human experience amazing? We know exactly what we need to do to take care of ourselves and make ourselves feel good, and yet, we don't do it. We know how we feel after taking a yoga class, and yet we have to carry ourselves there kicking and screaming to make it happen some days. I bet you think as a yoga teacher that isn't the case for me.

Oh how I wish you weren't so very wrong!

Here's a recent experience of mine:

Decide to go to yoga class because I haven't been in awhile. Put it on my calendar (we'll talk more about that in a second). Day comes. Find myself still at the computer working on the studio website when my alarm goes off telling me it's time to stop and get going. Waste time trying to figure out where the heck my keys are. Get out the door and realize I've forgotten my water bottle (much needed for the class I'm going to). Finally get in the car and hit the highway only to be stuck in traffic. The "plenty of time" cushion I left myself starts to disappear before my eyes. Finally get to the area of the studio only to find that in the evening, parking is not so easy. Time continuing to evaporate. Finally get a spot, run to the studio and start removing layers in the elevator. Throw my stuff down outside the studio door only to hear the OMs begin. Ugh!

As quietly as possible, make my entrance and join in ("oh god, now I'm THAT person. You know. The late one). Of course, I've been running around like a maniac and my adrenaline is pumping like crazy so I sound like an opera singer with a horrific respiratory infection. Finally, I can make my way to an open space and quietly roll out my mat. As I join in the practice I'm still pealing layers (one sock, then the other, one leg warmer, then the other, now the extra shirt, now pull the hair back...) and trying to get my breath back under control.

Now as we really start to flow, since I haven't practiced in awhile I feel as though I'm either carrying an extra one million pounds or that I'm moving through mud. Everything is hard. Everything feels like it's taking more effort than I could possibly give. "Why the hell did I do this today?!" I start to ask myself.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Step the right foot forward. It takes some time, but something starts to shift.

And then the end comes. And as I bow forward to offer up my practice I remember why the hell I did this today.

And then it's time to get back in the car and drive home back to the every day.

Sound familiar? I've been to a good number of yoga classes in my life. And even the ones that, in my mind, weren't so great for whatever reason? I still feel that moment of openness, space and clarity at the end. I still feel that incredible shift that says "This is a good thing to do for myself. I should do it more often."

So then the question becomes, how do I make space in my life to get on the mat and practice?

My story above gives you a couple of strategies that may help. Let me make them more obvious:

1. SCHEDULE YOUR PRACTICE TIME LIKE ANY OTHER APPOINTMENT. This includes group classes, home practice and really, any other self care you need. If you make an appointment to go to the doctor you don't just say to yourself 10 minutes before it, "Eh. I don't feel like it today. I think I'll pass." You go. Because you've made a commitment to yourself and to that other person. What commitment could be more important than the one you make to yourself? So you have to decide, is getting to yoga an important part of your commitment to yourself? If the answer is yes than schedule your yoga appointment! I like to sit down with my calendar on Sunday evenings and look through my week and put my yoga class on my schedule. Then I know that time is "booked" and I can't schedule anything else during that time. Of course, life happens and sometimes the universe has other plans, but if you get in this habit you are much more likely to make the time you need to get yourself to class.

2. USE TECHNOLOGY TO YOUR ADVANTAGE. Do you have a To Do list (I love the Wunderlist app)? Maybe you put your class on your To Do list for the day or set yourself a reminder about your class. Just about everyone has some kind of alarm on their phone, computer, microwave or what have you these days. Do you find yourself rushing out the door at the last second? Set an alarm 15 min. (or more) before you have to leave. Give yourself that bit of time to wrap up whatever you were doing and get yourself out the door. In my story above I was still technically late, but I would have been a lot later if I hadn't set my alarm!

3. REMEMBER WHAT IT FEELS LIKE WHEN YOU TAKE THIS TIME FOR YOURSELF. The next time your in class and you find yourself at the end, maybe just take a moment to take a few last deep breaths and savor the feeling you have. That feeling of shift. That feeling of accomplishment. That feeling of joy and wonder at how your body has served you and how you have served it by making the time to nourish it in this most amazing way. Hold that in your mind and draw upon it the next time you just don't feel like getting off the couch. And when you do get off the couch, give yourself a little pat on the back. It isn't easy, but you did it! Good for you!!

Obviously, no one is perfect and certainly not me! I (obviously!) still have my days of struggle to get on the mat. But these little steps have made it easier for me to find the space in my day to make it happen. I hope they help you too.

Did you enjoy this article? Have another strategy that works for you that you'd like to share? Leave it in the comments! I'd love to hear from you!

See you in class!

Namasté!