Yoga online and missed anniversaries
We almost forgot our first anniversary this week….
Rather like our first wedding anniversary the important milestone almost passed without either of us noticing until someone reminded us. (Please note we both forgot – on both occasions – much to my relief).
On March 15th 2020 we streamed our first online yoga class on Zoom. It all felt a bit new and a bit strange back then.
I remember with a fair degree of trepidation, launching the meeting – had I set it up correctly, had we chosen the right platform and most importantly would our students want to (or be able to) join online yoga classes?
An online yoga class is obviously very different to a face to face class at our yoga studio (or on the deck), but we have, as has everybody else, had to adapt, multiple times, to what we are allowed and able to do. As yoga teachers, we certainly miss the face to face contact with our students, but it has allowed us to explore new opportunities at the same time.
Back then, a zoom call was something of a novelty but has now become firmly entrenched in our daily vocabulary; a bit like ‘have you googled that’ rather than have you searched online…
Online yoga – a year in numbers
It’s easy to forget to stop and take stock of what we have achieved over the last year, but here are a few key achievements
- In a few days before lockdown, we launched an online membership platform to support our students
Since then we’ve
- Delivered over 600 live online classes
- Recorded over 500 classes for our yoga video library
- Launched the specialist packages of Yoga for Kids, Beginners, Runners and a 30 Day Challenge to complement our SkiFit programme
- Introduced a series of Desk Yoga videos to help people working from home
- Hosted over 40 Facebook live streaming classes, been interviewed on local radio and IG Live
- Welcomed students from over 15 countries around the world have joined our classes from UK, US, New Zealand, UAE to Spain and Russia
- Helped over 20 businesses deliver health and wellness programmes with corporate yoga classes
- Completed over 100 hours of ongoing online teacher training in sports yoga and yin yoga
Yoga classes in 2021 – what now?
So, we are pleased with the progress we have made, but we’ve also made a few mistakes that we have certainly learnt from. But then that’s part of it I guess. In a previous corporate role we were encouraged to Fail Fast – I certainly think we have done that. It’s frustrating making mistakes, but it’s all part of the process.
I have no doubt that the next 12 months we will see ongoing changes that will require us to adapt to what is in front of us. As we have over the last year, Shannon and I will continue to do the best we can with the information we have.
One thing that is for sure, is that I do believe that as a yoga teachers and small business owners we are more adaptable than before and our mindset is more open to making change. Yes of course we will make mistakes, that’s inevitable, but hopefully each mistake will help us improve and ready for whatever we face in the future.
I just hope that next year I don’t miss another important anniversary, though I’m confident that there will be new things to celebrate in 2022.
