Teaching online can be exciting, scary and a great way to make additional income. One thing I know is you’ll never feel 100% ready to jump in, so take a deep breath and start where you are with what you have. You can’t get better until you start, so take the first step today. And if you own a phone that is all you need to get started!
Note The links from this article are affiliate links meaning if you purchase something I will receive a small payment. This in no way influences my recommendations or opinions.
Microphones for Teaching Yoga Online
Arguably the most important part of the whole online yoga production. If people can’t hear you they are going to be frustrated and stop watching. There are a lot of microphones out there and they can get very expensive. If you are just starting out the microphone on your computer or phone should suffice. But if you’re looking to invest in equipment this is the first place I would spend money.
This microphone is more ideal for interviews and stationary activities, however for under $20 it’s a great start. If you have an iPhone you will need the apple lightning to 3.5 mm adapter. The downside is this microphone is not wireless. You could potentially place it near the front of your mat or thread it underneath your clothing to hide the wire. It is a little bit more of a hassle to set up, clipping the mic on and hiding the wire.
Pros:
-Affordable Price
-Connect to iPhone and Computer
Cons
-Wire will be visible
-Limited mobility
Samson Headset
I originally bought this microphone because we use it at the Club Pilates studio. It had great sound quality so I knew it would be worth the price. I also purchased the Apple Lightning to USB camera adapter to enable me to connect the microphone to my phone. You will also need some AA batteries for the mic. After that it is ready to go right out of the package there is no additional setup. Furthermore you can use this mic with your computer as well. This mic will not work with a DSLR camera. This microphone works well even in windy environments, I’ve used it many times in windy environments outdoors and there are minimal interruptions.
Pros:
-Works with iPhone & Computer
-Includes Headset
Cons
- Needs AA Batteries
-Expensive (You can find a less expensive option here: https://amzn.to/2UsQaKE)
2. Video for Teaching Yoga Online
You probably already own a device that takes amazing videos. I would spend money on this category dead last. Why? Well for the most part when you upload video online the quality becomes greatly reduced, otherwise the file takes up a huge amount of space. So spending big bucks on 4k video with all the bells and whistles means that you will also have to spend $$$$ on storing those huge video files.
I have a DSLR and an iPhone 8. I have used both to take video with no huge difference in quality. I also recommend if you chose to use a DSLR to use a 50 mm lens like this one that I use. Basically the 50 mm keeps all of your limbs in proportion to the environment and is the best for filming and photographing portraits which is what we are doing when teaching yoga, pilates or fitness. If you want a more in depth explanation about this, check out this five minute video about lens distortion effects. I bought my equipment 4-5 years ago for some hobby photography. If you shop around you can often find a good deal on used DSLRs or lenses. I bought the 50mm lens for $50 off a friend. If you use a DSLR, another issue you will run into is a limit of 10-30 minutes of recording time depending on the video quality you select. This means if you want to record a 60 minute video you may have to stop and start the recording multiple times. I used my DSLR to film on the beach and it made a nice effect of the waves being blurred into the background, but for an additional $400 + expense it isn’t necessary.
Phones take great videos these days, and all you need is an inexpensive tripod to get going!
3. Tripod for Teaching Yoga Online
The tripod is another thing I would consider essential along with the microphone. Yes you can set up your phone on a chair with some yoga blocks and it will work out. But in terms of investment vs. making your life easier this is so worth it! For $30 you can have more control and portability, eliminating one more headache in your setup process.
This first option I would consider an all in one, meaning if you have money for just one tripod, buy this one. PHOPIK Phone Tripod
What I like about this one is you can connect a phone, camera, etc to the tripod. It also has telescoping legs giving a wider base as the tripod grows taller. This is so important for camera stability. Especially if you have an expensive phone or camera 60 inches in the air. I have had strong gusts of wind knock tripods over before, and the cheaper tripods are lighter weight which makes them easier to tip over.
Another Tripod I use for filming is this one with bendable legs. I use this one when I’m on the go filming in a gym or at the airport. It sets up quickly and you can hook it onto another object to get the right height. On it’s own it is too short to use for shooting most things, from 15 inches you will look like a giant and your limbs will not be in correct proportion.
4. Lighting for Teaching Yoga Online
I would categorize lighting as nice to have but not essential. I invested in a pair of lights that I would describe as entry level. Like cameras this is a category that gets pretty expensive pretty quickly. The cheap to free option is to film your videos using natural light, and finding a sunny area to film. Make sure the light source is not behind you, otherwise your face will be dark.
These are the lights that I purchased and so far they have worked great. I have a small area, so I really could’ve just used one light, but two lights give you a better balance. Another cheap or free fix is to reposition some lamps in your house to give the proper lighting.
5. Video Hosting for Teaching Yoga Online
If you’re a yoga instructor you have probably seen everyone using zoom.us to livestream classes. For the free version you can only host up to 40 minutes, this basically forces you into the paid version which starts at $14.99. To make the most out of this investment, I recommend recording your videos as you live stream them. This enables you to sell them later on another video platform or through your studio’s mindbody website.
6. Video Storage for Teaching Yoga Online
Even 15 minute videos can take up to 2 GB of space on your computer or phone which quickly adds up. I use this external hard drive to hold onto my videos and photos. Along with the microphone and tripod I would consider this as more of a necessity. You do not need a lot of storage, the one I have is 1 TB which after a few years I have only half filled.
You can pay for more cloud space or a service like dropbox which is $11.99 per month. In addition if you have a google account you can store 15 GB on your google drive for free, while you can only store 3 GB on dropbox for free.
In conclusion, I would invest first in a tripod, video storage and then microphone, in that order. If you have additional funds I would invest in lighting and cameras, also in that order.