You built your yoga studio to show your members how to be the best version of themselves every day. When your members are stressed, they come to your studio to grow mentally, emotionally and physically.
Truth → It may look a little different, but now more than ever, YOUR MEMBERS NEED YOGA.
Now is the perfect time to strengthen the bonds within your studio community, and to introduce yourself in a positive way to your broader community. When you think about scheduling online classes, consider what your community needs.
You’re competing with different things now.
To get to an in-person class, your members must work around their schedule, drive across town, park, and set up their yoga mat in a dedicated space. Getting there is the challenge for your students. By the time they unroll their mat, they’re ready to concentrate and enjoy the yoga experience.
Teaching online yoga classes is a bit different. Now your community is in their living rooms instead of your studio. Getting there is much easier… staying focused is A LOT harder. Most people aren’t going to do a full 90-minute yoga class in their living room. While they’re on the mat, they can see their kitchen with snacks, wine, or dirty dishes… their partner who wants to use the computer… the kids fighting again… or any number of other distractions.
That doesn’t mean you can’t do any full classes, but it may be an opportunity to try out shorter options. People are much more likely to get a 20-minute or 30-minute class in. That’s something they could invite their family to join in for. You could even branch out and add short meditation classes.
Try this → Stream some of your shorter classes publicly. Get the word out and build a broader community.
Another option is to consider a private family session on your own or with one of your teachers. It could be a great way for families to get personalized attention and help with postures.
When to schedule online classes?
Teaching online classes is a little different than running them in the studio – beyond the format. When you taught an in-person class, you had to work around people’s busy schedules and limited studio space. Teaching online is completely different.
You don’t need as many yoga classes when you’re running live. If people can’t make it, they can watch the recording later. Instead of 5-7 classes a day, you can streamline it to one of each type of yoga you offer. Then members who miss out are free to watch the recorded class later on.
Try this → Streamline your schedule to a couple full-length classes a day at key times.
People are living in a different reality right now. Instead of going off to work and dropping the kids at school, practice, and rehearsal… they’re home. Don’t be scared to change up your class times. You’re not working around their schedules in the same way, and people’s daily rhythms are changing, too.
THE KEY TO SCHEDULING ONLINE CLASSES: Think about your specific community and what would appeal to them. Is your group full of early risers or night owls? Do most of them have children they’re now homeschooling? What do you think their schedule is like now? How can you work within it?
If you know your community is full of mothers with school-aged children, an early morning meditation or longer yoga class might be perfect. Then they can start the day off right, before the kids wake up. If your community is mostly college students and young professionals, options in the evening might be better.
You know your community best! Get creative about meeting their needs and living your studio mission in today’s world. People will remember how you helped them through this. Going through difficult times brings people together!
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