Teaching Chair Yoga Online

Back in April 2020 I took my very first steps teaching online. Like many, due to extraordinary circumstances, I had to teach online.
The local MS Society and Aberdeen Independent MS, for whom I have been working for since 2017, realised quite quickly how isolated some of their members would get. In a way, that applied to me also! Like the many MS patients and others chronically awesome and immunosuppressed individuals,

I had received a letter from the government asking me to "take cover". I therefore knew the importance of facilitating classes online in order to bring people together, as well as continuing to enjoy the benefits chair yoga.

I didn't really need a lockdown to tell me that people who are older and chronically ill are frequently faced with loneliness and isolation. These chair based yoga sessions, whether face-to-face or online, give people the chance to chat and share experiences.  In the heart of what many charities do is support for the members and the challenging times in 2020 demanded that service even more.

The online chair based yoga classes continue to the day. As the barriers to practising yoga online have been removed it means there are many more yoga teachers who have yet to teach online, maybe even unsure on how to get started. So was I back in April 2020 and, in all honesty, there has been a lot of trial and error.

I have taught classes using just my smartphone, classes using my laptop and a set of headphones. I have taught indoors and outdoors. At home and during my holidays. This of course means flexibility, but it also means different challenges in providing engaging and effective chair based yoga classes for my students. After 3+ years though I can share my most effective set up with you.