Guidance for students
Maximising the experience of a remote yoga session
Issued by British Wheel of Yoga, 5th April 2020
Being in a remote class is a different experience to being physically present with a teacher in a group setting. Remote teaching is offered by British Wheel of Yoga (BWY) teachers in a number of formats. You may be attending a live streamed secure session that enables interaction between you, the teacher and the other participants, or you may be watching or listening to a pre-recorded session provided by your teacher. BWY best practice guidelines stipulate that live streamed secure sessions – with teacher/student connectivity and interaction – are the optimum model for remote teaching, but this will not always be possible or practical.
Therefore, in whichever way you are enjoying your yoga practice; the following guidance notes will help your experience of remote teaching to be as enjoyable as possible. Following these guidelines will enable you to maximise your experience of remote sessions and, in live streamed classes, to connect with the teacher and your group, albeit virtually.
Health questionnaire and assessment
Before taking part in a remote session you must have completed a health questionnaire and acknowledged your understanding of the remote learning disclaimer. If you’re an existing student you do not need to complete an additional health questionnaire but you need to acknowledge the remote learning disclaimer. Teachers draw your attention to this disclaimer in different ways, usually by inclusion in their documentation or emails. If you are a new student to your teacher, you must also go through a brief online assessment interview. This is a one-off process. A verbal screening before each session will still take place and this is when you should bring to the attention of your teacher anything that is new and current, in relation to your health, for the session you are about to participate in.
Your responsibilities
Remote learning has insurance implications and responsibilities for you as a student/participant. BWY teachers are fully insured to teach remotely, either live streamed or pre-recorded, on a secure platform, to a private audience. However, they are unable to risk assess the space in which you are practising, or you, to the same degree that is possible in face-to-face teaching.
Therefore, be aware that by participating in remote sessions you agree to be responsible for ensuring you are practising in a suitable environment, and that you’re healthy enough to participate. All BWY teachers follow “best practice guidelines” and it is your responsibility to follow these student guidelines, as your commitment to keeping yourself safe and injury-free.
GDPR
If you are taking part in a live streamed session that is being recorded you will be asked in advance to give your consent to this, in accordance with GDPR legislation.
Guidelines for optimum learning in remote sessions
You will be sent a private invitation or link to a live streamed secure remote session, or a pre-recorded session will be shared with you personally. No links, passwords or access to any sessions, whether live streamed or pre- recorded should be shared with anyone else.
There may be a “waiting room” facility on entry to the session in order for the teacher to keep the session private and only available to those people invited.
If you are using the technology of the remote session for the first time allow 15 minutes prior to the session to begin with, to enable you to get set up properly, be comfortable and in the right place.
Use an ethernet cable to connect your device to your router if possible. Close all other web browsers and data heavy applications so that your internet connection is secure and stable, and you minimise any drop in the signal.
Mute alerts on your phone and the device you are using for the session.
You could connect your laptop to your TV via an HDMI cable to give you a bigger screen. If you do, have a trial run beforehand to make sure you can do it easily on the day.
If you’re in a live streamed session, arrange your screen so that your teacher can see as much of you as possible, so you won’t have to keep moving the screen or adjusting yourself. You will probably need to be a minimum of six feet away from your device. You may need to adjust your lighting so that your teacher can see you clearly and you can avoid screen glare, silhouetting and shadows.
Your teacher will let you know in advance what equipment you will need, so you can have everything ready beforehand. This includes any props (e.g. blocks, belts, blankets, cushions) notebook, pen/pencil, water.
Dress as for a face-to-face yoga class. Remember, in a live streamed group class other students in the class may be able to see you on their screens.
Have plenty of room to move your arms and legs and keep the space around you clear and safe.
Check with your teacher if you want to have music in the background, because it can distort or be in competition with your voice if you need to speak to the teacher. In group classes you can mute your microphone when not speaking.
If you’re in a live streamed group class, using gallery view (if your teacher is permitting this) will bring images of all participants on to your screen and you will have more of the experience of a group class. Depending on the size of your screen this might not be practical. However, the image of your teacher will be smaller. Your teacher may “pin speaker” so that he/she remains as your main image throughout, with the other participants images much smaller.
If your teacher is not “pinned” the main image may switch to whichever participant makes a sound, so keep your microphone muted once started, unless you are in a group chanting or philosophy discussion. In a live streamed secure physical session, you can use the chat or “raise hand” button on whichever online platform you are using if you need to speak to the teacher.
All teachers operate differently in remote sessions. You may be able to see and interact with the other group participants or you may not. Therefore, if you cannot see or hear the other participants and you ask a question, be aware that everyone in the session will hear the answer. Only ask questions if you’re happy for the whole group to hear the answer. You can speak privately with your teacher either before or after the session.
The British Wheel of Yoga is the trading name of The British Wheel of Yoga Limited, a company registered in England and Wales with company registered number 7030679 and registered address 25 Jermyn Street, Sleaford, Lincolnshire NG34 7RU