Best Platforms for Teaching Yoga Online

If you need a platform for teaching yoga online, you have options, whether live platforms or sharing your courses through sites like BlurBay.

Learning remotely is no longer mere science fiction and hasn’t been for quite some time. But while learning purely intellectual skills online may be fairly self-evident, learning skills that involve the body, like yoga, may be a little less straightforward. But it’s far from impossible.

There are numerous platforms to pick for such classes, and the right one can make all the difference in online teaching.

Types of Online Yoga Teaching Platforms and Their Advantages

Before you jump into the challenge of teaching yoga online, it’s good to know the types of platforms at your disposal:

Course Hosting for Structured Learning

Course-hosting platforms are a boon for yoga instructors who prefer a more structured approach to teaching. They’re also terrific for those who may find it easier to host their classes for the students to watch at their own pace.

With these platforms, you can create a curriculum that can include not just video lessons but also quizzes, assignments, and even downloadable resources like booklets. Some of these platforms offer analytics to track student progress, automated certificates for course completion, and even drip content features that release new lessons at scheduled intervals.

If you aim for a comprehensive, academic approach to yoga, course hosting platforms should be high on your list.

Pros:

• Structured curriculum
• Progress tracking
• Automated certificates

Cons:

• Less real-time interaction
• Requires upfront time investment for course creation

Live Streaming for Real-Time Interaction

Live streaming platforms may be as close as you can get to a physical yoga class without leaving home and organizing an in-person meetup. These platforms enable real-time interaction, so you can provide immediate feedback, correct postures, and answer questions on the spot.

Popular picks like Zoom and Facebook Live have features like virtual hand-raising, polls, and reactions that can make your classes more interactive and involved. If you thrive on the energy of a live class and believe real-time interaction is unparalleled for effective teaching, a live streaming platform is likely your best bet.

Pros:

• Immediate feedback
• High engagement
• Real-time Q&A sessions

Cons:

• Requires a consistently stable connection
• Limited to the schedule of live classes

All-in-One Studio Management Platforms

Studio management platforms are the best fit for multitaskers. They provide many features that handle everything from booking and payment processing to student management and marketing.

Some bonus features also include automated email marketing, loyalty programs, and detailed analytics to help you better understand what you and your students are doing. If you’re running a full-fledged online yoga studio and need a platform that can handle the administrative load, a studio management platform is probably your go-to. But the array of features may also be overwhelming.

Pros:

• Vast feature set
• Automated administrative tasks
• Detailed analytics

Cons:

• Can be overwhelming for solo teachers
• Might come with a steeper learning curve

Top Online Yoga Teaching Platforms

The types of platforms for teaching yoga online may be a good starting point, but it’s not saying much without bringing some examples to the table. So here is a more in-depth look at some platforms to kick-start your online yoga instructor side hustle (or full-time self-employment).

BlurBay – The Versatile Platform for Any Teaching Style

First up is BlurBay, and it’s not hard to see why it’s a favorite for many. BlurBay offers an easy-to-use and all-in-one interface that lets you focus on teaching.

Monetization is incredibly flexible. You can choose how to earn from your classes and how much. With BlurBay, setting up your own pay-to-view streaming page is straightforward. All you have to do is upload the content you want to sell and set the price for each item. And the platform makes it incredibly simple for your audience to buy your content. It only takes one click to make a purchase, removing any barriers between your course and potential buyers.

BlurBay isn’t just another platform; it’s as versatile as the teachers using it. With an easy-to-use interface, you can focus more on teaching and less on tech hassles. It’s 100% risk-free to get started with BlurBay. There are no subscriptions or upfront fees; they only take 5% of each transaction.

Zoom – Great for Live Classes

If you’re all about the real-time connection with your students, Zoom is a solid place to go. It’s a reliable platform for hosting live yoga classes. The user-friendly platform doesn’t require a steep learning curve, so students and teachers can use it easily. And considering it saw a major boom during Covid-19, chances are, you may already have an account.

A standout feature is the breakout rooms, which enable you to divide your class into smaller groups for better focus. Zoom can also record calls, so you can save your live sessions for later.

Thinkific – Ideal for Structured Online Courses

If you’re the type of yoga teacher who loves to offer a well-rounded curriculum, Thinkific might be your match. Thinkific is a tool for course creation and management. It lets you build structured online courses with various content types, including videos, quizzes, and assignments.

The platform also provides marketing tools to promote your courses. Therefore, while primarily a platform for sharing knowledge, it doesn’t put the business side into the backseat.

Kajabi – All-in-One Solution

This platform is a one-stop-shop for yoga teachers with ambitions to build an online empire. Kajabi is a complete platform that goes beyond course hosting. It has a website creation tool, email marketing, and a built-in shopping cart for selling courses or merchandise. Kajabi is best for those who want to manage all aspects of their online yoga business in one place, starting with content creation and ending with marketing and sales.

Uscreen – For On-Demand Yoga Business

If you’re keen on offering yoga classes that students can access anytime, anywhere, Uscreen could be for you. This platform is for on-demand video content. It lets users upload and sell pre-recorded yoga classes. The platform also has several monetization options, including subscriptions and one-time purchases. Uscreen is a good fit for teachers who want to offer their students flexible, on-demand yoga classes.

Mindbody – For Studio Management

If you’re juggling the many tasks that come with running a yoga studio, Mindbody could make a difference. Mindbody is a platform for the business management side of wellness services, including yoga studios. It offers features like online booking, payment processing, and client management. Mindbody is particularly useful for those with both online and physical studios since it integrates the two into one interconnected business.

Udemy – Marketplace for Courses

If you want to tap into a large audience without the hassle of building one from scratch, Udemy is worth a look. Udemy is a course marketplace where you can tap into a large existing audience.

While you can list your yoga courses here, keep in mind that Udemy often runs promotions that could affect your course pricing. It’s a platform where the marketing is mostly taken care of, but you have less control over your brand and pricing.

Marvelous – Supports Multiple Teaching Models

If you’re not one to be boxed into a single teaching model, Marvelous could be just what you’re looking for. Marvelous is a versatile platform that supports both live and pre-recorded classes. It offers features like quizzes, community groups, and integrated email marketing through Marvelous Mail. One unique feature is Marvelous Magic Pages, an AI-driven tool for creating sales pages. Marvelous is suitable for teachers who want a mix of live and on-demand teaching with a dose of versatile monetization.

Facebook and Instagram Live – Free and Social

With the advent of live streaming on social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram Live, you have the option of using either as online yoga teaching platforms. The benefits are clear for those who have accounts with the platforms. You’re already familiar with what they offer – and hopefully have a decent number of followers – so you can start streaming videos immediately.

Both also allow for extensive streaming.

Instagram limits you to 60 minutes per “live,” which is ideal for helping you portion out your lessons. Facebook is more lenient – you can stream for up to eight hours – which is good for extended sessions or if what you have to teach takes more than an hour to learn.

The obvious question is how do you get paid?

On Instagram, you don’t, as there’s no way to restrict access to your stream. Instead, you can use it to gain followers, who you could then direct to a paid platform, such as BlurBay. With Facebook, you can restrict your videos so they’re only viewable to a specific Facebook group, which gives you the option to charge for access.

Teachable – Video and Courses Platform

Teachable offers both a live-streaming platform and the ability to create online courses for your students. So, you can go live with sessions tailored to whatever you want to teach for the day, before pointing students to your paid courses – which can include video – if they want to learn more.

That makes this one of the best platforms for teaching yoga online if you need versatility in monetization.

There’s more, too, as Teachable brings some interactivity to the party. We really like the ability to create quizzes – which you can build into your courses – as they keep students engaged. They improve motivation and learning outcomes, in addition to giving your students a real sense of progression.

In terms of monetization, you can take payments daily, weekly, or monthly using the built-in ecommerce platform (no third-party apps required). Plus, Teachable integrates with the likes of Google Analytics and Zapier, giving you plenty of data about who’s using your courses and what you could do better for advertising.

Crowdcast – The Quick and Simple Yoga Teaching Platform

Crowdcast’s grandiose advertising as an “all-in-one” virtual events platform may make it seem difficult to operate for a new online yoga instructor. That isn’t the case – the platform is remarkably simple. You just upload your video, for which you receive a link. Beam that link out to your students and they just need to click and learn.

There’s more to it than that if you want to dig into the platform’s other features.

Live lessons can be held thanks to its livestreaming functionality. You can also build polls and Q&A sessions into your videos, along with a chat functionality for the livestreams. Many teachers will hold a session live – with chat active for answering questions – before taking the completed video and uploading it as an on-demand session for those who missed the live version.

The platform also offers Patreon support, which is your route to gaining paid subscriptions for your yoga content.

LearnWorlds – Ideal for Multiple Yoga Instructors

Let’s say you scale up to the point where you have a small business with multiple yoga instructors. Now, online yoga teaching platforms that only allow one person to stream or hold lessons aren’t going to be enough. You need something bigger. Something capable of letting you and your team teach yoga online simultaneously.

Enter LearnWorlds.

Integrating with video conferencing apps – such as Zoom – as well as scheduling apps like Calendly, LearnWorlds lets you run several yoga sessions at the same time. As a result, your growing business is never left in a situation where you have teachers sitting around doing nothing because the platform doesn’t let them work.

For monetization, you can set up private yoga courses – with optional breakout sessions for further teaching – as well as listing paid courses that can include quizzes and Q&A sessions.

Outschool – Best for Teaching School-Aged Kids

Outschool technically isn’t a yoga teaching platform – it’s an “everything” teaching platform. It serves as an online educational marketplace through which anybody who has something to teach – about any subject – can offer live one-on-one and group classes. There’s also an option to record and host video content on the platform, allowing you to offer on-demand courses as well as your live sessions.

The platform integrates with Zoom, essentially turning the video conferencing app into one ingredient in a teaching platform that makes it easier for you to monetize your knowledge. There’s also the “Outschool Camps” feature to consider. Through this, you can take part in camps that see several instructors and students meet up to learn and explore their passion for yoga.

Additional Features to Consider in a Platform

The right platform for your online yoga teaching has more to it than the type of classes you want to offer. There are other features that can make your life easier and improve the experience for your students.

Payment Processing

Sure, getting paid is a big part of why you’re teaching online, but how you get paid matters, too. Platforms with seamless payment processing make it easy for students to pay for classes, reducing friction and increasing conversions.

Look for platforms with multiple payment options like credit cards and PayPal. Depending on your preferences, you may even consider something that supports cryptocurrencies. Some platforms offer easy invoicing, financial tracking, and revenue-sharing options for collaborative courses.

Remember that there might be transaction fees, and currency conversion rates for international payments may not always be ideal. So, keep these drawbacks in mind when taking on the task of online tutoring.

Scheduling Tools

Your time is valuable, and effective scheduling tools help you manage it like a pro. Look for platforms that integrate with different popular calendar tools like Google Calendar or iCal, automated booking confirmations, and reminders via email or SMS. Some platforms also offer waitlist features, so if a student cancels, another can take their place without you lifting a finger.

However, consider that these advanced features could have a bit of a learning curve for complex scheduling tools. And if you don’t set them up correctly, there could be the risk of double-booking.

Community Engagement

Teaching yoga online, while not as first-hand as in-person classes, still can build a community. Platforms that offer community engagement, like forums, chat rooms, or social media integration, can foster a sense of belonging among your students.

Some platforms even offer gamification features, where students can earn badges or points for attending classes, completing challenges, or engaging with the community. Some students learn better when their lessons feel like a game rather than an obligation.

But keep in mind that such advanced community features need active moderation as there’s the potential for online trolls or disruptive behavior.

A Simple Interface

A user interface that forces students to spend ages searching for a class doesn’t make for one of the best platforms for teaching yoga online. Any platform you consider must make everything super simple for your user.

If scheduling is involved, there needs to be clear links – or icons – indicating how to book a session. When you’re building full-on courses, you need the platform to allow you to create a straightforward path of progression rather than one that forces you to dump all of your content into a repository that leaves what to learn up to the student.

Think about it like this – friction is the enemy of making money from your yoga knowledge. When students are getting frustrated just from using your platform, they’re more likely to bounce away and look for a teacher who uses something simpler.

Technological Limitations

Perhaps more accurately, the lack of technological limitations is what you need from online yoga teaching platforms. In other words, any platform you choose must make it easy for your students to view your content using any device they choose.

For instance, 74% of adults own a desktop or laptop computer.

That means 26% don’t have those devices, so they’re more likely to use a phone or tablet to watch your lessons or consume your course content. The platform you choose must allow for that, meaning technological agnosticism is the key. The more restricted you are to a specific device, the more limited your potential audience becomes.

Analytics Tools

How many people watch your videos or engage in your classes? What about the people who’ll check out a course description, but then bounce away? Those are people who aren’t buying because there’s something about the course that puts them off, meaning they’re indicators of things you can change to make your yoga classes more appealing.

You could ask these questions all day long and get no answers if your online yoga teaching platforms don’t offer analytics.

Think of analytics as the data behind your courses. If your platform has them, you’ll receive insights into how many people consume your content, how many actually complete courses, and (crucially for marketing) how many people leave before signing up. This information helps you to tweak what you have now into something that appeals to a wider audience.

Lessons for the Mind and Body via the Best Platforms for Teaching Yoga Online

As you can tell, there are many ways to teach yoga online. While each of these online yoga teaching platforms has its features and benefits, it comes down to your preferences, intentions, and seriousness about starting such an online business. Still, some things worth looking for are versatility, user-friendliness, and convenient monetization.

FAQs

How do I choose the right platform for teaching yoga online?

The right platform depends on your teaching style, how tech-savvy you are, and the specific features you want. If you thrive on real-time interaction, then a live-streaming platform might be best. But if you prefer a structured curriculum, look into course hosting platforms. Also, consider additional features like payment processing, scheduling tools, and community engagement.

Can I use multiple platforms for teaching yoga?

Many teachers opt to use more than one platform to get the most reach. For example, you could use Zoom for live classes and BlurBay for hosting a structured course. Going multi-platform could be excellent as it allows you to cater to different learning styles and preferences.

What equipment will I need to teach yoga online?

Beyond an appropriate platform, which you can find from reading our article, the essentials are pretty simple. You’ll need yoga equipment – such as a mat and suitable attire – which you should already have if you’re a yoga enthusiast. Then, there’s equipment for recording. While you can use your phone to record your classes, and many do, a more professional look can be achieved with an HD video camera, microphone, and lighting setup. Of course, going more professional also costs money, leading to many new yoga instructors choosing to use mobile devices to record until they’ve established themselves a little more.

Is it expensive to start teaching yoga online?

The costs can vary widely depending on the platform and features you choose. Some platforms have free tiers with limited features, while others might require a monthly or yearly subscription. However, platforms like BlurBay offer affordable options with a robust set of features.