Tips for a Successful Virtual Yoga Retreat by Lisa Ware Yoga 4 Love

Online teaching has been Lisa’s main operation for over 5 years and she had recorded classes since 2012. Utilizing these resources she developed a Global brand for her Online Yoga Certifications. Due to the pandemic she recently had to become super innovative and make a decision in a 24 hour period about her upcoming Inner Goddess Retreat which had 26 registrants attending. With that many people coming, she made the difficult decision to not host the retreat in person. 

With much deliberation, she and her Team decided to go Virtual! The technology was already in place, due to the fact that she had been holding Online Yoga Teacher Trainings for over 5 years. 

They held all the main workshops from the retreat, condensing from a 3 day/2 night to a 2 day event. They had 17-18 attendees at each of the workshops! No one cancelled and everyone received a raincheck for another in person retreat. 

This Virtual Inner Goddess Retreat was a HUGE success, and came at a time when everyone in the country was just receiving news that we were to remain in voluntary home quarantine. 

Tips for launching your retreat Virtually:

• Condense the schedule to the Main workshops

• Stay SUPER connected to your attendees in a Group Message thread

• Host 45-60 minute sessions with a 15 minute break between sessions

• Send out the itinerary so they can plan their day around the sessions

• Keep in touch with clear, concise emails to all attendees

• Stay positive and encouraging in the group message

• Send out some homework for deep dives on topic of your lectures 

• Give resources and list of what they will need on hand for the event (such as props for yoga)

• Have a Private Facebook group for your niche clients

• Always invite all your retreat attendees into your private Group

Hardware:

• Lisa prefers using Zoom. 

• She hosts her event as a Zoom Webinar due to the upgraded software capabilities available and the Registration process

• Recommend using the laptop vs phone, because phone will not allow some of the features to be utilized

• Livestream to Facebook private group from the Virtual Retreat to engage the others in the group (stream some teaser tidbits or 1-2 workshops, don’t give away the farm!)

Zoom vs:

• FB LIVE: Zoom is WAY more interactive, FB live is only ‘one way’, they watch you, cannot engage with you except comments and hearts

• Google Hangouts: Zoom is way more reliable and has many more features

• ECamm LIVE is a good platform, yet seems more expensive and not as easy to use (may be that Zoom is more widely used)

Camera:

• Google Pixel 3 

• iPhone 11

• Master the phone timer for selfie shots

• Walk AROUND the back side of the camera, outside the shot and enter from the side far in front for a more professional ‘selfie video’ 

• If seated, set up your space beforehand

• Make sure your arms are not all up ‘in the shot’ when starting and stopping

Tripod:

• Always use one if possible. 

• Makes a huge difference in your camera angle. Make sure your angle is coming from eye level or above. 

• All kinds work, you will need a tripod phone adapter that screws into the tripod

• Tall tripods with extendable legs, especially for outdoor and yoga shoots

Editing:

iMovie on MacBook Pro

Distribution (channels):

• Record the workshops on Zoom

• Make sure you attendees opt in for recording

• Share to Private Facebook Group

• Save recorded content for future trainings

• Share to Vimeo.com for more ‘workshop’ style trainings

• Share to YouTube for more professional or Vlog recordings

• Add a Pinterest Board for your Niche, always share there, too (it is a search engine in and of itself)

• Linked In

• Do a piece or mini workshop on IGTV from your Virtual Retreat

Link to:

• Yoga 4 Love Online Training Program Certifications 200/500 Hour RYT

• Mini Course: Online Teaching, Cueing, Y4L Signature Class Formats 101, 201 and 301

• Mini Crash Course: Online Business for Yogis, Artists and Creatives

SHORT BIO:

Lisa Ware is a published author, life coach, and an Intuitive. In 2008 she founded Yoga 4 Love in honor of her mom’s positivity and inspiration. She is the Executive Director of Yoga 4 Love Online Certification + Inner Goddess Retreats held virtually, in Hawaii and Texas. 

In March 2020, Lisa and her Team birthed the Y4L Online Healing Arts Center. She is a pioneer in online yoga teaching, and her company has mastered this platform with over 5 years experience and hundreds of alumni, trainees and graduates. 

Lisa’s ‘why’ is to empower women to find their passion, purpose and potential in the world so that together we may live a life of health and financial freedom, adventure, joy and magick! Her life’s work is to leave a legacy, impacting the world by bringing the traditional yogic teachings through in alignment with the Divine Feminine, for the 21st Century. Her deepest desire is to help others Awaken and to raise the frequency of the planet, our Mother, Gaia.

Connect:

@yoga4lovelisa