The Connected Yoga Teacher Podcast
221: Choosing to Teach Online Yoga with Colin Hall
Description:
Teaching yoga online is not something most of us want to do, and for many people around the world where lockdowns are still in effect or are in place again after being briefly lifted, they don’t really have an option. However, despite being able to teach yoga in person, Colin Hall decided to close his yoga studio and offer virtual classes instead.
Colin is the co-director of Bodhi Tree Yoga and Bodhi Tree Yoga College in Regina, Saskatchewan, which he opened with his wife Sarah in 2004. Colin contributes to the yoga world both through teaching and writing, and his podcast The History of Yoga on Yoga International. In addition to his regular classes at the Bodhi Tree, Colin gives workshops and teacher trainings on asana and yoga philosophy. Apart from his work with yoga, Colin is also a lecturer at the University of Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada, where he teaches courses on yoga, religion, and sociology.
In Saskatchewan, there were no restrictions put into place about in-person yoga, but in December 2020, Colin chose to teach online yoga instead of continuing with in-person classes. He shares more about how and why he made this decision, and the reactions in his community. Shannon and Colin also discuss yoga philosophy and our moral responsibility as yoga teachers to the people around us.
This is a great episode to listen to if you’re wondering if you should go back to teaching in-person yoga in the present climate, and some considerations to keep in mind.
Key Takeaways:
[7:31] Shannon introduces her guest for this episode - Colin Hall.
[9:05] What does Colin do and who does he do it for?
[11:26] What made Colin decide to open a yoga studio?
[13:09] In December of 2020, Colin decided to close his yoga studio even though there were no official requirements to do so. What was that like for Colin?
[18:00] How have things been since Colin decided to close his yoga studio?
[23:52] Shannon shares a little about her preferred brand of shampoo and conditioner, High End Hippie.
[25:13] What are the restrictions like in Saskatchewan at the time of recording?
[28:55] How has yoga helped Colin in making tough decisions for his yoga business, and as a person living through a pandemic?
[30:18] Colin has never had a job till now!
[35:41] What is Colin's plan going forward with the studio?
[39:22] How can we look at the philosophy of yoga with regards to the choices we are making now?
[42:19] How are we connected to other yoga teachers and studios? How does our competitive nature come into play here?
[48:43] What does Colin suggest for yoga teachers who are faced with hard decisions in their business?
[54:31] We have a moral responsibility to our communities to keep everyone safe, not just as yoga teachers, but as human beings.
[57:53] Check out Colin's online yoga classes via his website, and his courses on Yoga International.
[61:38] There are two live interviews per month for you to check out via YouTube or the Facebook group.
Links:
Gratitude to our Sponsors Schedulicity.
Quotes from this episode:
"I think that sometimes there's a very wide gulf that exists in between what you're allowed to do and what you should do.” - Colin
"It's very easy to lose perspective. It is really, really easy to think that what's happening now is this new reality that is going to last forever and you are screwed." - Colin
“I feel like my plan is to just continue kind of scrapping away and hopefully at some point come out on the other side of this thing." - Colin
"Your actions as an individual, what you perceive of as your freedom to do whatever you want, is intimately connected with the lives of so many other people around you." - Colin
"Anything you do that creates harm in the universe is harming you." - Colin