I’ve been creating yoga video content since the DVD era. And in those 20+ years, I’ve made just about every mistake you can make when it comes to teaching yoga on camera.
I’ve lost the rights to my own work because I couldn’t find a contract. I’ve stressed myself out trying to serve two audiences at once—the camera and the paying students in the room. I’ve invested in equipment before I knew what I actually needed. And yes, I’ve had to pull a Taylor Swift and re-record my own sequences because I couldn’t get my original videos back.
But I’ve also built something that works: a library of 140+ videos in my Yoga Class Prep Station that serve my students, support my courses, and generate income while I focus on other parts of my business.
If you’re thinking about creating yoga video content—whether it’s a single workshop, livestream classes, or a full membership library—this post will save you years of trial and error.
The Journey: From DVDs to Online Libraries
My first yoga video was a DVD called The Athlete’s Guide to Yoga. The format was heavily influenced by Shiva Rea’s brilliant matrix menu system in her DVDs, where you could choose different segments and play them in any order. That completely shaped how I think about yoga sequencing in chunks.
Here’s what I did wisely from the very beginning: I recorded the live action with no sound. We had an assistant off-screen calling out poses, and I laid the voice over later. This is something I still recommend—don’t try to get the video and audio perfect at the same time. Record your movement first, then add your voice later. It takes so much pressure off.
A few years later, a local company asked me to help launch their online yoga channel. They’d provide equipment, and I’d provide videos each month. For a long while, it worked beautifully. But here’s where things got complicated.
The “Two Masters” Problem
I was recording my live classes at the studio—at least once a week, sometimes more. We’d list “camera” on the schedule so students knew what they were signing up for.
But I felt like I was serving two masters. I had the camera to think about—framing, angles, clear demonstration—and I also had paying students in the room who deserved my full attention. It was incredibly stressful.
I was always way happier when I staged recordings specifically for the camera, with no live students present. Then I could just focus on creating good video content without worrying that I was short-changing the people in the room.
Some teachers can handle recording live classes well. I couldn’t. And that’s okay. If you’re considering video, be honest with yourself about whether you can serve both audiences. If not, stage your recordings separately—with models, or by yourself demonstrating.
The Livestream Experiment (And Why I Stopped)
The company wanted to try livestreaming, which meant even more things could go wrong. We needed internet bandwidth, bright lights that killed the relaxed yoga vibe, and dealt with audio interference.
The upside? Those videos were pushed to my Facebook business page and are still available in my Yoga Class Prep Station. But the process? Incredibly stressful. I did it for maybe nine months, then I was done.
The Pandemic Decision
When COVID hit in 2020, I was one of the few yoga studio owners who did not want to pivot online.
I already had a library of recorded classes. I had online courses for teachers. I knew the stress of video production and didn’t want to introduce that into the teacher-student relationship during an already stressful time.
At the time, my studio operated on class passes, not memberships. When the pandemic hit, we just paused everyone’s pack and waited for the world to reopen. Which it did, slowly. We taped off nine spaces for social distancing and taught in masks.
For many students, that weekly yoga class was the only time they spent around other people during those early pandemic months. That was meaningful in a way that Zoom classes couldn’t replicate for our community.
The Contract Nightmare (And What I’ll Never Do Again)
Sometime after the pandemic, the company changed hands. It got bought by a new corporation. And I couldn’t find my original contract. Neither could they.
I was pretty sure that contract gave me the rights to get my videos back. But without the paperwork, I had no proof. My videos were essentially held hostage.
If you know anything about the music industry, you know this story. Taylor Swift had to re-record all her albums as “Taylor’s version” because she didn’t own the master recordings. I did the same thing—I re-recorded my best sequences completely on my own.
This is the thing I will never do again: give away all the rights to my videos to another entity. And I will absolutely, definitely never lose copies of a contract again.
How to Get Started Without Making My Mistakes
Despite all these challenges, I’m so glad I stuck with video. Right now, I have over 140 videos that work for me while I sleep, reaching students I’d never meet in person.
Here’s how I’d recommend you start:
Start with a workshop, not a class library. Don’t try to build 100 videos on day one. Create one workshop that solves one specific problem for one specific person. Instead of “Gentle Yoga,” create “Yoga for ADHD Focus” or “Yoga After Spring Gardening.” The more specific, the better for search optimization.
Keep your tech costs low at first. You can get started with a smartphone, a basic tripod, good natural lighting, and a quiet space. Don’t invest in fancy equipment until you’re making money from videos and know what you actually need.
Understand your platform options. For live classes, use Zoom with scheduling tools like Acuity. For structured courses, look at Teachable, Kajabi, or Thinkific. For video libraries, check out Vimeo, Uscreen, or Marvelous (formerly Namastream). I use Vimeo to host files and embed them in Circle, my membership platform.
Protect your rights from day one. If you partner with any platform or company, read the contract. Keep a copy. Understand what rights you’re giving away and keeping. Can you get your videos back? Can you sell them elsewhere? What happens if the company gets acquired?
Focus on serving one person at a time. Get clear on who you’re serving and what problem you’re solving for them. Make the video about that. Everything else is just logistics.
The Bottom Line
Teaching yoga on video can be one of the most powerful ways to scale your teaching, reach more students, and create sustainable income streams. But it’s not without challenges.
I made mistakes. I gave away rights I shouldn’t have. I stressed myself out trying to do too much at once. I invested in equipment before I knew what I needed.
But I also created something that works for me now—a library that serves my students, supports my courses, and generates income while I focus on other parts of my business.
If you’re ready to get started, my advice is this: start small and specific. Create one workshop that solves one problem for one type of person. Keep your tech simple at first. Protect your rights. And remember that the students watching your videos are the heroes of their own yoga journey—you’re just there to guide them.
Want to dive deeper into this topic? Listen to the full episode (E60) of Yoga Teacher Confidential where I share even more details about platforms, equipment, and the lessons I learned the hard way: sagerountree.com/podcast
