5 min read.
Teaching meditation online has opened up exciting new possibilities for meditation teachers. Whether you’re looking to reach students beyond your local community, offer greater flexibility, or create additional income streams, an online meditation business allows you to share your knowledge with people wherever they are.
The thought of teaching online can feel a little daunting at first, especially if you’re more comfortable working face-to-face. You may be wondering what technology you need, how to create an engaging experience, or whether it’s really possible to build genuine connection through a screen.
The good news is that it absolutely is.
With the right approach, online meditation sessions can be every bit as warm, supportive and transformational as in-person classes. Many teachers discover that teaching online not only expands their reach but also creates deeper flexibility for both themselves and their students.
In this article, I’ll share practical ideas to help you confidently take your meditation business online, choose the right platforms, create meaningful experiences for your students and build a sustainable business that reflects your unique style of teaching.
How to Start Teaching Meditation Online
You would be surprised just how much you can conduct online. Chances are you already have a database of students, so it may be a matter of creating the product or opportunity for them to shift to interacting with you online.
At ACMM we conduct teaching, meditation sessions, one to one and small group mentoring workshops and short retreats online.
For participants, the technology is even easier to use than for the host/ess.
- If running a Zoom group, they just need to click on a link provided by you to join the group at the allotted time.
- When conducting a Skype call, they open up Skype and wait for your call.
- If they are joining a Facebook live broadcast all they need to do is be on the Facebook page at the right time.
Sound easier than getting in the car and driving to a group? Arguably yes!
So let’s look at the kind of events you can run online:
- A meditation group
- A set of meditation classes
- A meditation day retreat (this takes a little more skill but isn’t difficult on a technical level)
- One to one meditation sessions
Some can be conducted live and some do not need to be conducted live. For example, if you are giving a course you may use pre-recorded videos or pdf documents and audio recordings.
Teach Live Meditation Classes on Zoom
The beauty of what is available today is that it is relatively inexpensive and very accessible.
Some of it is even free ( Zoom has a free version with certain limitations).
Even the paid version of Zoom is relatively low cost – $20USD a month or so. The main advantage of a paid account is that you will be able to have meetings longer than 40 minutes and can record your meetings.
So some possibilities for forums in which to run your groups or events are:
- Use the Zoom platform https://zoom.us/
- You may be comfortable with Skype (Personally, I have found this to be less reliable than Zoom)
Create Guided Meditations for YouTube
- Create pre-recorded videos that you can place on youtube or vimeo and send people links to your videos which can be created on your laptop, smartphone or iPad. (You may need to download a video recording app for your laptop, but Zoom can also work).
- For those who are totally bamboozled with all this – you can also use your phone to conduct meditations.
Equipment you will need to teach meditation online
- A reliable laptop is a must, you don’t want to be messing around with sticky keys or a crashing computer while you have 10 people watching.
- You may like to use a mic or lapel mic. If you have a fairly new laptop this may not be necessary. Do some testing and recording to determine what you will need.
- Make sure your webcam provides a clear picture. If not, you may like to invest in an additional webcam. Again, this should not be necessary if you have a good quality (and not too old) laptop.
- Earbuds or headphones are a good idea to prevent feedback and echo through your speakers.
- Make sure that your home NBN is clear and reliable (is there such a thing?) LOL You know what I mean.
- If you are using your phone (this may be a cheaper and very reliable alternative) then have it plugged in to power for the duration of the broadcast. Live broadcasts drain batteries fast. You may consider purchasing a stand/tripod for your phone. I place mine to sit just above my laptop screen so that I can refer to my talk outline without dipping my eyes too far down.
- Test sound and video before beginning. Make sure your shoulders and head are visible (like a passport photo).
How to Accept Payment for Online Meditation Classes
- Paypal – send your group a paypal button by email each time you are offering a session or host a button on your website (You will need to set up a paypal account)
- Direct transfer – before the event
- Paypal subscription – Have an ongoing subscription button to make life easier for everyone. You might offer a small discount to entice students to subscribe and make the recording of the session available to subscribers.
- Stripe – which is an online payment platform, with pay as you go pricing. You can create and send invoices, take credit card payments, offer subscriptions or embed the function into your website.
Common Mistakes When Teaching Meditation Online
Things to watch when teaching online are:
- Poor sound quality. Test your sound by doing a sample recording on zoom well before the class. Use a microphone if your laptop does not have a good one.
- Be careful if using singing bowls or other music on Zoom. These things need to be tested beforehand, as transmission of music under voice, as well as transmission of Singing Bowl sounds can be tricky.
- Plenty of practice is needed so you are not fumbling around too much. If possible, have a tech person in the background helping you out. (You could offer them free access to the course in exchange). For example, it can be very distracting to be introducing the evening, whilst admitting latecomers to the Zoom Room.
- Make sure you engage with participants and make the session interactive. Broadcast type sessions with no interaction do not tend to keep people engaged and you may find there is a high rate of drop offs during the session. Always allow time at the end of the session for sharing so you can check in on how your participants went with the experience.
- It’s important to follow up after the class with an email or two as well as asking for feedback.
- Using a Facebook group or Facebook Live to run a meditation group. In this context, there is no way to know how your participants are going. You can’t see them, and the only check in is via a few words in the chat. It is your responsibility as a meditation teacher to ensure that you take care of your students by offering them the opportunity to talk with you before or after the meditation. This can be brief, but it allows you to check for contraindications.
Important tips for teaching meditation online
Working online requires some clear boundaries for you and your participants. People will be tuning in from their homes or workplaces so it is imperative that best practice be followed by everyone to create a successful session.
Clear participant guidelines for participation (perhaps in the form of an email prior to the session, as well as mention at the start of the session) such as:
- Ensuring that they are in a private space. If at home a study or bedroom is best and if in an office environment in a private office.
- Ask them to ensure (as best they can) that they will not be interrupted. This may mean talking to other family members or putting a sign up on the door.
- Ensure that they are not in a public place such as outside in a public area where they may render themselves vulnerable or may not be emotionally safe.
- It is important that participants keep their camera on at all times (unless they are experiencing technical issues and have no choice) so that you can see any adverse reactions or problems.
- Ask them to keep their phone in another room or turned off.
- Ask them to mute their microphone during the meditation itself and turn it back on for sharing. (You can mute everyone at the start of the session also).
Tips for Facilitators when conducting online meditation sessions
- You may like to have phone numbers for participants whom you have any concerns about so that you can follow up in case they drop out or disappear.
- Do a sound and video test before you start.
- Check that you have enough recording capacity on your account well before you begin the session.
- Check that your internet data is sufficient to complete the session.
- Keep all hardware plugged in for the duration of the session.
- Carefully prepare the space by checking what people can see behind you – a plant and a candle work better than clutter.
- Ensure that you will be comfortable and won’t be interrupted by the phone, noise, family members etc.
- I like to check in with each participant during the session at some point.
- It may also be a good idea to attend other people’s online events to build your confidence and experience and run some smaller practice sessions before moving forward.
Frequently Asked Questions About Teaching Meditation Online
Can I teach meditation online?
Absolutely! Make sure that you have a qualification and insurance. Proper training is essential. Click here for information about ACMM training programs.
What platform is best?
Zoom or teams are probably the best platforms, as you can see your participants and have the ability to converse and interact with them. They are also low cost. Teams is free.
Do I need expensive equipment?
No. As long as the microphone on your laptop is of good quality, and your WIFI is also effective, you don’t need any expensive equipment.
Can I earn an income teaching online?
By teaching online, you can reach audiences across the country and internationally. Teaching online (from the comfort of your own home) enables people with disabilities or low mobility, people with young children or those too far away to attend your classes.
This can support you with developing a sustainable meditation business that reaches audiences you would never have been able to reach only teaching in person.
It’s important to have effective payment systems set up through your website. (See the information above). Booking systems such as Calendly and Acuity also work well.
Improve Your Skills So You Can Confidently Teach Meditation Online
Enjoy bringing meditation to the world, and remember that quality training, a regular meditation practice and supervision and mentoring are the backbone of your teaching.
If you are a qualified meditation teacher looking for business development support, checkout the ACMM Business Lounge.
With love – Lisa
