((PKG))  VIRTUAL YOGA    
((Banner:  Virtual Yoga))  
((Reporter/Camera:  Jeff Swicord)) 
((Producer/Editor:  Jacquelyn De Phillips)) 
((Map:  Washington, DC))    
((Main characters:  1 male))  
((NATS/MUSIC))  
((Diego Del Sol, Owner, Del Sol Yoga Studio))  
I started doing yoga about 25 years ago.  What attracted me 
to yoga was that it incorporated a whole mind/body 
philosophy and plan of action to help a person.     
I saw that it was having a positive effect physically and 
mentally from the very first class that I gave myself because 
I learned out of books.  I like people to experience the state 
of calmness, peacefulness, mental clarity, connecting with 
their positive energy.  When I saw that in Europe, they were 
starting to shut down essential businesses, I figured it's 
better to close the studio.  
((NATS/MUSIC)) 
((Diego Del Sol, Owner, Del Sol Yoga Studio))  
My family's spread out.  There's some in Europe and there's 
some in South America.  There's some in other places, also 
all over the US.  So, we've all been coping individually as our 
smaller knit families.  Mostly we've been staying at home 
and isolating ourselves, meeting friends online.  I didn't want 
to stop teaching.  I didn't want to stop the business.  I didn't 
want to take from the people that look forward to coming to 
class all the time and enjoy it.  So, I put it online, continued 
offering classes every day, especially now that people have 
a lot of fear.  It's a time of need. 
((NATS)) 
Nice moves. 
((NATS/MUSIC))  
((Diego Del Sol, Owner, Del Sol Yoga Studio))  
Now my studio is virtual.  
((NATS))  
Very good.  Inhale, lifting the right leg.
((Diego Del Sol, Owner, Del Sol Yoga Studio)) 
So now, I have to continue to grow and develop the 
business.   
((NATS))  
If your legs have the strength, go deeper.
((Diego Del Sol, Owner, Del Sol Yoga Studio)) 
It was hard.  Luckily, I had the help of one of my students 
and friends who's been essential in switching over and 
making it all work. 
((NATS)) 
David, I don’t know why I can’t get into Zoom. 
((NATS:  Phone)) 
Let me go to this site real quickly and get a sense of the 
layout before I walk you through it.  
((Diego Del Sol, Owner, Del Sol Yoga Studio)) 
Now everything is very user-friendly or tries to be.  Some of 
my systems aren't that user-friendly, so mixing the two and 
figuring it out. 
((NATS:  Phone)) 
Can you go to preferences? 
((Diego Del Sol, Owner, Del Sol Yoga Studio)) 
You have to do a lot of extra work but it's worth it. 
((NATS)) 
Where is preferences?  
((Diego Del Sol, Owner, Del Sol Yoga Studio))  
It was nonstop work for a few nights, a few days.  
((NATS:  Phone)) 
OK, sounds good.
((NATS)) 
See you soon.
((Diego Del Sol, Owner, Del Sol Yoga Studio))  
It's been a week, eight days now and it's getting a little 
smoother every day. 
((NATS/MUSIC))  
((Diego Del Sol, Owner, Del Sol Yoga Studio))  
I wasn't very active on any of the social media and I barely 
even sent out emails from my studio.  I always relied on 
people having a great experience and coming back.  So, I 
send emails also to let people know that this transition is 
happening. 
((NATS)) 
Welcome everyone.  
((Diego Del Sol, Owner, Del Sol Yoga Studio)) 
There's new people doing online classes with me and people 
that are trying to see for the first time whether it's worth to 
pay for a class. 
((NATS)) 
Exhale, forward fold, make sure the head drops.
((Diego Del Sol, Owner, Del Sol Yoga Studio))  
Teaching virtually is different than teaching a live class in 
front of people. 
((NATS)) 
Slow your mind way down.
((Diego Del Sol, Owner, Del Sol Yoga Studio)) 
I'm engaged so, I'm watching.  Even when there's a lot of 
students, I'm trying to help each individual, even if I have to 
go all the way up to the computer and see you in a little 
box.  So, I still teach the same way and if I see somebody 
doing something hard and I see somebody in one of this little 
screens backing off, I might encourage them to re-engage.  
((NATS))  
All the way behind the back leg, Christopher, inhale. 
((Diego Del Sol, Owner, Del Sol Yoga Studio))  
I think this technology, not just for fitness classes, but in all 
industries and businesses, where you can have a very 
positive experience without actually having to travel 
somewhere, it's going to keep going.  Even if this passes all 
the way and I open the studio again, people that aren't here 
in D.C. can't take my classes but if I continue to offer classes 
online, people can still join me from anywhere.  I want it to 
continue for myself because I like reaching people that want 
to take classes with me but are physically very far apart.  
((MUSIC/NATS))