We use Zoom for our online classes. Zoom works on a PC, laptop, tablet, or smartphone.
Download Zoom – It’s free
Register with Zoom – It’s free
How to get the best out of your Zoom lessons
Once you have downloaded Zoom and installed it on your device you need to sign up with Zoom to get your own Zoom account. It won’t cost anything, but you won’t be able to join our classes unless you are registered with Zoom and signed into your Zoom account. We do this for security reasons.
Now you can go to your welcome email and find your zoom links and click on one, there is one for day classes and one for evenings. Zoom has become a very popular means of video conferencing since the pandemic so most of you will already be familiar with the process. The first time you connect there may be technical issues so make sure you join the meeting a few minutes early. In fact, it’s always a good idea to come to the meeting ten minutes before it starts and preferably do not come in late because the class starts on the hour.
Your device
Your screen
You need to see us so the bigger screen you can use the better, this means a large hdmi capable TV is the best thing, the next best thing is a device using a TV as the monitor, or a PC sized monitor, or a laptop. A tablet or smartphone can also be used but the screen is smaller so it’s not so easy to see details. You may find that in some cases your smartphone screen can be broadcast onto your TV screen, or your laptop, or even a tablet or smartphone can be plugged into the TV using an HDMI cable.
Your connection
A physical connection between your device and the internet is the best way to do Zoom. This means an ethernet cable plugged into your laptop or PC with the other end connected to your router. You can obtain an ethernet cable that is weatherproof and up to 50 or more metres long if you want to practice Tai Chi in your garden. Wifi is also doable but not as good because wifi involves buffering and in some circumstances, this means jerky video.
The other factor that will influence your Zoom experience is your Internet connection speed. You can test this if you type ‘Broadband Speed Test’ into Google and run the test. Zoom will run on anything above 2Mbit but the faster the connection the less lag there will be.
Your space
The best place to do Tai Chi is outside. If you have to go inside because of the weather or some other limitations then you need enough space to move in. The form can be done in a space of one metre square but the dance requires a bit more of you don’t want to be correcting your position all the time to avoid the walls or other obstacles.
Make sure you set your device camera far enough away from you in the room so it can show your whole body if possible. This will help us correct your forms. If we can’t see the feet you might learn bad habits that will need to be corrected later.
The best space is large enough for you to move freely, uncluttered, light enough so we can see you, well ventilated, and free from distractions. The Tai Chi lesson is for you to regenerate but because it is in your home you may find you do not get the full benefit if you are interrupted by your pets, your children, your partner, family members, your mobile phone, etc.
Any problems – contact us