Urban Solace Yoga & Wellness - Virtual Program Policy Update

Urban Solace aims to help foster connections in a digital world of avatars and static selfies - by bringing our community closer together LIVE (in real-time) even though we’re apart.  Our goal is to not only provide safe and effective wellness programs but to create a warm and welcoming environment for all who attend our sessions and events (both in-person and online). We are honored to have the support of a beautiful community of clients and students (collectively referred to as our “friends”) who’ve joined US through the years. And we will continue to ensure that everyone has an enjoyable experience across all platforms. Below is an overview of our virtual program terms, conditions, and policies. Content may be updated at the discretion of Urban Wellness Group LLC:

Web Cameras On: Just like our studio and riverfront programs, participants come together for a common goal - to share the benefits of exercise and meet new friends. Human connections are important for our social well-being, even more so now. This is why we require all students to have their web cameras turned on during class - plus it’s nice to see the lovely faces of our students. In the “real world,” we don’t attend meetings with bags on our heads - so it should be no different during our online programs. In addition, when instructors can see their participants, they are able to provide safe and effective verbal cues to assist with the fitness or health education activities presented.

Copyright Infringement: Urban Solace and its instructors provide specially curated content that is protected by copyright laws. When our instructors are unable to see a student because their cameras are off, it increases the concern of filming the likeness and content of an instructor during a session. Recording or rebroadcasting our programs is prohibited.

Participant Stacking: Our program policy states “only one participant per registration”. However, if a student’s camera is off, Urban Solace instructors are unable to determine if participants are abusing this rule by hosting a group of individuals in their home on a single registration. Much like a wedding RSVP or hair appointment: it’s not appropriate to sneak in unregistered guests to a paid event (for free service) - so the same holds true for all Urban Solace virtual programs (unless, of course, the event is free for everyone).

Note: Urban Solace is known for our free events. We offer complimentary (in-person and virtual) summer programs for our community to enjoy. But during the off-season, our discounted programs support our community outreach work and the instructors who teach them.

Name Your Device: With the recent rash of “ZOOM bombings” (aka: when an unsecured virtual meeting is hacked by a stranger), organizations are cracking down on attendees who do not properly name their digital devices, which is what we (the “meeting organizers”) see when students log in. All Urban Solace virtual programs are passcode protected, unique for each individually scheduled session, and are changed every series. But if someone’s device simply reads “Tablet” or “iPhone” they may get left behind in the waiting room because their pseudo-name isn’t on the list of registered guests.

The Creep Factor: Finally, everyone’s “least favorite” scenario … the creepers. Simply put: a blank screen can be extremely unnerving - not only for our presenters but for other registered participants as well. Unfortunately, it evokes feelings of strangers “lurking” behind the scenes. We have an extensive catalog of free videos that students can view at their leisure on our Facebook page, that don’t require web cameras or live interactions with instructors or our wonderful community of fitness friends.

Moving Forward: We want everyone to enjoy being a part of our virtual community. However, Urban Solace reserves the right to not admit a participant and/or cancel a student’s program package.

A Few Closing Notes: Please don’t worry about your background, pets, or the pile of shoes in the corner. That’s not why participants register for our classes. Most often, students are viewing their screens in “speaker mode”, which minimizes the images of others attending our online offerings.

To help participants prepare for their Urban Solace virtual experience, we’ve linked a few resources, including information on the best downloadable Web Camera Apps (to help optimize devices that may not have them) and a Wall Street Journal article on ZOOM etiquette (infused with plenty of humor).  If you still have questions or concerns, please email US at practice@urbansolacestudio.com 

Content updated by Urban Wellness Group LLC for Urban Solace Yoga & Wellness on January 4th, 2023. For more information, please review our complete Terms of Services.