Prana Live: taking a much-loved yoga studio online without losing what made it personal
A yoga studio with devoted local students wanted to teach students across the country and abroad without becoming an impersonal video library. We built Prana Live: live classes with teacher feedback, an on-demand library, structured programmes, memberships across time zones and a teacher studio for scheduling and payouts — keeping the community at the centre.
A studio known for knowing its students
Prana Live's founder had taught in the same studio for fifteen years. Students came back because teachers knew their names, their injuries and their progress. Former students who had moved away kept asking for online classes, and international visitors wanted to continue after their retreats.
The founder's fear was that going online would turn her studio into just another video library.
“People don't come for the poses. They come because we notice them.”
What students missed
We interviewed former students and retreat guests. They missed the community and the correction — a teacher noticing a misaligned knee. Time zones were a real barrier for students abroad. Many wanted structure: a four-week programme rather than a random class.
- Teachers who know their students
- Live classes with real feedback
- Structured programmes, not random videos
- Schedules that work across time zones
Live first, library second
Prana Live centres on small live classes where teachers can see students who choose to turn their camera on and offer gentle corrections. Every live class becomes part of the on-demand library afterwards. Programmes guide students through themed weeks, and the schedule always shows times in the student's own time zone.
Teachers get a studio app with each student's notes — injuries, goals, progress — visible before class, carrying the studio's personal attention online.
The team
A small team, with the designer spending time in the studio to capture its feel.
Founder workshops and community launch.
Calm student experience and teacher studio.
Student app, live video and casting.
Web app, teacher studio and billing.
5 people in total, working as one team.
Decisions we made
Agreed with the founder and senior teachers.
Video library or live classes?
- On-demand library first
- Live classes first, recorded into the library
Our call: Live classes first, recorded into the library. Live classes preserved the studio's personal attention; the library came naturally from them.
One price or regional pricing?
- Single global price
- Regional pricing by country
Our call: Regional pricing by country. Regional pricing made classes accessible in India while fair abroad.
Cameras on or off?
- Cameras required
- Optional cameras, with feedback for those who opt in
Our call: Optional cameras, with feedback for those who opt in. Choice respected privacy while allowing correction for those who wanted it.
Every feature, module by module
Everything that shipped for students and teachers.
- 01Live classes
Small classes with optional camera.
- 02Local time schedule
Every class in the student's time zone.
- 03On-demand library
Recorded classes by style and length.
- 04Programmes
Multi-week guided programmes.
- 05TV casting
Practise on the big screen.
- 06Practice streaks
Gentle encouragement to practise.
- 07Teacher studio
Schedule, classes and students.
- 08Student notes
Injuries, goals and progress.
- 09Live class controls
Go live, spotlight and feedback.
- 10Payouts
Earnings per class and programme.
- 11Class chat
Warm-up chat before and after class.
- 12Retreat alumni groups
Groups for past retreat guests.
- 13Events and workshops
Special sessions and paid workshops.
- 14Memberships
Monthly and annual plans.
- 15Regional pricing
Prices by country.
- 16International payments
Cards and wallets worldwide.
- 17Class packs
Pay-as-you-go options.
- 18Studio dashboard
Members, attendance and revenue.
- 19Role-based access
Students, teachers and studio admins.
Launch
Prana Live launched to the studio's existing community and retreat alumni first, with a founding-member price. Word of mouth from those students carried it to new ones.
- Weeks 1–2Discovery
Studio visits and student interviews.
- Weeks 3–4Design
Live class and schedule experience.
- Weeks 5–13Build
Apps, live video, library and billing.
- Weeks 14–15Community beta
Existing students and alumni.
- Week 16Launch
Open to new students worldwide.
What we learned
Digitise the relationship, not just the content. Student notes and live feedback kept the studio's character.
Time zones are a product feature for a global audience.
- React Native
- Next.js
- NestJS
- PostgreSQL
- Live video with low latency
- On-demand video hosting
- International subscriptions
- AWS
