Zoom Cloud Meetings is an online meeting space which creates an virtual environment for us to share and connect.

There are a few ways that you can access Zoom depending on what devices you have available. We generally recommend using a laptop as it has more settings available and the ability to view the group with ease, however you can just as easily use your mobile phone, tablet or even connect in via phone (without video).

• An internet connection – broadband wired or wireless (3G or 4G/LTE).  A bandwidth of  10mbps (download) and recommended is 1 Mbps (upload).  Check your Internet bandwidth using   Speedtest (Links to an external site.). Most mobile phones will have these requirements and you might like to check your laptop or  computer.

• A  microphone – built-in to your computer or phone. Alternatively a USB plug-in or wireless Bluetooth microphone.
• A headset for listening. This is not essential  however listening to the LIVE talks through earbuds or headphones can create more privacy in shared living environments and reduce the echo that some people experience during Zoom meetings.  

Here are a few protocols to help the meeting run smoothly and allow you the best connection and experience.

• Be sure to mute your microphone when you are not speaking.
• Be patient with the technology. There can be a number of reasons why the connection runs slow and many of these are out of our control. You may loose video, please be patient and persistent. A simple way to increase the internet connection is to disable your video, we won’t see you but you will see us.
• Naturally we encourage you to create an environment where you can be attentive, however we understand that interruptions from pets and children do happen, and that is OK. It is just another reason to have your microphone on mute. 
• Please make sure you have a cuppa or drink with you, these session will go for a couple of hours and it is good to be comfortable and have everything you need at arms reach.

• First we ask that you DO NOT record or photograph any of the people or music in today’s session. If you are able to connect your computer to an external speaker, you will have an enhanced audio experience. If you are using a phone for the meeting, then headphones or buds will enhance your sound quality, as well.
• As you join the session, you are in Gallery view, a way to see all the participants - 25 per page. In the upper right corner of your screen, you will also see a Speaker View option that you can select, which will make Vincent the largest one on your screen. You can switch between Gallery View and Speaker View at any time. When you are in Gallery View, move your cursor to the right side center of your screen to scroll through all the attendee pages.
• If you move your cursor to the bottom of your screen, you will see a bar that will show you all participants listed or separately, a Chat bubble where you can send messages to Everyone or to specific participants. You can also use this space to ask any questions and my co-host or I will try to answer them for you.
• In the bottom left corner of your screen, you’ll see both a microphone (to mute and unmute your computer microphone) as well as an option to share your video or hide your video. We encourage you to keep your video on and engaged with us for today’s session. Also please keep your mute on as this will help in the quality and transmission of sound to your computer.
• If you move your cursor to the upper right corner of the video for any participant, you will see an option to both send a chat message or “pin” that video. By choosing to “pin” a video, you will see that participant’s video in the center of your screen. This can be a fun way to move with another throughout our session. You can then go back and “unpin” that individual video or select Speaker View or Gallery View to return to our main room.