How to use the Sequence Builder (In-depth guide)

You signed up for a Yoga Therapy Library subscription and are ready to create a sequence. Where do you start? Lets work through it together. The guide below is very in-depth as it includes step-by-step instructions on how to use the sequence builder as well as a thorough explanation of each feature. If you are looking for a quick answer, you may want to check our list of other How To articles first. 

Step 1: Title your Sequence

To title your sequence, find where it says "Enter a sequence name". Click on this and it will let you populate a text box. If you're not sure what you want to call your sequence yet, no problem. You will be required to title your sequence before you save. 

Step 2: Sequence Settings

Now it is time to select the default settings for our sequence. These settings are the settings that affect the sequence as a whole, and will be automatically applied to each pose you add. However, you can edit the settings for each individual pose as well. We will look at those options soon, but for now we will look further at Sequence Settings. Next to your sequence title you will see a cog icon. Click on this button. 

A menu that looks like this will pop up. Below this image we will list out an explanation for each section of this menu. 

Timing:
At the top of this menu you will see the sequence timing options. This will dictate how your poses are timed out. If you have a Premium Subscription, you will also be able to specify the length of inhale and exhale for the breath counts for the breathing animation in the video playback. If you have a Standard subscription, or only plan on using the pdf you do not have to worry about this as much. However you will have the option to have the breath counts show up on your pdf. We will get to that shortly. 
- Seconds:  If you choose to use "Pose Time" (seconds) simply write out how long (in seconds) you would like each pose to be.  If you are going to add any breaks or text breaks into the sequence you can also change the default seconds timing for this.

- Breath Count: For the Standard Subscription, if you use breath count, you simply decide how many breaths you would like each pose held for (again you can always edit any specific poses that would be held longer or shorter).  If you have a Premium Subscription, and plan on creating a video slideshow, you will need to select how many breaths you want each pose to default to (again you can customize individual poses after this). Then you will need to select how many seconds you want the inhale and the exhale to be. We will be adding a hold option soon as well. When you use the breath count, a breathing animation will show on the video slideshow behind the pose image. Our users find it very calming. 

-Notes: All users have the ability to add a text box/note within their sequence (separate from that of the cueing text). If you have a Premium subscription, you can choose the default length for this text box to stay on screen. If you are only generating PDFs you do not have to worry about the timing of the notes. 

Sanskrit: This slider simply toggles on and off the use of the Sanskrit names underneath each pose

Cueing Text: 

A few of our experience advisory board members have created simple default instructional text for each pose that can be used as a starting point and edited to best fit your sequence. You have the option to toggle this text on or off. If it is off, no cueing text will be included, but you can always add your own. 

Sequence Visibility:  Sequence Visibility is only available to our brand ambassadors or YTL advisory board members. This is what they use to create our public sequences. If you are interested in being a brand ambassador feel free to email us [e-mail]. We are currently only accepting applications from those who have many years experience as a yoga professional. 

Step 3: Choose Your Avatar

In the top right hand section of the sequence builder, you will see a small tab sticking out from the side with two buttons, one shows buttons shows the head of one of our avatars, and the other is a filter funnel icon. Click on the button with the avatar (see pink arrow in the image below).

This will open a side menu where you can scroll to view our avatar options. Click on the avatar of your choice. Once you have made your selection, click on the button of the avatar head again. 

Step 4: Add your poses

Time to add your first pose! You can scroll through our pose image menu or enter the name directly in the search bar at the top. You can also narrow your search using our filters menu. 

Once your poses are added they will populate in the main sequence area.  As you add more and more poses, the sequence will start to lay out in an easy to see grid. 

Step 5: Edit Individual Poses

Now we can edit the settings of individual poses. Click on the pose you want to edit so that it is current. When selected, it will be bordered in orange and the pose setting options will appear around it. 

To select a range of poses (needed when copy/pasting a repeating section of poses or deleting multiple poses at once) on desktop, simply click on the first pose in the range you want to select and hold down the shift key. While still holding down the shift key click on the last pose in the range you want to select. Now all the poses within your chosen range should be bordered in orange.  
To select a range on an i pad, simply long hold each of the poses you wish to select. The orange border should appear around each one added, while the previous selections say bordered as well. 

Let's look at the pose edit options.

Duplicate: Duplicate a pose or a range of poses. Once duplicated, you can drag and drop them anywhere in your sequence. When you duplicate a pose, all edited attributes of that pose are included in the duplication. E.g. You edited the cueing text of this pose, so when you duplicate it, the edited cueing text will still read the same and will not revert back to any default. Same with timing adjustments. 

Delete: If you wish to delete a pose from your sequence use this button. You can also delete multiple poses at one time by multi selecting before pressing delete. 

Flip Pose: When you click on this button it will flip the direction of the pose image. 

Pose Info: This button will open up a new tab in your browser with the pose encyclopedia entry for this pose. This is a good option if you want to read more about your pose, like the medical considerations, before finalizing your pose choice.

Cueing Text: When you click on the cueing text button a small pop up window will appear (see image below). If you have chosen to use the default YTL instructional text as a base, that text will be populated in this window. You can then edit as you see fit. You would edit it just like you would edit any word document. Make sure to see the notes written at the bottom of the pop up window for help with formatting options and how to add pauses in the TTS narration if you have a Premium subscription. You can also preview the audio for the text-to-speech from this window.  When you have finished your cueing text, make sure to save before closing.  

Variations: Clicking on the variations button will open up a small menu showing linked variation options. You can select on the option you would like, and it will swap out that pose for the chosen variation in your sequence. *Note: All of our pose info, included linked variations are created and edited by the YTL staff and advisory board. Though we are thorough, sometimes some things may slip through the cracks. If you feel something is missing please reach out and let us know!* 

Timing Options: Here is where you can change the timing for each individual pose. Say you want to hold one pose longer or have your students take multiple breaths in a pose. Here is where you can change the timing settings without effecting the sequence as a whole. You can even switch the timing functionality for this individual pose (seconds instead of breaths and vice versa)

Step 6: If needed, Rearrange your Sequence

If you need to rearrange your sequence, you can drag and drop the poses in your sequence to other areas. Simply click and hold on the pose you want to move and drag it to the right place. 

There is also a zoomed out grid view that makes rearranging poses easier. Simply select the zoomed out view (at the top next to the avatar selection button) and drag and drop your poses as you see fit. 

 

Step 8: Save your Sequence

   Once you are done with your sequence make sure you save! The save button is in the top right corner of the Sequence Builder next to "Create PDF" and "Player".

Step 9: Create PDF

To make final selections to your sequence layout and share it as a PDF click the Create PDF button found next to the save button. A window like the one shown below will pop up. 

There are a few final choices to make on this window to finalize how your sequence will look. As you continue to tweak settings the preview will adjust in real time so you can see how it will look when finished based on the choices you have made.

Grid view or Instructional View: If you select Grid view, the pose images will be the center focus for your layout. Your cueing text will not be shown, but any "notes" that had been added in the sequence will be shown. If you select Instructional view, all of your cueing text will be prominently displayed in an easy to read list style format.  See comparison image below. 

If you select Grid view, you can then select how many poses you want to show per page, 4 poses, 9 poses, or 16 poses. The fewer the poses the larger the images. See the example below for comparison.

Show Pose Time/Breaths:

You can choose whether you would like the breath counts or pose timing to show on your PDF. Simply toggle on and off. Below is an example of what it looks like when pose timing/breath count is toggled to on

Show Sanskrit Terminology: You can toggle on and off the Sanskrit names for poses. The default is always to have them turned on. When on, the Sanskrit name for a pose (where applicable) will show up just below the English name. See example below 

Step 10: Share your Sequence

Now that you have finalized all of your PDF settings it is time export the finished product! 
You can download the PDF directly to your device by clicking the "Download PDF" button right above the preview of your sequence. Or, if you would like to share your sequence directly from the YTL platform, you can select the "Share PDF" button. A menu like the one below will pop up allowing you to email your sequence, copy a url or a qr code that will allow those you send them to, to download the pdf for themselves. When emailing make sure to hit "enter" on your keyboard in between each email address. 

 

Step 11:  Share as a Video Slideshow (Premium subscription only)

If you have a Premium subscription and would like to create a video slideshow of your yoga sequence,  click on the "Player" button in the top right of the sequence builder.

A preview screen will open and your sequence will begin playing (including the text to speech narration of any cueing text you have included). 

From this screen you can edit the playback settings and share. If you want to edit a pose directly or the cueing text you will need to go back to the sequence building screen. 

To edit your playback settings including the audio for the text-to-speech narration open the settings cog on the preview page (shown in image above to the far right).

Pose Chime: When toggled on, a chime will play when it progresses from one pose to the next.  If you select off, your client, or whomever is watching your sequence, will still be able to turn it on if they need to. 

Cueing Text to Speech: 
Text-to-speech narration means that any cueing text you have included will be read to the viewer as the sequence plays through. 

- Under "Cueing Text-To-Speech (TTS)" is a slider that allows you to toggle the  text-to-speech narration on or off for the viewers of your sequence. This will not take away the visual text of the cueing text when toggled off. It will only turn off the narration audio. 

- Under "Cueing TTS Moment" you will see a drop down menu with two options, "Read before pose" or "Read during pose". If you select "Read before pose", the cueing text for each will be read before the pose begins to time down. If you select "Read during pose" the cueing text will be read as the pose is playing. If the cueing text is longer than the time selected (e.g. it takes 12 seconds to read the cueing text but the pose is only set to last for 10 seconds), the reading of the cueing text will supersede the timing of the pose. This means the pose will hold until the cueing text is done being read before moving on to the next. 

- Under "Cueing TTS Voice" is another drop down menu with multiple voice options for the narration. There are 5 English speaking voice options, 1 voice for Spanish, and 1 voice for French. The Spanish and French voices are for use when writing the cueing text in those languages. It will not translate for you. A play button next to this drop down menu will play an example of the selected voice. It is recommended to pause the example being read before switching voice options. We have found that sometimes switching between multiple voice while the sample audio from before is still playing can cause a glitch. This is an issue with the service we use to generate audio and is not something we can address directly so we like to give our users this warning.

Once all choices have been made you can share your sequence by clicking on the share sequence button (in between the settings icon and the play button next to the sequence title).

This works the same way sharing a PDF would except that those on the receiving end will be able to view the playback directly. 

You have successfully created and shared your first sequence! We are so excited to have you as part of the YTL family. If you would like to schedule some time for a one on one onboarding session with one our our team click here to set up a time. We love chatting with our users and are here to help!