Basic Zoom information
Before the online retreat:
To Join the online retreat:
To Join the online retreat by telephone:
Participant Control Panels on Zoom Screen:
Using the icons in the lower left corner of the Zoom screen, you can:
- You will need a computer, tablet, or smartphone with speaker or headphones. You will have the opportunity to check your audio immediately upon joining the meeting.
- You will receive the San Francisco Kirpal Meditation Retreat Zoom invitation link in your email inbox. The notification will include a link to ‘Join via computer’ as well as phone numbers for a conference call option. It will also include the 11-digit Meeting ID and passcode.
To Join the online retreat:
- At the start of the meeting, click on the link in your invitation to join via computer. You may be instructed to download the Zoom application. (Before the start of the retreat, we recommend you download Zoom.)
- You may get a "Redirect Notice." Just click the link to confirm.
- You have an opportunity to test your audio at this point by clicking on “Test Computer Audio”. Once you are satisfied your audio works, click on “Join audio by computer.”
- You may also join the meeting without clicking on the invitation link by going to join.zoom.us on any browser and entering the Meeting ID in the invitation.
To Join the online retreat by telephone:
- Joining by computer is recommended, but if you are having trouble hearing or connecting to the meeting, you can join via telephone.
- On your phone, dial the teleconferencing number provided in your invitation
- Enter the Meeting ID number (also provided in your invitation) when prompted using your touch-tone keypad.
- Note: If you join by telephone, you will be able to hear the retreat, but not see images or videos.
Participant Control Panels on Zoom Screen:
Using the icons in the lower left corner of the Zoom screen, you can:
- Mute/Unmute your microphone (far left) when requested by the host,
- Turn on/off camera (Start/Stop video) when requested by the host,
- View Participant list,
- Change your screen name that is seen in the participant list and video window.
- Somewhere on your Zoom screen you will also see a choice to toggle between “speaker” and “gallery” view. “Speaker view” shows the active speaker. “Gallery view” tiles all of the meeting participants.
- While a screen share is occurring (which will be much of the retreat), the preferred default will be speaker view.
- You may want to minimize the number of participants you see, by clicking the the single or double line at the top of the participant squares
Zoom Trouble Shooting
- You will find the link to the meeting in the email we are sending a few days prior to the retreat.
- If you have trouble connecting, try starting from scratch again. Exit and re-click the link in that email.
- You can also log into Zoom and say "join meeting" then enter the 11-digit meeting code and passcode.
- Recall, if you have never used Zoom before, when you click the link it will ask you to download Zoom to your computer. Click to accept.
- If you really can't get on by computer, you can try the phone option (see above), but you won't be able to see images.
- If you try all this and still need help, you can contact us. In the email with the Zoom link, we included contact information for Theresa, who has graciously volunteered to be the point of contact for those who need help during the weekend.
- We hope it all works out!
Other Zoom information
To avoid distractions and interruptions during the retreat:
- Select the “Speaker view” to focus on the active speaker. Stay connected to the meeting during the program until the host ends the meeting for the session or at the end of the day. If you are disconnected or leave the meeting, you will have to rejoin the meeting using the computer or teleconference
- If you are unable to join the meeting or miss the meeting time due to any reason, a recording of the retreat will be made available after the program. It is highly recommended to come and join the meeting on time.
- By default all videos for participants will be turned off except for the speakers and hosts
- By default all participants will be muted and will not be able to unmute themselves unless a host gives permission
- By default all participant chat will be turned off
- Speakers and Bhajan singers will be prompted and requested by the host to turn on their video and unmute themselves when it is their turn to speak. Once the speaker and bhajan singer are done speaking they will be muted by the host
- In the event of any breakdown in communication (audio/video, network issues), the host will restart the session and the participants will have to rejoin using the same Zoom link during the entire course of the program
- Any changes to the schedule will be communicated to the participants during/end of the day. Further instructions will be sent via email to the participants if necessary