As I wrap up the school year from my kids’ yoga classes, every year I take some time for reflection and gratitude for the things that I’ve had to navigate both challenging and successful moments. This was the first time back teaching a full school year from the pandemic and it has presented so many moments to look toward for understanding and to grow from. I am so grateful to the schools who invited me back from a long pandemic hiatus to the new school that I joined to teach 6 classes in weekly.
So as I reflect I am hit with the all too familiar sense of bitter sweetness that comes with the end of the year rituals, saying goodbye and moving up ceremonies. I am so proud of my students and all that they have accomplished for themselves and I hope in a world that can feel hopeless, scary and confusing that within ourselves and each other, we can look for answers and opportunities to work together collectively and make the world a better place.
Being a teacher has been one of the most rewarding and difficult jobs of my life. But as I reflect on my 10th year of teaching I know that this is the important work that I find myself facing each day, to do what’s right not what’s easy.
I hope you find this time of transition manageable and tend to your soul the best way you can.
If you need some support through yoga practice, cooking classes, catering or wellness meal delivery please never hesitate to reach out.
Today we recorded our podiversary episode of Don’t Suffer Like Us. We are so grateful for all the support and hope that the podcast has helped you feel more connected and learn something so you don’t have to suffer like we did or do!
As I reflect on the podcast, I am truly grateful for the medium of podcasting because I truly feel that it allows me to be myself completely to share from the depths of my heart and I have the best co-host, Thea, to help me think and share purposefully and passionately about the challenges I have faced being a yoga teacher and yoga business owner.
The pandemic has been really hard on so many levels. I miss so many things that don’t feel normal anymore since it’s been so long since I’ve been with my students in-person. I don’t know what yoga will look like after the pandemic or how it will continue as an industry but I’m not worried about it because it’s not something I can control and yoga is much more than classes, work, and money. What I can control is my practice, personal journey and to do some deep self-study to see what feels like might come next.
I hope that you are well as can be. Staying healthy and finding ways to be grounded in this uncertain time. This too shall pass, we don’t know when but it will and we will move toward a new and purposeful way of doing our best in as many situations as possible.
Listen to the 49 episodes of the podcast if you have time or just check out some topics that you might be interested in, we have a lot of great stuff.
Sometimes we don’t have the usual props we would normally use.
Here are a few videos of things you can use to help you create the props that you need. Be playful and use what you have. Adjust and be adaptive as you play with props.
You can also use books for blocks, your wall, chair, couch, bed, pillows and pretty much anything that you feel helps you to be supported in your yoga practice. Please let me know if you have any questions.
What do you mean? I can’t live with yoga, my students can’t either… blah blah blah.
The world is changing.
What we thought was useful and joyful is probably a breeding ground for infection and we have to do better.
What we were doing is going to be forever changed and if you are constantly combating that, you are suffering.
We must remind ourselves that we are inextricably interwoven and what we do has consequences on other people. Your infection can kill other people, even if it doesn’t kill you.
Everyone knows we can’t go on the way we have been, that things are going to and have to change, policy is going to be different, rules are going to be in place.
So instead of complaining, how are you/we getting ready?
Here are 10 things that yoga professionals can do while in quarantine to help them when they get out:
1. Look at spacing potential for your current classes and class size.
Can students have 6 feet of distance between you, them and others? How will that affect your potential earnings if your classes are 25-50% normal capacity? How will you mark off those spaces for your students so they know where to be? How will you space people out when coming and going from your studio/classes? No overlapping class times. No waiting in groups of 20 to get into classes in the lobby.
2. Start to collect and source masks, gloves, cleaning supplies and disinfectants for your community spaces.
Look into professional cleaning companies. How are you going to disinfect shared spaces, cabinets for personal items and shoes, computer keyboards/iPads for signing in, and clean after every class? Is it even potentially in your budget? Start just looking at the costs of these new necessities, if you can’t purchase them now due to limited capital. Each employer/teacher will have to adhere to these guidelines. Also, is it ethical to leave it up to volunteers to clean your space or should you be paying someone for those services?
3. Start creating community guidelines for your students and spaces in regards to sick policy.
Are you going to be taking temperatures? If you notice someone with symptoms, will you ask them to leave?
4. What happens if someone with a positive COVID-19 case has been to one of your classes?
CDC recommends 14 days quarantine for those exposed to a positive case. Do you have protocols in place for people to report confirmed cases? Sick pay for those who are in quarantine? Have you created your policy to let people know when there is a confirmed case, what does it include?
5. What if you have to close your space down again due to an infection outbreak?
What does that look like? How does it work? Will you need doctors clearance for the positive person before they can come back to work?
6. Reconsider how to provide props for classes. Currently sharing items that are used by others without proper cleaning in between is not safe. Will you have people bring their own props? Will you not use props or have limited props? Who will pay to have props cleaned? How will that affect your cash flow?
7. Continue to nourish online offerings and communicate virtually for those who will be unable to join in-person classes.
8. Innovate new yoga related revenue opportunities (workshops, webinars, online courses, coaching, wellness groups) for your community so you can weather the potential challenges that your business will continue to have for the foreseeable future.
9. Apply for as much help as you need to survive this pandemic, but also realize that you might not get that help from the government. Think of community gatherings, support one another, ask others who are more fortunate to help sponsor your space/students.
10. Remember that nothing is going to go back to the way it was right away. Even when guidelines relax, people will still be faced with making choices to support themselves and their families and yoga might not be on their priority list. Business may not come back as quickly as thought and it also may get closed again, if outbreaks flare up. Do you also have other revenue opportunities that you can pull from in this time period? Many of us will have to rely on alternate sources of income other than yoga teaching to get through this challenging time. Now is the time to look at all of your financials! Every penny you spend, pay attention because it’s adding up quickly.
Also remember, just because we can’t answer all the questions doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be thinking about them. Just as we continue to practice the teachings that have helped our lives so much, we need to continue to self-study and put in the work—so adapt and stay present.
Sending you loving kindness now and always. -Kimberly
