We’re bracing ourselves for big changes once the lockdown ends. We love everything about teaching Yoga, but a lot of what we love about it can make group classes feel risky amid the threat of Coronavirus – hands-on adjustments from teachers, big long exhales through the mouth, catching up in the changing rooms with our Yoga buddies, busy classes bursting with energy. Does that mean the end of in-person Yoga classes? Absolutely not, but the studio will probably look and feel a bit different once we reopen our doors.
The struggle to continue our labor of love, to hold our community up and move past break-even with our ongoing desire to create a beautiful, welcoming and heart-centred space is more difficult now than ever. Emotionally, it’s a struggle to marry our love of Yoga with the financial challenges of running a studio in post-lockdown Bournemouth.
Practising Corpse Pose has proven to be highly significant during lockdown; philosophically we are embracing every day dying a little death around a known future, attempting to take back some control by letting go of the parts of our past that weren’t working for us, and preparing to be reborn on a new track with a heightened acceptance of that not-knowingness. As business owners we have had to blindly explore how to bring the benefits of Yoga to our members through social distancing, expanding our offering to an online platform for the duration of the lockdown and doing all that we can to stay afloat during the turbulence (not knowing when we will be allowed to reopen) so we are endlessly grateful to all those members who have so patiently and generously stuck with us.
In what ways can we work together as a community so that each and every one of us can contribute to regaining our in-studio practice whilst maintaining our top priority? I.e. to make everyone feel welcome and safe.
Nothing’s set in stone yet, but amongst other things we’ve been discussing:
- Minimizing Particulate Exposure – Our teachers will not be using hands-on adjustments during the initial reopening phase. We will also be sacrificing Oms and intense mouth-exhalations, focusing instead on nasal breathing to limit particulate exposure.
- Implementing Additional Cleaning – Our highest priority is to maintain a clean environment using a variety of proven disinfectant procedures that meet the requirements of EN1276 – there will be constant and thorough general cleaning throughout every day. We will be implementing an open-window policy between classes to ensure air in the studio is recirculated and cleaned.
- Smaller Class Sizes – Expect to see lots of empty space – please book and pay for your class ahead of turning up at the studio via our website or the MindBody App. Depending on demand we will be utilizing Studio 2 to have two classes running during peak times.
- Supporting Social Distancing / Government Guidelines – We will measure and mark distance to be maintained between Yoga mats in the studio. In addition, we ask you to consider the space you use in the reception area, changing rooms and corridor when there are other people around.
- Prop-Free Practice – We will be terminating the use of shared Yoga blocks, blankets, bolsters and mats for the foreseeable future. Mat loaning (thoroughly sanitised former studio mats) may be available for those who cannot currently afford the new Manduka mats we will have for sale. Yin classes will focus on adapting each pose to support the body rather than using props.
Starting Saturday July 25th – See you on the mat Yogis!