Practicing Yoga During this time of Anxieties and Uncertainties – what does that look like?
There are many ZOOM & Live-stream and other options now as some yoga and fitness professionals pivoted quickly to remote offerings. Kudos to them, yeay ! and I am happy for those jumping into the new Covid-19 realities to produce and teach in this new paradigm where in-person lessons are replaced.
If you have not found a class that resonates with you just yet, I certainly have recommendations so just ask and I will provide a run down on the offerings that’s out there, and fitting your needs “today” so you don’t waste your precious time. Usually the question is – can you stick with it? I used to take online classes via Yoga Anytime and then, what was difficult was the distractions. You really have to set aside the time and space with a strong commitment to stick with it which zoom appears to be a better platform for.
I’ve been on the sidelines and really miss the community and the vibe BUT I am not ashamed to say that I had to prioritize during a survival mode – and so I may serve with a clear intention – we all need that “purpose”. I am still taking care of “business” maybe not the monetary or career yoga business aspects of business but people-care-business still. I am wrapped up thinking how to best serve family members, the young or at risk due for a surgery or the home-bound vulnerable folks … While I cannot physically run over right at this moment to lend a hand in some of these cases, I will have to keep my worries at bay. Our mind may go places that contemplates all the bad outcomes that may happen when taking a risk such as undergo a surgery at this sensitive time… but it’s our job to rein in those worries from getting out of hand and practice to bring about perspectives in a realistic scope. For that, tools and techniques of yoga, which encompasses beyond the “poses” and the “sequence” is – so very helpful. Then, I am no longer minimizing the seriousness or taking the possibilities of worst case scenarios out of proportions, losing sleep.
Sleep problems? Look into Yoga Nidra and Restorative Yoga … delicious.
While I am not being as participatory as I’d ideally want to put out the energy, this is not a mere epidemic, flu or a passing phase – it’s a pandemic and we all have to take care of some business. Worldwide pandemic – let’s not go into denial but full acceptance. While I feel that I am not as nimble in pivoting and shifting the medium we use to transmit teachings, I can say that I am so super proud of some of these incredibly committed yoga professionals I had the honor to associate with. They are about service – helping those in need with stress management, health maintenance, connections and spiritual growth.
I am keeping up my practice and feel that this experience has given me the opportunity to really grow as a human being as I serve the immediate needs all around me. Sometimes we have to stay on the sidelines not in the main throes of swirls of goings-on; not on the radar to be spotted and stand out but rather, some opt to stay under the radar as we do our work; to be focused; not distracted. Not always escaping to “help” others, going “outside” – Rather for some, this is the time to stay home, work the inside, clean it out, and manage our energies while doing so – this is when what you really need to do is help yourself SO THAT you can really help others more effectively when such times come. And as taught by a famous yogi …
Do No Harm.
For me, it’s that Yoga Therapeutics I practice each and everyday.
Please support your local businesses & YES, YOUR LOCAL YOGA STUDIO! Those are dedicated yoga teachers out there who are on an existential fight to keep the business going during this unprecedented public health crisis. Please support them and the studio which is a sanctuary. Those local small businesses keep our community vibrant and alive ! Support them – they are us; we are them.
Tat Tvam Asi