As I type this I’m on day ten of social distancing and voluntary isolation. It’s been strange, frustrating, and, at times, enjoyable.

Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 I spent most of my days teaching yoga to a lot of people. Some days were amazing. Some days were challenging. Often the challenging days were due to regularly feeling depleted. With teaching so many classes a week, and serving so many people day in and day out, it’s hard to not feel depleted. The constant give and take of energy takes its toll.

On the flipside, those interactions fed and fueled me to continue on my path of service.

Now, for the last week and a half, those in-person interactions and exchanges are gone.

On Thursday, March 12 I was informed that Samadhi, an independent studio where I teach, would be suspending classes. The space is small and providing enough room for students to spread out their mats just wasn’t an option. I commend Molly, the studio owner, not only for acting so swifting, but for also putting into action a plan to make online classes accessible to students while also paying teachers for their time to create online classes.

With the suspension of classes at Samadhi I grew nervous. Were my CorePower Yoga classes going to be put on pause soon too?

Sure enough, on the evening of Sunday, March 15 I was notified that all CPY studios would suspend their classes for at least two weeks. Considering 98% of my income comes from CPY classes my heart sank into my stomach. I got anxious. I got sad. I initially thought of myself and those who make a living teaching yoga classes. I quickly had to remember that we’re not alone in these feelings. Just about the whole world was facing a similar unknown future. When would we receive our next paycheck? How long would we be without steady income?

The following day, Monday, March 16 all CPY employees were invited onto a call. We were informed that we would be paid for two weeks while classes were suspended. I almost cried while receiving the news. I was (and am) grateful for the company’s kindness. I can only imagine that it was not an easy decision.

The anxiety of losing income subsided and made way for a new stressor: How was I going to spend my time without consistent work? I LIVE FOR A STEADY CALENDAR OF EVENTS!

Since that Monday I’ve had to get grounded in a relatively steady routine. Without routine I get lazy and energetically heavy. I know I needed to stick to some type of schedule to feel physically and mentally well. I’ve been consistent with my yoga practice. To be real, I’ve taken more guided classes in the last ten days than I have in probably taken in the last six months combined. I’ve prioritized taking the dog for long walks and going out for a run. I take my time sipping my coffee in the morning. I’ve scheduled in phone and FaceTime dates with friends to stay connected. I painted and rearranged my office to create a space that feels good for my practice and teaching.

Overall, I question if I’ll be ready to get back into the rat race of teaching all day everyday once things go back to normal. Forcing my workaholic tendencies to slow way down this time has been good for me. I feel more grounded and focused than ever before. I do not, I REPEAT, I do not want our world to suffer through this pandemic. I just wish it didn’t take a pandemic for me hit pause and appreciate what I’ve got going on around me.

I will say I deeply miss my community. As taxing as it can be to serve a lot of people everyday, I miss seeing everyone’s faces. The exchange of energy in the yoga room that serves students serves me just as much, maybe even more, when I’m teaching.

I was reluctant to jump on the virtual yoga class bandwagon, but I knew it would be good for me. And I was right. Guiding a community of people through asana, breath, and meditation has been healing for me. It’s helped me feel connected while living in relative isolation.

For those of you who have joined me in practice, thank you. Your presence, although through a computer screen, means the world to me.

As I look ahead to the next week or so, I feel my initial anxiety from a week ago begin to creep up inside. CPY studios in MN are tentatively scheduled to reopen March 30. Will that happen? And if they don’t, will I no longer get paid?

My feelings are not alone. I think of my yoga peers who have lost all of their teaching jobs. (Not to mention those in the restaurant industry, other fitness professionals, etc.) As of right now, some can’t even file for unemployment benefits due to their status as contractors and small business owners. Many teachers have shifted their efforts to online classes to attempt to keep the ball rolling. However, that has its challenges.

We, as a yoga community, are all stepping into a broad unknown. Many of us, myself included, are offering live and pre-recorded content to stay connected. Many of us are offering online classes to maintain some type of income. Here’s the sticky part: Many of us, myself included, are offering free or donation-based online classes because we want to keep serving others during these difficult times. However, does the wave of free content minimize the efforts of those who are asking for some type of payment for their work? Or am I the only one seeing the world through that lens?

Again, it’s sticky and we’re all navigating this new space.

I’m sure I’ll be back with more thoughts soon, but something to consider: During this time support the people, brands, businesses you believe in. Your support may not come in the form of money. Perhaps you give someone a shout out on social media or give suggestions to your friends while having a Zoom happy hour.

We’re all playing a weird game of Red Rover - while enforcing social distancing. Let’s all manage our way through to the other side of this together.