I would say my last blog post, my first post during the Coronavirus pandemic, was relatively chipper. I was excited about practicing with so many admirable teachers online and grateful I could stay connected with my yoga community through offering my own live, online classes.

Well, folks, this one might take a bit of a turn.

After hitting publish on my last post I hit a rut. I was sad. I layed around my house a lot. I felt depressed and unmotivated. And you know what? It’s okay that I felt sad and depressed. We are living in utterly bizarre and scary times! You, me, all of us, we get to feel sad and depressed. Our lives have been royally disrupted and it’s perfectly fine if your days are not filled with yoga, sunshine, and puppies.

I have to remind myself, you need to feel however you need to feel in the moment.

With that, in my present state, I’m now feeling grief.

I’m grieving the position I held for over ten years.

On Friday, March 27 I was notified that all CorePower Yoga instructors would be laid off. Deep down I wasn’t surprised. No revenue for a company means no money for staff.

So here I am. Mourning the almost 7000 classes and countless CPY teacher trainings I facilitated over ten years. It just feels heavy.

I am going to let myself be sad when I am sad. And I also need to realize I am not alone in this mess. Every single CPY teacher was laid off yesterday. A good portion of their management team too. We are now a part of the over 3 million Americans that will file for unemployment. Talk about heavy.

At the end of the day I need to remind myself how lucky I am to be in my current position. My husband is still working. We are not a single income household. Even after losing my primary income and our health insurance we are going to be just fine. We have a safe place to live. We have plenty of food and easy access to a grocery store when needed. We have the privilege to work from home. We can still get outside everyday and walk our dog. We are going to be just fine.

I have friends in NYC who are losing their loved ones to COVID. Many of my students are health care professionals and they are literally risking their lives for the sake of others. It’s absolutely devastating. It’s heavy and real and we as humans are managing the best we can during these circumstances.

In the meantime, please know that if you’re a yoga practitioner, the practice of yoga is always there for you. During this time you’ve probably encountered countless teachers offering their classes online. Support teachers when/if you can. Many teachers are offering free classes too.

If you are interested in practicing with me via live, online classes. Check out my schedule and you can pre register for most classes below:

I am also grateful for the independent, local studios in the Twin Cities that have supported me during this time. That includes Samadhi who has continued to provide online classes for those who donate any amount. Through Samadhi I am still getting paid for my time. And shout out to Rise Yoga who reached out at an important moment. Stay tuned as I will be offering online classes at Rise very soon!

Before I sign off I want to leave. you with some important resources. Again, these a difficult times. Please know that support is there if you need it.

The National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) has state chapters to support the mental health of our communities. You can find resources on how to support your own mental health and find lines of support through your local chapter. MN NAMI

During this time of shelter in place, or stay at home orders, we have to consider that the home is not the safest place for all. Advocates are available for those who feel unsafe in their homes during these times via the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

Lastly, if you are feeling down, let yourself feel down. At the same time consider moving your body, get outside, call or (even better) FaceTime with a friend, make yourself a really good cup of coffee or tea, indulge in your favorite candy, read a book, sit in the sun. Most importantly, step away from the social media when you can and hit pause on the consumption of news. It will make a difference.