On April 1, 2016, Main Street Yoga opened its door to a packed house. Four years later, our community of yogis is stronger than ever, despite the fact that our door is temporarily locked. I want to thank each and every person who has walked through that door over the past four years. From those who gave us a try and never came back to those who’ve practically taken up residence at the studio. You have all helped make Main Street Yoga the success that it is.
If this was a normal month, a couple of days ago, I would have posted a blog and sent out a newsletter outlining all of the wonderful things that were happening at the studio this month. But this is not a normal month. Instead of practicing yoga at the studio, we’re practicing “social distancing” in order to slow the spread of a pandemic. Few things are “normal” right now. And it’s okay to be sad about that. I miss seeing all of my students face-to-face. I miss teaching and interacting in our sanctuary of a studio. I miss the way the studio looks, feels, and smells.
Thankfully, there are ways we are still able to connect. Paula Hatten and I are live-streaming our classes on Zoom, and our other teachers are prerecording their classes so that you don’t have to miss out on (and screw up) your weekly yoga routine.
I love the real-time interaction that we get Zoom. I love the conversations that pop up between students before and after class. That’s why there’s no fee for showing up live to a class. I’m happy to provide a virtual space where we can continue to connect. Our prerecorded classes are also free. If you want access to the recordings of our live classes, the fee is only $5, which just helps keep a little money flowing in while our physical doors are closed (because, you know, we still need to pay the rent).
Speaking of which, I can’t adequately express my gratitude for those of you who have stepped up and made donations over the past couple weeks. It’s immensely gratifying to know that you value what we do and that it makes a difference in your lives. Please know that we value each one of you every bit as much as you value our services. All of us together, students and teachers, have created an exceptional community and support network at Main Street Yoga that goes beyond anything I could have imagined when I opened the doors four years ago!
While we greatly appreciate the financial support that some of you are providing right now, we understand that others of you are also going through a tough time financially. There are ways that you can help too. If you follow us on Facebook, react to (hearts give us more exposure than the thumbs up), comment on, and share our daily posts. Share our website with friends and family (even those who live far away) and ask them to join for a live class. If you watch our prerecorded classes on YouTube, like the video and share it with others.
If you’d like to use this time develop better personal habits, consider joining me for the next round of Body Wisdom, which starts on April 15th. We’ll meet once a week on Zoom until MSY reopens. If you’re interested, contact me to schedule a one-on-one meeting to see if you’re a good fit for the program.
If you’d rather focus on professional development, consider joining me for the next round of Yoga Teacher Training. Training begins June 7th (I’m confident that social distancing will in the rearview by that time) and there’s a discount available until April 30th!
If, like me, you’d love to have travel and adventure awaiting you on the other side of COVID-19, consider joining me in Costa Rica in November for my very first yoga retreat!
In the meantime, we will continue to provide you with live classes and new content. Because even though yoga studios aren’t considered “essential,” we believe that the practice of yoga is. Especially now.
See you . . . in cyberspace.
Angela