Yoga and COVID-19
I’ve made an announcement on my website about the steps I’m taking with regard to COVID-19. So you don’t need to click through, here’s what it says:
To be safe in the wake of the COVID-19 coronavirus panedemic, I'm taking the following measures:
Hands-off: I'm not doing hands-on assists or adjustments.
In most classes, I'm teaching poses assuming that we are not using props. This will let you avoid having to touch blocks, bolsters, and blankets that other people may have touched and which are difficult to clean between each class.
The exception is Wednesday's Gentle Yoga class at Balanced You. We pretty much need to use props for this class.
Blankets: I am giving each person a blanket from my personal stash to use for the next few months. When the crisis has passed, you can give it back, but in the meantime, you can keep it in the trunk of your car where you know it's safe from germs.
Blocks: I am bringing my personal set of blocks for students to use. After each class, I spray it with disinfectant spray, plus there's a week for any germs on the blocks to die.
Bolsters: If you want to use bolsters, I suggest bringing a pillowcase, but I won't be requiring bolster use.
I strongly advise being sure to bring your own mat. Glowing Body has disinfectant wipes for cleaning shared mats before and after use. I've not been able to find wipes that have sufficient alcohol content for use in other studios.
I encourage you to stay home if you're sick, of course.
I'm washing hands before and after. I'm using Purell during class just in case I touch my face or a doorknob.
If studios start closing completely or classes start getting cancelled, I'll update you on my website and in my email newsletter.
I am not a medical professional. Accept my safety measures at your own risk.
So that’s the announcement. It’s a scary time, I know. Because of a lack of testing in the US, we don’t really know how widespread this virus is, so it’s hard right now to know *how much* social distancing is appropriate. If we start too soon, we’ll suffer unnecessarily from social isolation which isn’t great for our mental health. If we start too late, our health system gets overwhelmed and people die. Clearly starting too soon is better than too late. I hope we know more soon, but in the meantime, it’s wonderful to see the community spirit of all our people taking responsible measures to save the lives of our vulnerable populations. We’ll get through this together.
Email me if you want advice about your home practice! Check out my stick figures to remind you how my basic practice goes.
Stay safe, y’all.
Namaste,
judson