Living with uncertainty

Dear friends

I hope you are well and managing to stay balanced amidst the onslaught of bad news on the Coronavirus pandemic.
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I’m writing with direct reference to the unfolding situation, as the time has come for me to cancel my yoga classes and begin the process of social distancing. I know people have very different feelings about Coronavirus, some thinking it’s a fuss about nothing and others in real panic about the situation. Neither of these applies to me, but I am mindful that I work across three counties in south west Wales, coming into close contact with many people every week. All three counties now have reported cases of Coronavirus and, whilst numbers are still quite low, it has been made clear by experts that many people may currently be asymptomatic yet still passing on the virus.

Given that some of my students, clients, friends and family are considered to be in vulnerable groups which are more susceptible to the illness, I have decided to cancel all face to face work from now up until after the Easter holidays. I will then reassess the situation.  I realise that it is now impossible to stop the virus spread completely but, if possible, I would like to play a part in flattening the curve, so that the NHS is not overwhelmed with too many simultaneous cases.

I realise my decision will be disappointing for those of you who come to class regularly and feel great benefits from your yoga practice, so I’m planning to offer some live online classes to replace the ones we’ll be missing. This is something which people have been asking me to do for years, as I have students who’ve left the area and who would still like to attend my classes. I haven’t done it up until now because of other priorities and because online teaching is out of my comfort zone, so I’m looking on this challenging situation as an opportunity to stretch myself and try something new. I hope you’ll join me by attending an online class to see if it works for you. Currently, Zoom is looking like the best available platform for online teaching/ conferencing. My priority is to keep it simple, as I don’t want to spend unnecessary time with complicated technology and I’m sure you don’t either! In the meantime, here is a pre-recorded yoga session I taught a couple of years ago, which you can practice at home. 

Nurturing, heart-based, restorative session 

I recognise that this situation represents a huge challenge for many of us, as we are all in unknown territory with many worries, from the financial to the existential. For many people, including the self-employed, there is little financial support available during this time of uncertainty. Offering some online teaching is one potential way I can stay afloat and it also means that those who are currently too far away to attend my classes in person will have an opportunity to practice with me, so hopefully this is a bonus for some people.

Yoga practice is now an integral part of many people’s daily lives and is one of the things that helps us maintain sufficient equilibrium to cope with the stresses of life. Yoga also strengthens our sense of connection, both within ourselves and with others and the wider universe so, in times of social distancing and self-isolation, I hope that online sessions will help us maintain that connection. I for one need yoga now more than ever! 

Over the next day or so, I’ll decide how and when I’ll be able to start offering online sessions and will be in touch again soon to let you know the details. In the meantime, if you could drop me a response if you are interested in joining me online that would be helpful. The sessions will only go ahead if there is enough interest, so please let me know if you’re up for it! For those who block booked this term’s classes, you will be able to offset the remaining classes against online classes or receive a credit against next terms classes, whenever we are able to start back in person.

Sending love and courage
 
Louise
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