West River Yoga in the era of COVID-19

When Linda Strom decided to retire as of May 2020, she hoped to see West River Yoga carry on. So she offered the studio, its name, and all its props to me, Teta Hilsdon, who had been teaching there regularly since 2017. But who knew the studio would be turning over in an era where it’s not wise to be in an enclosed space, breathing heavily, with a group!! Although WRY classes are capped at eight students, it’s still too much breath in one small room for an hour to be safe in the era of COVID-19. That’s why there was no farewell party, no celebration of new ownership, and all classes are currently on Zoom.

I’m teaching Zoom classes each week and planning modest renovations to the studio in anticipation of its reopening… someday. Students tell me they like the Zoom classes. Not having to travel makes it possible for some to drop into a class more often. It’s also possible for some to drop in from far away.

It works for me too, with a couple notable exceptions. I’ve learned to be acutely aware of my students as I teach, adjusting my monologue, making appropriate recommendations, increasing or decreasing the pace, depending on the group. But with Zoom, I can neither see nor hear students, so I’m teaching to a conceptual, average student, and that’s a little strange. Nor can I make any corrections to individuals, for better and worse. The last thing that I find weird is bowing in Namaste to a computer!

But the benefits are outweighing the challenges of the learning curve. The accessibility of online classes is wonderful, and my goals include outreach to more students, some who may be brand new to Yoga. Some time in 2020 I’ll be rolling out a Zoom class for beginners and publicizing it. And then, from the comfort of home, new students will have access to the significant benefits of Yoga practice.

Teta and students in Intermediate class work on Wheel (Inverted Bow). Definitely some heavy breathing going on.