Community Care
At Yoga Alliance, we are committed to updating you and connecting with you through the global coronavirus pandemic. This health emergency has understandably caused concern and anxiety amongst our communities around the world. While we cannot eliminate all threats, we can take preventative steps to minimize risk.
Please practice self-care! You—our community of yoga schools and teachers—are the vehicle of self-care for so many. Take care of yourself by maintaining your own yoga practice, including asana (postures), pranayama (breath and energy work), and dhyana (meditation). Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, eat nutritious foods, stay hydrated, and manage your stress.
For those in parts of the world not yet restricted by social distancing and who are able to deliver classes in-person, ask students of yours to leave the room if they show symptoms of sickness, including coughing and sneezing. Consider avoiding hand-on assists, and perhaps modify your teaching to eliminate the use of communal props.
Additional information on supplies, cleaning, and more are available here.
Resources
- SuperSOUL Sunday—the Emmy award-winning daytime series on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) that delivers insight and inspiration from renowned though leaders to awaken viewers to their best selves and to discover a deeper connection to the world around them
- Self-Care for Yoga Teachers—written in the time pre-COVID-19, this resource offers a self-care checklist to fill yourself first, and thus show up for yourself first, before you can show up fully for others
Articles
- How to Be Together Apart in the Time of Coronavirus—March 17, 2020, nytimes.com—is it possible to make remote gathering a competitor of traditional events?
- Managing the Stress and Uncertainty of Coronavirus—March 16, 2020, hbr.com—a podcast (43min) about how to lead a team through a stressful time and how to cope with uncertainty by taking on a growth mindset
