What does the relaxing of lockdown measures mean for yoga ? Not a great deal as yet.
Although studios in Scotland will technically be able to open from Stage 3, social distancing at 2m will make it difficult for most group classes to be reinstated at pre lockdown levels. It’s not just distance between mats that will prove an issue, but changing and waiting areas, reception areas, toilets, stairways and so on, where typically limited space will make it impossible to meet government requirements if studios were to operate in pre lockdown mode.
Some studios might offer a hybrid offering with a small number of socially distant face to face participants and others joining online. There’s lots of planning going on behind the scenes and lots of ‘what ifs’ in the light of changing regulations.
Heartfelt gratitude to all those studio owners who are working to resolve the conundrum of reintroducing face to face yoga to support the mind and body health of their local communities whilst keeping them safe from Covid.
My special love and respect goes out to Onie and Krista at KnotStressed , to Marie-Anne at Beetroot, to Karen at Meadowlark and particularly to Laura and Lorraine from Edinburgh Community Yoga faced not only with the difficulty of studio space but also of taking their outreach programmes to stressed and vulnerable communities, including NHS workers.
Zoom yoga is likely to be here to stay for some time yet.
But all things will pass. We will all meet again face to face ‘on the mat’ in a post Covid world. And the experience of these last few months might contribute to a better and brighter future for yoga.
All Being Yoga 