Coronavirus and Keeping Our Community Healthy: We’re In this Together!
Dear Students,
We at Yoga Sanctuary love you, our students and community, so very much. Out of care for you as well as awareness that we must all do our part to "flatten the curve" of the coronavirus, I have made the decision to close for two weeks. We will of course remain in touch about a re-opening date, since we're all in the unknown here, but we sure hope to be back practicing together soon!
ONLINE CLASSES
A positive outcome during this distressing time is that we are working on getting recordings of yoga classes with our teachers ready to go for you. Soon you will be able to practice at home with us virtually! We hope to keep adding to our library of classes as time goes on.
SUPPORTING THE STUDIO & MEMBERSHIPS
Many of us are going to be affected financially by the coronavirus and work closings. For anyone who is able to keep your membership for now to help support the studio (rent and all other expenses don't go away for us) we would be deeply, deeply grateful.
And - if you'd like to freeze/pause your membership just for these two weeks contact Jen (studio@yoga-sanctuary.com) - no problem.
We also understand if you feel you need to cancel your membership - here are the instructions to terminate your membership:
Login to your MindBody account directly by following this link, and choose “Terminate” next to the membership you wish to cancel (if you need help, just email us).
We will extend class cards when we re-open if you wish as well.
COME PICK UP YOUR YOGA MAT!
OR GET YOURSELF A MAT, EYE PILLOW OR OTHER PROPS FOR HOME PRACTICE!
We WILL be open Sunday 3/15 & Monday 3/16 10-11:30am* for mat pickup OR purchase of props so you can enjoy a home practice during this closing.
*more hours will be posted if the hours are extended on Monday
POSTPONING WORKSHOPS - if you've signed up for a workshop, we'll be coming up with new dates and will let you know when we have more information.
HANDWASHING MANTRA:
So, know how you are now washing your hands like 500 times a day, and it has to be for at least 20 seconds? How about chanting a mantra or invocation every time you wash your hands? The ABC song is nice and all (and the right length) but how about making it a moment of connecting to your breath and to the sacred (whatever that means to you)?
I like the invocation we used to sing at YS:
Om Namah Shivaya Gurave
Sat Chit Ananda Murtaye
Nishprapanchaya Shantaya Niralambaya Tejase
I bow to the true teacher within
Who embodies truth, consciousness and bliss
Never Absent and Full of Peace
Independent in its existence, it is the vital essence of illumination
or repeat Durga Mantra 3-5x:
Om Dum Durgaye Namaha!Durga is fierce strength and compassion, she rides a tiger, and her name means tough-going. So, yeah. A goddess for tough times.
Courage, dear ones! May we bring kindness and gentle strength to one another in these times and feel our connection sustaining us even when we are physically apart.
Sara Rose
... and a huge thank you to Jen, who has been so instrumental in helping to facilitate every step of this process and has remained steady and supportive.
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Update as of Friday, March 13, 2020:
Please note the following changes that will go into effect on Monday, March 17th:
Blankets will be put away on Monday: bring your own towel/blanket, and yoga towels will be here soon!
Rental mats will be put away on Monday: please bring your own mat or purchase one here (20% off continues!)
Mat bags will be required if you are storing your mat here. Doesn't have to be fancy! A pillow case or duffel bag will do
Please clean blocks (and balls) using the disinfectant before and after class
Teachers will no longer be offering hands-on assists in classes
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Update as of Monday, March 9, 2020:
Dear Friends,
As concerns regarding the Coronavirus increase, we want to assure you we are updating our cleaning and disinfecting procedures to protect your health and well-being. Please join us in our efforts and take the following precautions so we may maintain a safe environment for all to enjoy their yoga practice.
Staying Home:
If you feel sick, please stay home and take care of yourself. If you have a cough, fever or other respiratory symptoms, it is strongly advised that you remain home until 24 hours AFTER you are better and fever-free.
If needed, reach out to Jen at studio@yoga-sanctuary.com and we will gladly help you figure out any pause in membership or other concern.
Handwashing:
For everyone's sake, let's wash our hands before coming to class. And/or, we have hand sanitizer available to use at the front desk and in the yoga studios.
Props:
Please use your own yoga mat and wipe down regularly. If you rent a mat, please clean it after each use. We are currently reviewing best practices for use of props during this time. If you use a block, please wipe it down after class.
We will be bringing yoga towels, which are light and easy to carry to and from class, into our boutique asap. These may be placed over the (BRAND NEW!) bolsters so that everyone may continue to enjoy them, if you wish. We strongly encourage you to purchase one or bring one you have to class so that you can wash it at home between classes. This may be the time to get yourself a strap, eye pillows, or therapy balls as well, which you can keep in the studio with your mat.
We'd encourage you to bring your own blanket but understand there is a limit to how much everyone can carry back and forth! We may decide to restrict blanket use, in which case we'll have a note up at the studio.
Mats:
To limit shared yoga mat use, all mats will be 20% off in the boutique until March 21st! We strongly encourage you to buy your own if you are able.
All surfaces will be wiped down several times a day, and teachers/staff are hand washing and/or using hand sanitizer before and after class.
We hope our community will remain healthy and unaffected by this virus, and we will do everything we can to keep our sanctuary a healthy and sanitized place for your enjoyment. Please remember that frequent hand washing, good sleep habits, and eating a balanced diet are great ways to keep your immune system strong. This is a great opportunity to focus on nurturing our health and wellbeing. Breathe deeply, practice kindness, and KEEP PRACTICING!
With Love and Wishes for Health!
Sara Rose and the YS family