Class styles and locations - some thoughts

Even for those of us whose lives aren’t directly structured by the school year, talk of September still feels like a new term.

At the beginning of lockdown September was frequently suggested as a point where things might return to ‘normal’ - but here we are in mid August and that doesn’t look likely.

So, where do we go from here? This post shares my current thoughts about Yoga For Every Body’s offering for late 2020, but I’d love to hear from you before I plan anything further. It’s a long read, but please have a think about these ideas, send me a message or chat with me on a Zoom class, and also share this post with others who may be interested in joining a class.

1) September

My instinct is to keep all group classes on Zoom for at least one more month, with the option to book Zoom or in-person private classes should you wish. I am also happy to stick with the ‘summer’ timetable of classes on Monday afternoons and Thursday evenings, if that works for you.

I’ll be returning to school teaching and I know lots of you will also be venturing back to your work places, so that’s quite a bit of change for us to process already. Personally I’d prefer to adapt to that, and see how local infection rates respond to these large-scale changes, before introducing any big changes to the yoga schedule.

2) In-person classes

As you know, gyms and indoor exercise spaces are now allowed to re-open, but with considerable limitations. I’m currently hosting private classes (or classes for two people from the same household) in the Acle studio.

If there is interest, I will consider offering a weekly in-person group class at the Acle studio from October.

I don’t plan to offer hybrid classes, where you can choose either to attend in person or live virtually via Zoom, largely because I get very confused trying to look at both the computer screen and the people actually in the room!

I also don’t anticipate returning to larger studio spaces or offering drop-in, in-person classes. The community feel that we have developed through small-group classes in the Acle studio and via Zoom is working so well, and I want to continue nurturing this.

3) The absolutes

Whatever happens during and after September, here is what I want to keep as Yoga For Every Body evolves.

• Group classes will be small, allowing lots of interaction and support during both Zoom and in-person sessions.

• The weekly timetable will include a range of classes so that there is something for everybody. Similarly, we will continue to use props, tutorial videos and variations to make yoga accessible and inclusive.

• We will keep a flexible booking system (with the option to cancel right up to the class time) for Zoom classes. Whilst this may not be practical for future in-person classes, lots of us have appreciated the opportunity to change to a different class, skip a week, or ‘drop in’ as and when life allows. The current system of booking and payment for all Zoom classes will therefore remain, even as some aspects of our lives become more ‘fixed’ again.

• Lockdown prompted the introduction of the four-class Zoom pass (which is valid for up to three months from purchase) and a monthly review of the timetable. These systems have worked really well from an admin perspective, and I will keep them in place. The summer offers series will finish at the end of August, but do look out for occasional offers in the newsletter.

4) New ideas

Having said all of that, I’m happy to explore new ideas for class times, lengths and styles. Here are some of my initial suggestions and I’d love to hear your thoughts about whether any of these ideas appeal - or if you like PART of an idea! As a rough rule, any idea with interest from 2 or more existing clients could be introduced to the timetable from October onwards.

• Move existing classes to different days/times

  This is an ‘easy’ one to explain! My school commitments leave me able to offer yoga on Monday day times and on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings. So if you can’t make your favourite class once you’re back at work, please let me know what would be better for you.

• Introduce new class styles

  For those of you who use yoga to chill out, would a restorative yoga class be of interest? Restorative poses are generally more gentle than yin poses, typically lying down and using lots of blankets and cushions to make yourself comfy, and they are held for up to 10 minutes. A 60-minute class that combines restorative yoga with guided meditation and breath work could be of particular value ‘just before bed’, and in fact could be done IN bed if you wished (but please consider the camera angle carefully!).

  In addition to a yin class (which I love, so it’s staying on the timetable!), how about a 75-minute yang/yin class? This would open with about half an hour of yang yoga, active poses that focus on building strength and stamina, moving into half an hour of yin yoga, where poses are typically held for 3-6 minutes with a focus on flexibility and mobility, topped and tailed with relaxation and meditation.

• ‘Split’ some 60-minute classes

  Our focus on making yoga accessible means considering different class lengths: not everyone has the time or energy to commit to 60 minutes of exercise in one session! Here are two suggestions for addressing this.

  Firstly, how about turning the existing chair yoga class into 30 minutes of chair/standing poses, immediately followed by 30 minutes of seated/reclined poses on the mat? You could sign up for the whole hour, or for only the first or second half. This could work well for those of you who prefer only to work from the chair or the floor (or the sofa/bed! we could structure this class so that you have plenty of time to move safely to a lying-down position where you feel comfortable and able to get up again). It could also be effective for those of you who like the idea of an after-work stretch: for example, if the class stays at its current time (Thursdays, 5-6PM) the seated/reclined section would begin at about 5.30, giving lots of you time to get home and ready for yoga without then having to do an hour’s practice on an empty stomach. I envisage a class such as this costing £7 for the 60-minute option (normal class price) and £4 for the 30-minute option.

  Another ‘splitting’ option would be to have a weekly class that is 30 minutes of live virtual teaching via Zoom and 30 minutes of video content, created by me specifically for those of you in the class to help you practise the skills we have just learned together. The advantage of this is that you can return to our class content whenever it suits you, building strength and flexibility through a more regular practice with videos that are more personalized than those available elsewhere. We could do this with any yoga style, but it would need a bit more planning on my part - so I suggest initially trying it as a four-week course where advance booking is required.

• Free practice

Also focusing on Yoga For Every Body’s accessibility goals, I want to offer sessions that are affordable to all. This is a long-term project, but I’d like to start by bringing two of my own personal practice sessions each week onto Zoom. In term time, the times are likely to be 6-6.30 AM and 9-9.30 PM, on two different days of the week, with the morning sessions moving from breath work and gentle stretching through to sun salutations, and the evening sessions including long stretches to prepare for sleep. These sessions would be free in two senses! Firstly, the content is that of a practice rather than a class, so expect fewer verbal cues and more independent movement than in our regular classes. Secondly these sessions would be donation-based (max. donation £4/session) with no pressure to pay anything. Please note that, although there is no requirement to attend paid classes alongside these sessions, I will need all participants to complete an intake form and conversation prior to participating.

Wow, that was a lot! Thanks for sticking with me to the end of this post, and do let me know your thoughts.