Why We Gather
Recently I sent out a survey to active SoundYoga students to see what their thoughts were on coming back into the studio for Yoga classes. The result, not surprisingly, was that most students want to stay on Zoom. I reflected on how to move forward with Zoom classes and slowly incorporate some in studio classes. There are many reasons why we gather either on Zoom or in-person: convenience, fear of Covid, traveling, don’t live in Seattle… The list goes on.
I think back to the beginning of SoundYoga, almost 25 years ago, and my initial purpose for starting a Yoga studio. I saw this at many levels. The first and foremost purpose was to build a sanga (community) of like-minded people who could explore the healing benefits of Yoga, experience the energy of being in a group and to learn more about ourselves through this shared experience. The second purpose was to share my love of Yoga and the ‘accessible to all’ tradition I teach in. The list builds from those two main purposes.
When Covid hit I was like most people thinking it would soon be over. It was not to be. Many students hung in there as we made the shift to Zoom and many decided to wait and come back when in-person classes were available again. I totally understand the resistance to Zoom. Being on a computer just isn’t the same as in-person, especially the shared experience of being in a community which we have come to know, care about and love. Now what do I do?
As many of you know, if you have been with me over the years, I am a huge fan of not giving up. If something doesn’t work try something else. So here we go. For the next series we will offer one in-person class, one hybrid method of having some students in-person and some on Zoom. The rest of the classes will remain on Zoom. When you register for a class, you will have the option to pick, for those two classes, Zoom or in-person. This will hopefully allow some students, who have been patiently waiting for an in-person Yoga class, to return.
I look forward to seeing you soon!
In peace,
Chris