I am not a doctor nor a medical professional. I am just a yoga teacher who reads widely and attempts with varying degrees of success to have an open mind; a person who has campaigned for more than 35 years for social equality and social justice and believes that society needs to significantly change and that sustainability is possible. This pandemic has many teachings. Knowing that I certainly do not have all the answers – or all the questions! – I sent this article to about 20 people prior to publishing for feedback. Definitely not all agreed with me. Thank goodness! Comments ranged from critiques to congratulatory. One person wrote: “I feel I need a large glass of wine now.” My aspiration is to encourage discussion as paths to empowering and engaging.

Things were already challenging for many yoga teachers and many yoga studios pre-pandemic. Pay not meaningfully increased for most teachers for years. Studio financial margins limited. The parasitical vampires – ClassPass, MindBodyOnline, MoveGB – taking increasingly large chunks of the pie. Yogaland features included bullying studio managers and studio co-ordinators with their favourites – thus making a mockery of talk about inclusivity, diversity, fairness.

And now we have had six months of the coronavirus pandemic. The UK economy has been hugely impacted by lockdown, continuing restrictions and confusion over what happens next. Inevitably, this has massively squeezed yogaland. The cuts are coming and they are hitting hard. Classes slashed and pay reduced.

In the steep learning curve of yoga studios during a pandemic, there are positive stories. Down Under are a large yoga studio in Boston, Massachusetts. In these pandemic days, they have kept almost their entire schedule online. Down Under are doing their best to take care of their teachers, their staff, their students. They state: “As major yoga chains and gyms fire and furlough staff with no pay, Down Under stands apart in continuing pay for all 60 teachers and 15 managers while providing classes for its students and free virtual access to front line workers.”

Reflecting on the confusion and uncertainty brought by the pandemic. It discusses the challenges of discerning truth amidst a flood of information and the unpredictability of future developments. The blog highlights the emotional toll of the pandemic, marked by both monotony and fear, alongside the importance of making the most of moments of pause, peace and reflection. It encourages a mindful approach to navigating these unprecedented times.