From experience, it is hard to get back into a routine of anything when you've taken a substantial break. For me, I need routine, but I don't always like it. But hey, I am a Gemini after all...

Perhaps you prefer doing your yoga classes on Zoom or maybe you are just not sure about going back to face-to-face classes. If it is a safety thing, remember that all studios and teachers should be regularly cleaning equipment anyway and often enough classes are well spaced out now.

Anyway, hopefully these tips may help or inspire you to give your yoga journey another go.

1) Remember, yoga isn't all about the postures. If you're nervous to get back into your lycras, why not try a yoga nidra class (a sleepless sleep and deeply relaxing yoga practice). Yoga nidra doesn't involve any postures or movement at all. Getting back into a routine of doing some sort of yoga may help you build up that confidence to get back to your vinyasa class.

2) You have changed, as has the world. Perhaps it is time to change it up and find a different type of yoga class. Research what is local to you if you want to attend in person and message the teacher or studio and ask for information on the classes advertised. No question is silly!

3) Reach out to your current or previous teacher. I know that I'd be over the moon to hear from a student and help them get back to their practice.

4) Try a beginners course with your friend or family member. After a while, a refresher or beginners course is the perfect way to remember why you loved the practice of yoga in the first place. Also taking a pal with you is great to keep you accountable.

5) Book a yoga retreat or an event. Something to look forward to is always key! This is also a great way to immerse yourself back into it if you've taken a longer break.

6) The world is your oyster! If you are happy to join a zoom group think of how many amazing teachers, classes and workshops are available to you now. I join in with a teacher in Bali and another in Denver from time to time and it is always so refreshing!

I hope you have found these tips helpful! Let me know below.

Namaste,

Emily x o x

You can join me on Zoom twice a week or sign up to my online library of videos: HERE

Let’s go back to March 2020, I was running 5 studio classes per week in Hexham and had an average of 15 students per class, some classes up to 20. Vinyasa classes were full of electric energy and Hatha classes were full of positivity and had a real feeling of calm. 

For the first time since I started teaching Yoga, I finally felt everything was coming together. 

I was also about to start teaching my first beginner’s course in Hexham which was really exciting for me and a new avenue in my business.

Then…

1. COVID waded into our lives. 

2. March 23rd, lockdown happened.

3. Everyone's normal changed. 

4. Anxiety and doubt kicked in. 

How on earth am I going to teach online, my thought processes below:

• I live in a small flat, where exactly am I going to teach from?

• I have an old iPhone with a camera that doesn't work

• I need a camera

• Do I need a Britney headset as a mic?

• Is this safe?

• Do people talk back to me in a class and can we have a laugh still?

• Can positive energy travel via a camera?

• What platform do I use?

• I hope my booking system works for this

• Is £5.00 too much per class?

• If I have all of this time I should probably be teaching 20 classes a week

• Can they see and hear me ok?

• I hope my internet is good enough

• What happens if someone doesn’t get the link for the class?

The ramblings above only cover a small portion of what went through my mind on an hourly basis. I also had no one to consult on best practice which made me doubt every decision I was thinking of making.

Fast forward to June, I feel that is when I finally got into a new routine and most of the questions I had, I had answered myself through just DOING IT. Rather than sitting and worrying about the what-ifs, surely people would understand if things weren’t perfect at the beginning? And they did. 

Also, Yoga teachers of the world united. Blogs, Instagram and Facebook posts with what everyone was doing and that was unbelievably helpful. 

Now I teach a number of online and studio classes and that is just how things will be from now on, from a business perspective it is a fantastic new avenue of business and I never ever thought I’d be doing it. I also know from my students, that some of them prefer the online model instead now, so I am over the moon that it has managed to work for people. 

This is not a self-praise article; writing how proud I am of myself, even though I am but, what I wanted to get out there is that having to adapt and change how we do our jobs, not only in Yoga, has been very difficult but also shows how resilient and how adaptable we can be.

So from today, rather than being annoyed and disappointed with how things are these days, I am going to come back and read this and remember I managed to overcome a lot of the difficulties that have come with COVID. 

Hopefully, reading this may help you do the same. 

Love and light,

Emily x x x