zen yoga goes online!
If you’ve gotten into the bed, couch, bed routine that quarantining lends itself to, it may be time to incorporate Zoom yoga into your day! With no real incentive to leave get up, it’s more challenging and more important than ever to move your body in some way every day.
April in Ohio means that many days are gloomy, cold and rainy which makes it totally unappealing to get out of your pajamas to go for a walk. And with nowhere else to go, the inspiration to jump off your couch to do some jumping jacks may not often strike. But our bodies aren’t meant to be as sedentary as they are so often during this time of quarantine!
Without having to worry about traffic or making it to class on time, you can get off your couch 30 seconds before the start of a Zen Yoga class and treat yourself to an hour long mental and physical remedy. The live Zoom classes offer a sense of community and guidance that we could all use a little more of right now. And getting on your mat in a video chat filled of other Zen yogis feels more like being in the studio than you’d think. Plus it’s nice to be able to set up your space with a zen inducing atmosphere (I dimmed the lights and lit a candle!)
The importance of self-care during this unusually isolating time cannot be understated. Even those who are in the best situation are struggling whether it is mentally, financially, physically, or some combination of the three. The future has never been so unpredictable; and in some strange warped reality, that is something we can all relate to. Isolation is not natural and while we cannot control the future or duration of our current circumstances, we can take this extra time to focus on ourselves and utilize the resources available to us.
I hope you are finding serenity at home as much as possible, and are finding ways to stay occupied. Get experimental with your cooking, order some crafts online or a book from your local bookstore, watch an old favorite movie you haven’t seen in a while, find a new park and explore it!
And of course, join Ellen at as many of her classes as you can. The weekly schedule is sent out by e-mail, including workshops and other special classes like massage and family yoga. At a time when so many of us are either alone or seeing the same few faces every day, it’s nice to have some semblance of social interaction as you flow through class with other yogis.
And move your body, it will help to keep you healthy and sane!! Hang in there, we’ll all get through this together. And don’t hesitate to lean on the shoulder of the Zen Yoga community!