Why I May Never Teach In Person Again

As I write this I’m in Delhi for Diwali celebrations.  I’ve taken a week off from teaching.  Markets are a buzz, there are Diwali parties happening, many aren’t wearing any masks.  Europe is getting ready for the second lockdown.  We read about promises of vaccines, but nothing concrete.  Before travelling to Delhi I decided to get the Covid Antibody test done, and found that I’m positive for the antibodies.  I’ve been exposed to this virus, but thankfully, never noticed.  What’s more, I’m immune to it for some time.

This raises a larger, more ethical question for yoga teachers.  When is  it a good idea to go back to in-person teaching again?  One healthy asymptomatic teacher can pass on the virus to a multitude of vulnerable students.

 

I’ve been teaching students online for many years now, but this pandemic made that the norm.  For those of us who’ve been able to adopt this ‘new normal’, it’s been gratifying in so many ways.

1. No travel time means more time to plan the class.  I was planning my classes before, but now I have more time to look at new routines and get creative in my teaching too.
2.  Now I have more energy – not only for my own practice, but also for my students.  Classes have become more fun, more energetic.
3. Being indoors has given me time to get to my TBR pile.  I’ve finally managed to get to books that I’ve been meaning to read for years, but never found the time to.

 

Thanks to the pandemic, I’ve been able to focus more on the art and craft of yoga and that’s why classes have become more engaging and fun.  This may just be how I teach going forward.

A few weeks ago I wrote about what I love about online yoga in this blog.

Recordings of my online classes are now up on my YouTube channel.  To get a glimpse of these classes click here.