The Ultimate Pause
Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and
try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms and
like books that are written in a very foreign tongue.
-Rainer Maria Rilke
I've lost track of time a bit, since our lives were upended by the coronavirus. The disruption continues to ripple through all our lives; the fear a daily injection that for me, dissipates with new daily routines and time spent daily walking in the woods, but spikes when I venture out to shop for food. Is this life, now? For how long? Safe to say most of us have more questions than answers, and that every day brings new changes and understanding.
However else you navigate this time, its gravity and disruption, it has forced upon us a kind of pause and potential reset that we have not otherwise taken on. Many friends have expressed a surprised kind of fulfillment at the time spent cocooned with family, and the time zooming or talking on the phone with family that is far away. And the time spent alone and in deep reflection, in nature, or simply in the quieter pace of daily life. Not to say it's easy: I hear too from those struggling financially, domestically, and one of the deepest worries I carry in my heart is for anyone homebound and a victim of domestic violence.
And I, like you, am afraid for those who are in the frontlines of this thing, health care workers who have to be there for us, also cashiers, gas station attendance, pharmacists, custodial staff....
Under that light, I'm fortunate that my livelihood and calling is something I can transfer to an online platform. A year ago if you'd asked me to do online classes (and some of you did) I would have pretty much refused. I am camera shy, self critical, and intimidated by the technology. But yoga is not just a big part of my family's livelihood, it is also a very real service. I know this, I feel and witness this. Not my yoga, but the practice of yoga. And I am just a guide, or a conduit. So, I just went about the business of getting over myself. And it's been surprising and rewarding and completely exhausting and I've cried a lot of tears behind closed doors. In frustration, anxiety, self loathing. But I've also heard your gratitude and it has lifted me up many, many times.
My teacher says, go back to the dharma, the teachings. I simply don't have time to read right now (other than Zoom tutorials!) but I'm digging into my practice because I know that regular practice will sustain and guide me. Funnily, this is not usually an hour or two a day. This is sometimes just for 20 minutes before I livestream a class. And sometimes 10 minutes of that is meditation, if I couldn't squeeze it in earlier. And that time is not squandered. I'm all in, for those 20 minutes. It's a life raft and I fall upon it gratefully.
My deepest, most fervent hope is that we can be that for you, and that I can continue to find ways to also make classes and recorded material available freely, because I know there are so many people whose financial realities have taken a hit and they are struggling.
The Karma Fund—thanks to the many early morning yogis coming to my Sunrise Series—is getting a healthy injection of credits. I've gotten and fulfilled many requests for free credits from this fund. I will continue to offer this through April 10, and then re-evaluate. I can do this because a beloved UVY student is underwriting the series, so that I am getting paid to teach.
I've also experimented with recording classes and making them available and free for a limited period of time. The first of these free recordings is from our Sunrise Series. An accessible, energizing way to start the day. The link is below. (If you want to see the format for the class, see the Events list below). This link will be available through this coming Sunday.
FREE CLASS
Sunday, April 19, 6–7 pm FREE Livestream Energizing Flow, with Christina. As always, log in at UVY with email and password. Sign up for class. Click "view broadcast" link 10-15 minutes before start of class.
A couple of notes going forward:
• Here is a short movie that shows you how to get to our livestream classes. Please watch if you haven't taken a class yet.
• Please do check the schedule regularly. As we all find our way, teaching from our homes, finding time that physical space and broadband are plentiful, there will be changes, additions, cancellations.
•Music: I am coming to the conclusion that trying to play music through Zoom's limited bandwidth realities just doesn't work (I will keep looking for creative solutions). However, you are welcome to play music! Fire up your favorite music. Make sure your mic is muted. Got a playlist to you love? How about sharing it on our facebook page?
Here are a few of my spotify playlists, feel free to use them and let me know what you think. I literally have hundreds and can't display them all here, but will share a few and continue to do so if that is helpful:
SPOTIFY PLAYLISTS
SATYA Sunday Flow
East Forest Flow
Sunrise Flow
60 min Flow
• What's New this Week:
Cathy is back! And teaching her Friday Gentle class (which is back to 10 am, from 9:30) and also teaching the Sunday Hatha 1 class, 11 am.
• Sharon teaching the Sunday afternoon Slow Flow, and new start time is 4 pm
• Jenny's Fusion class is back to 8:30, as it was before the shift
• New classes you can see below: Espresso Flow, Christina's new noon m, w, sat classes, and there will likely be more.