Local yoga and fitness instructors are learning to exercise their technical muscles to bring classes to their clients online, and it may prove to be so popular that online instruction may be here to stay.
ALTHOUGH GYMS AND STUDIOS ARE CLOSED DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, YOU DON'T HAVE AN EXCUSE NOT TO EXERCISE. THAT'S BECAUSE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS ARE PIVOTING FROM “IN-PERSON” TO “IN-HOME” INSTRUCTION TO MEET THE NEED. THANKS FOR WATCHING THE LOCAL NEWS NETWORK, BROUGHT TO YOU BY NICE ELECTRIC. I’M WENDY GRAHAM SETTLE. LOCAL YOGA INSTRUCTORS ARE STRETCHING OUTSIDE THE WALLS OF THEIR STUDIOS AND BUILDING TECHNICAL MUSCLE TO KEEP HOME-BOUND MONTEZUMA AND DOLORES COUNTY RESIDENTS MOVING. LILY RUSSO, A YOGA INSTRUCTOR, TEACHER TRAINER AND MURAL ARTIST IN MANCOS, SAYS CHANGE IS THE NATURE OF LIFE, AND WE ALL HAVE TO FIND WAYS TO ADAPT. SO, WHEN THE STUDIOS WHERE SHE TAUGHT CLOSED FROM THE STAY-AT-HOME ORDERS FROM THE GOVERNOR, SHE DIDN'T THINK TWICE ABOUT OFFERING FREE CLASSES ONLINE. BUT, WITH AN ACTIVE 3-YEAR-OLD SON AT HOME, RUSSO NEEDED A LOCATION AND A WAY TO BROADCAST HER CLASSES. THE RIVER STUDIO IN MANCOS LET RUSSO RENT SPACE, AS LONG AS SHE PROMISED TO SANITIZE EVERYTHING SHE TOUCHED.AND, SINCE IT WAS UNCERTAIN HOW LONG THE LOCKDOWN WOULD LAST, RUSSO CHOSE THE EASIEST PLATFORM TO USE: FACEBOOK LIVE. DESPITE EXPERIENCING SOME INITIAL TECHNICAL CHALLENGES, RUSSO SAYS SHE FEELS A STRONG SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND TOGETHERNESS THROUGH THE VIRTUAL CONNECTION. SHERRY FITZGERALD, THE OWNER OF HEART AND CORE YOGA IN CORTEZ, ALSO IS “LIVE” ON FACEBOOK, PLUS SHE’S POSTING RECORDED YOGA CLASSES ON YOUTUBE TO MATCH HER CLIENTS’ TECHNOLOGY PREFERENCES.MOST OF THE CLIENTELE FOR HEART AND CORE IS iN THE AGE BRACKET OF 50- TO 90-YEARS-OLD. SO WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF THE YOUNGER GENERATION. SO THIS TECHNOLOGY. GETTING FAMILIAR WITH THIS TECHNOLOGY. IS A POSITIVE FOR A LOT OF THE CLIENTS AS WELL. OR I KNOW THAT A LOT OF OUR FOLKS THAT ATTEND OUR STUDIO HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH FACEBOOK, BUT THEY ARE ON EMAIL AND THEY CAN PULL UP A YOUTUBE VIDEO. SO THAT'S WHY I'M PUTTING IT ON YOUTUBE AS WELL TO COVER THOSE FOLKS THAT AREN'T YOU, THAT AREN'T FACEBOOKERS.FITZGERALD SAYS SHE'S DELIGHTED WITH THE POPULARITY OF HER ONLINE CLASSES BECAUSE OF THE BENEFITS OF DAILY HOME PRACTICE FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
IT IS THE VERY BEST THING THAT WE CAN DO IN THIS TIME IS TO CONTINUE OUR PRACTICE AND CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN OUR BODIES AND STAY STRONG BECAUSE YOGA HAS A LOT TO DO WITH YOUR BREATHING. AND THE PRANAYAMA IS THE PRACTICE OF RAISING AND CONTROLLING THE BREATH SO WE CAN MAKE OUR, AND OUR RESPIRATORY SYSTEM STRONG TO BETTER DEFEND THE VIRUS. IN DOLORES, ALANA CONNELLY, OWNER OF WILD ROOTS YOGA AND WELLNESS, USES A PRIVATE FACEBOOK GROUP FOR HER STUDIO MEMBERS: SO WE DO A MEMBERS ONLY ONLINE CLASS. IT'S A FACEBOOK PAGE, IT'S A PRIVATE GROUP. IT WAS SO THAT OUR MEMBERS COULD STILL CONTINUE TO DO YOGA, AND WE COULD STILL PROVIDE A SERVICE FOR THEM, AND WE'LL BE OFFER A LIVE, AND THEN WE RECORD THEM AND OFFER THEM FOR PEOPLE WHO MISS THEM LATER. AND I REALLY LIKED THE LIVE ASPECT. BECAUSE YOU CAN WATCH A MILLION DIFFERENT FREE RECORDED YOGA CLASSES, BUT YOU DON'T GET THE SAME INTERACTION AS YOU DO WITH TAKING IT LIVE WITH SOMEBODY. CONNELLY SAYS MAKING THE 180-DEGREE TURN WAS A DIFFICULT BUT ESSENTIAL STEP:
IT WAS ABOUT CONTINUING TO REACH THE COMMUNITY WE'VE ALREADY REACHED AND NOT LETTING THEM DOWN, AND BEING THE CONSISTENT, SOMETHING CONSISTENT IN SOMETHING THAT'S SO INCONSISTENT IN WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. AND YEAH . . . ALL THREE TEACHERS SAY THEY ARE THRILLED BY THE EXTENDED GEOGRAPHICAL REACH VIRTUAL CLASSES AFFORD. WHILE MOST PARTICIPANTS ARE REGULAR LOCALS, FRIENDS AND FAMILY, STRANGERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD ARE JOINING THE CLASSES. AS A RESULT, ALL THREE TEACHERS SEE VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION BECOMING INTEGRAL TO THEIR BUSINESS AND PLAN TO CONTINUE ONLINE OFFERINGS.TO PRACTICE YOGA VIRTUALLY WITH MONTEZUMA AND DOLORES COUNTY INSTRUCTORS: VISIT LILY RUSSO’S FACEBOOK PAGE: FACEBOOK.COM/YOGA.ART.LILYRUSSO, HEART AND CORE YOGA’S WEBSITE: HEARTANDCOREYOGA.COM, AND WILDROOTS YOGA AND A WELLNESS WEBSITE: WILDROOTSYOGAWELLNESS.COM.THANKS FOR WATCHING THIS EDITION OF THE LOCAL NEWS NETWORK. I'M WENDY GRAHAM SETTLE FOR THE LOCAL NEWS NETWORK.
