How Yoga Studios Closed Because !&#% Coronavirus
Edited (on Dec. 6, 2021) and brought into a more reflective tone and past verb tense.
On Sunday, March 15, hot yoga studios in the New York area and probably across the country decided to close under the prevailing circumstances. At the same time, districts announced school closures, the cities declared public gathering places off limits, and restaurants went out of business. “It [was] like something happened yesterday,” my friend observed, “and people all concluded to withdraw.”
During the previous week, the consensus among studios was reflected by this text from a studio owner: “We will be open until someone tells us to close … or no one comes.”
In the meantime, they were hiring cleaning crews to have their entire studio and every mat and block (all sides) treated, scrubbed with anti-bacterial and plant-based anti-virus products.
While studio owners were probably paying hazard rates to clean every inch of their ships, business was slowing. In an email to the teachers, one director wrote: “We have seen already our sales starting to slip. Many people are calling to freeze or cancel memberships and some class sizes are decreasing. We are doing everything we can to keep things positive and we need to encourage clients to keep up their yoga practice to stay healthy.”
Two days later, another email began: “Teachers, we are starting the process of paring down the schedule. There has been a significant drop in attendance since yesterday [and] we leave it up to you about whether to teach or not.”
Teachers were asked for their opinion. Safety precautions were suggested, like fist bumps instead of shaking hands; Copious use of hand sanitizer gel before and after class seemed right; on an honor system, students and teachers who felt like they had any symptoms of a cold or any kind of respiratory issue would stay home.
One director discouraged teachers from talking about that which should not be named inside the studio. This subject can increase agitation in a place people come to get a clear perspective and shift away from a panic mind. That was a valid point. But it’s impossible to ask New Yorkers to keep their mouth shut, especially about something that big!
The floor was opened to discussion. Closing the studio would put everyone out of work. In reply-all emails, teachers made specific suggestions to alter the class. Switching to nose-only breathing was one idea. How would teachers stop people from mouth breathing? Should it be optional? No one spoke of masks, and Coronavirus could get transmitted to other people through the air. On the whole, there was broad agreement among the teachers to stay open and keep teaching classes. It was left unclear as to whether or not it was safe to be in the room at all.
During that last week, as jobs moved to remote work, people had more free time, there were 50+ people still showing up to take yoga classes in Manhattan and the Brooklyn Navy Yard had to turn away hundreds. The young folks didn’t fear and wanted to maintain the practice, in order to keep immune system strong and healthy, if anything. The best defense against covid, they believed, is vitality.
That doesn’t account for asymptomatic people and people with mild symptoms who could have the virus and spead it. This came to be regarded by public health authorities as the big risk. Coronavirus was especially inciduous, because it was effective in surviving. A virus needs passengers to spread. If the virus is too powerful, as with ebola, it will cause its host to perish too quickly. This is why ebola outbreaks in African villages could be identified and snuffed out before they got far. Ebola was horrible, but it could be contained.
Coronavirus was able to spread. It could occupy a host person who might not realize they have it for 2+ days. By the time they self quarantine, they have been moving around society passing on covid and getting anyone infected who isn’t wearing a mask at a minimum. Now these safety protocol and this awareness is commonplace, but back then we didn’t know much at the time.
March, 2020
In two weeks maybe we will know more. But for now with so little known about the potency and transmission of this virus, it wasn’t worth the risk to be around people.
By Sunday one studio after another sent out closure emails that began, “for our safety . .” No one wanted to go first, but once one studio closed their doors the rest were quick to follow.
That Sunday, I taught three classes, and closed two studios on Long Island, where I am a legend. I put my best foot forward and we got it done in 60 minutes.
During the first savasana, when everyone lies down in relief after a gruelling standing series, I told the joke about the mother and her daughter. (The daughter is about to become president, but she has to beg her mother to come to the innauguration. Finally the mother agrees to go. The next day, while the daughter is getting sworn in, her mother who is in the audience whispered to a General sitting next to her: “Do you see the woman with her hand on the Bible? Her brother is a doctor!”
Guffaws, sad, and heartfelt guffaws flickered throughout the room. Delighted, I went and milked it a little more: “I’ll be performing at the Town Theater on Thursdays at 9. Thursdays at 9, Town Theater.”
I’d been doing this same bit for the last ten years (even in Sao Paulo). When will I get to tell that joke to a captive audience again?
After class was over, I said goodbye to the students, some of whom have been my friends for many years. They liked to tell me how they preferred to take class from my wife, who is more serious. After the last student left, I walked through the studio turning off the lights, picking up towels, and shutting down the vast systems. There would be no 6:00 a.m. class the next morning.
