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It’s been an interesting journey this past year and a half with the pandemic. I don’t think many of us expected it to last as long as it has. For many developed and undeveloped countries, they are still battling access to vaccines. The U.S. has been blessed with resources and access to help curtail the pandemic. It’s not over, but accessibility to vaccines has certainly allowed many of our society to move forward with some sense of normalcy. But it’s a new sense of normalcy. Nothing is the same, especially in public places.
The return to in-person classes has not been a decision I have taken lightly. It was contingent on my entire family being fully vaccinated. Although, I took big steps interacting with family and friends when returning home this summer, being back in the general public is a bit more daunting. I’m taking steps based on The CDC and scientific date while adding caution when in public settings.
I’m excited to offer Baby Toddler Me Yoga and Little Signers at Gentle Hands PlaySpace. If you haven’t had the chance to meet Gentle Hands’ owner, Alicia, she is incredibly sweet, knowledgeable, compassionate, and patient with the community. Her dedication to keep the PlaySpace clean, sanitized, and safe is encouraging. Her creativity to offer interactive bins for families when they couldn’t gather in-person has been inspiring. She’s made every effort to ensure adults and kids stay safe, including allowing her teachers to teach in a capacity that feels safe based on their comfortability.
As I ease into in-person classes, I am supported with limited capacity classes of 7 families. Adults will continue to be masked during classes to keep our little ones safe until they have full access to vaccines. Kid-friendly props will be given in individual containers and sanitized after each class. The time after classes that I typically spent meandering and socializing in the PlaySpace will be minimized.
Despite these changes due to the pandemic, I am eager to engage in-person with the community. I am thrilled to see families where little ones have grown and developed over the past year and welcome new babies to our yoga and signing community. I am excited for those families that have not had access or chosen to join our online community to strengthen their parent-child bond, develop skills, and connect.
I’ll continue to offer online classes for Baby Toddler Me Yoga for a limited time or until another class is available for more families. I’ll continue to teach online Little Signers so those families from Virginia who have come every week over the past year can continue learning and having fun together.
The quieter lifestyle of the pandemic is definitely appealing to me. I am working to minimize the runaround, to have more days at home, and to continue connecting with the greater community online.
Each of us has our own level of comfort as we venture out in the world. One lesson I have learned from the pandemic is to speak up: to say what I think, to make my voice heard. It doesn’t matter what others are doing. What matters is the decisions you make and to stand firm as you engage in the world again.
Thank you for being respectful for the choices others are making returning in the world, especially if they are being more cautious than the general public. Be patient with me, as I still may be air hugging for awhile. If you encounter others with a mask, especially me, remember there is a huge smile behind it, ready to welcome you back to our in-person yoga and signing communities.
(As of March 2023:)Masks are now off but certainly welcome any time. I'm currently teaching at Full Distance Physical Therapy & Wellness in Mariners Landing at Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia. Classes include Yin Yoga, Meditation, and Gentle Chair Yoga. Register at https://connectionsyogava.wixsite.com/yoga/schedule.
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