Centered City Yoga

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COVID-19. Stay Healthy in Mind, Body, & Spirit

Eric Martin

Yoga helps us keep our bodies, minds and spirits healthy and balanced!This is a long note. I encourage you to read it in full. It has taken a while to collect my thoughts on what I need to say, and gather the information necessary to do my best to give you an intelligent and accurate process of what we can do as yogis during this challenging moment of time for humanity.Centered City Yoga as always, is dedicated to creating a clean and supportive environment for our students. Unless the health department in the state of Utah changes course of action guidelines, you are encouraged to continue to share your practice at Centered City Yoga. We currently have all of our regular classes happening as scheduled. We diligently clean, even more often than normal (which was already quite obsessive), with proper antiseptic/antimicrobial solutions. We steam clean our floors, sanitize the restrooms, and do all possible to keep our sweet Shala feeling wonderful.For those of you who have been into our space in the last 3+ years, you may have noticed black cubes blowing air in each of our Shala spaces. These are not air conditioners. They are in fact some of the highest-end hepa air purifiers on the market! These purifiers run day and night, working purposefully to keep the air at Centered City Yoga healthy. We also have alive, happy plants in all spaces to help with air quality and prana cultivation. We are so very lucky we are not a hot/humid yoga studio. There considerately less risk of spreading of fluids, in a more moderately temperature regulated class.Please do not socially isolate unless you have a compromised immune system, or exhibit symptoms of illness. In this time of uncertainty, it might feel as though you need to socially isolate, even if you have no symptoms and are healthy. The government has not asked us to do that except in certain and specific circumstances, or if a setting will involve a very large crowd over 100 people. If the government asks us to change recommendations, we will reach back out.We need each other more than ever. We need to love and support one-another. We need to practice compassion and Metta (loving kindness) towards all. If you are healthy, do things to stay that way. Remember that if you are healthy and do contract this virus, you will likely be okay; statistics are that 80% of people who do contract COVID-19 are likely to only get very mild symptoms, and will recover completely.In the meantime, empower yourself. Know that you have an intelligent body, and through your steady yoga practice, sunshine, clean air, fresh food, and proper sleep, your body has a great likelihood of working beautifully. Most of us have a natural immune system that strives to keep us healthy. If do have however have a compromised immune system, please take care, and do what you know is right for you if you have any concerns, or visit your doctor and get true information based on your unique human body. Our Shala has not had any confirmed cases of the COVID-19. We are asking any staff or students as a precaution, to please stay home if you are experiencing symptoms such as sore through, coughing, sneezing, etcetera.Here are some things you can do to take extra care:

  • Wipe down your mat and any props used each time with either your own spray, or that provided in each studio

  • If you feel better about having your own props, we do have very nice blocks, straps, and yoga hand and mat towels for sale at our Shala.

  • We can also custom order (pre-payment necessary) yoga blankets and bolsters. Email rachel@centeredcityyoga.com if you want to do this. I can have them to you within a couple of days

  • Some students have purchased our travel mats or mat towels to go over the top of their regular mat, so they can put the towel or extra mat into their wash after practice as an extra precaution

  • If you are using a CCY bolster, please bring a towel or blanket to put over it for the foreseeable future

  • If you prefer to be at our Shala for our generally smallest classes, weekday mornings are perfect for this

  • Ensure you continue to wash your hands properly and often

  • Sleep 7-10 hours night

  • Eat fresh and healthy food

  • Practice yoga consistently to build your immune system, keep your nervous system calm and healthy, and stay strong

  • Believe in the power of the human spirit. Look around and see the good that is always there too, even with hard times

  • Create kind actions; be smart, but work to build your community, rather than shut down with fear. If we completely shut down with fear, we lose

 This is not pretending the virus does not exist. This is about empowering ourselves and one-another to be with what is, but also take accountability and responsibility for our actions, and doing what we can to create positive shifts and strength to our communities. This is what yoga teaches us to do, and it is a good way to address our lives of humanity. Be present. Be aware. Learn from the past, but do not become depressed by it. Open your eyes to possibilities of the future, but not so much that you become anxious and fearful. This is the idea of a warrior. And yes, in this contemporary time period, we need warriors. Leaders who live by example. Humans who are smart, healthy and awake.Each of us has received links to the CDC and other government sites many times over to keep up on what is happening. Please check these government sites, rather than unregulated information sites (such as social media) for your news and updates. The government asks us to be smart and clear-minded. I love this, as yoga teaches us to do this too.Through the consistent practice and power of yoga—and especially mindful and purposeful breathing (pranayama—including ujjayi or “victory breath” we do in our asana practices!), we awaken what is called the Buddhi mind, or intelligent mind. This is the mind-state that helps us to discern truth from false understandings. It is a place of action that comes as we steady ourselves from a calmed nervous system (para-sympathetic/rest and digest mode). When we work to be in this state, we can understand what is going to help us navigate through good and hard times. It overrides what might be an overactive ego mind (also called ahankara mind) which can cause panic (sympathetic/flight or fight stage), that when chronic, compromises our immune system, and ability to think clearly.

 Right now, we need as many people as possible to be smart, healthy and strong, and calm, so we may continue to help our society be safe and well as possible. If we all shut down our hearts and do nothing, our society will continue to fall apart.

  • And as always, you can contact the Salt Lake County Health Department at 385-468-4100 with concerns.

 With all of this said, I would like to sum up what I have written. Please take care of yourself. If this circumstance goes really big, the best ally you have is your own health, and the efforts you take to build your immune system, including maintaining a good exercise program, including yoga! Even if you do contract the virus, if you are taking care of yourself, you will have the greatest chance of healing fully, and going on to live a long vibrant life. Take care of those around you too. We need each other. If you are sick, stay home. Other than that, keep coming to Centered City Yoga. Strengthen yourself with your practice of yoga, and boost your community experience in the space of our sacred sanctuary. If our health department asks us to do anything different, we will reach back out.In the meantime, I send you my love, strength and healthy energy.Om Shanti Shanti ShantiiLove,Rachel