(By Elizabeth Tuico) I’m not teaching group fitness classes right now, and it’s a bittersweet acknowledgement. For a decade, I taught yoga and Pilates almost every week in yoga studios and gyms. It was a rough start. I probably should have given up in the first year, but I kept going. At some point, being an (older) fitness instructor became part of my elevator speech.

The pandemic has tested everyone I know. Last summer, I started teaching again after the initial lockdown. My group classes were outside in the heat of Washington’s notoriously humid summers. It was difficult teaching in a mask as a tried to project my voice and keep breathing. Teaching on Zoom was a little better, but I often felt like I was in a tunnel struggling to observe my group from my tiny laptop screen.

As the Fall 2020 COVID surge gained momentum, I took a break from teaching. This time is unfamiliar territory. With anything, there are lessons to be learned, such as:

Reclaiming My Personal Practice

I was too busy teaching to commit to a personal practice. Now I embrace a daily routine.

I never liked the term “yogalates” (which is the blending of yoga and Pilates). However, that’s what I do. I use props (blocks, magic circle, resistant band) and go. I never have a plan, and I’m often surprised at where my practice takes me.

Prior to becoming a yoga teacher, I loved going to yoga class. These days, I take class in my living room via YouTube, PBS and yoga studios around North America. It’s wonderful not to worrying about sequencing and timing. I like being a student again.

Just Do It (Nike’s iconic tagline) is forever genius.

Don’t Skip Savasana

Savasana (the rest pose) is the most important part of a yoga practice. Don’t skip it – aim for 5-10 minutes. The goal of savasana is to give rest to body and mind. However, it is a somewhat active pose where we remain fully conscious. You don’t want to fall asleep. (How many times have you been in a yoga class and heard someone snoring at the end?)

Mindful Bookend Routine

The days often blend together, but I bookend every day with a mindfulness routine:

Morning:           

Five-minute meditation

Journaling

Map out the day

Evening:            

Shut down my laptop to signal the end of the work day

Mind/body practice

Wrap up my daily journal with a gratitude list and word of the day

Spend the last 30 minutes before bed with no screen time

To get through this pandemic, we need to feed our energy. Flexibility also is key. Making plans is important because a roadmap keeps our compass pointing north. In times of uncertainty, flexibility is equally valuable since we often make detours to keep moving forward. It’s rarely a straight line.     

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