A yoga instructor teaches classes via Zoom to keep her studio in New York afloat during the coronavirus pandemic. Leslie Graves, 37, has turned to the video conferencing app so that the nine instructors at Solid Gold Yogi in Bushwick, Brooklyn, remain paid and employed. Leslie, who has owned the studio for two and a half years, offers five online classes a day to self isolating Americans. The instructor said: "We have nine teachers and everyone has been able to keep their classes by moving them online. "Many of the studios in the city have closed and YogaWorks [a fitness chain] permanently closed their studios in New York. "I was hoping to have it so that everyone could keep their same teaching jobs and be paid the same. "It's tight of course but one thing that has helped is that people who have moved away and friends and family members from out of town have been able to take class so they are contributing a little bit too."We are counting on rebuilding when we can be back in the space but many of the members have stayed on and are taking class online."Leslie streamed her first yoga class on March 15 and said participants have dropped off as the lockdown has gone on. "In the beginning the classes were fuller but as this has gone on and people have their waves of depression or needing a change or wanting to get off the computer, numbers have dropped. "The busier classes have around 14 people and the slower classes have two or three people."It costs $12 to drop in to one of the Solid Gold Yogi online classes lasting between an hour and an hour and fifteen minutes. "Normally a drop in at the studio is $20," Leslie said. She added that there have been advantages to teaching classes on the popular video app and that teachers have quickly adapted to instructing online. "The experience on Zoom is surprisingly more intimate than I had imagined. "One plus is that we are invited into each other's homes. "Pets often turn up on the mat. "People are able to cultivate a safe space in their homes, they might even feel more comfortable opening up at home. "It's been an interesting opportunity and I think what we are missing are the physical adjustments we can offer in class but many of the teachers have become skilled at seeing people through the camera and giving verbal adjustments. "A yoga practice is so balancing and helpful to our nervous systems. "Many people have reached out and said how grateful they are to have the same practice with the teacher that they know in the community they know."
A yoga instructor teaches classes via Zoom to keep her studio in New York afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.
Leslie Graves, 37, has turned to the video conferencing app so that the nine instructors at Solid Gold Yogi in Bushwick, Brooklyn, remain paid and employed.
Leslie, who has owned the studio for two and a half years, offers five online classes a day to self isolating Americans.
The instructor said: "We have nine teachers and everyone has been able to keep their classes by moving them online.
"Many of the studios in the city have closed and YogaWorks [a fitness chain] permanently closed their studios in New York.
"I was hoping to have it so that everyone could keep their same teaching jobs and be paid the same.
"It's tight of course but one thing that has helped is that people who have moved away and friends and family members from out of town have been able to take class so they are contributing a little bit too."We are counting on rebuilding when we can be back in the space but many of the members have stayed on and are taking class online."Leslie streamed her first yoga class on March 15 and said participants have dropped off as the lockdown has gone on.
"In the beginning the classes were fuller but as this has gone on and people have their waves of depression or needing a change or wanting to get off the computer, numbers have dropped.
"The busier classes have around 14 people and the slower classes have two or three people."It costs $12 to drop in to one of the Solid Gold Yogi online classes lasting between an hour and an hour and fifteen minutes.
"Normally a drop in at the studio is $20," Leslie said.
She added that there have been advantages to teaching classes on the popular video app and that teachers have quickly adapted to instructing online.
"The experience on Zoom is surprisingly more intimate than I had imagined.
"One plus is that we are invited into each other's homes.
"Pets often turn up on the mat.
"People are able to cultivate a safe space in their homes, they might even feel more comfortable opening up at home.
"It's been an interesting opportunity and I think what we are missing are the physical adjustments we can offer in class but many of the teachers have become skilled at seeing people through the camera and giving verbal adjustments.
"A yoga practice is so balancing and helpful to our nervous systems. "Many people have reached out and said how grateful they are to have the same practice with the teacher that they know in the community they know."
