After seven or is it eight long months of consciously separating, distancing, isolating, moving away from (you get the idea) other human beings, here we are. Separate. Distanced. Isolated. Far away. Our faces are covered with masks, scarves, sunglasses, hats, hoodies, hair, etc. hiding the emotions we once freely revealed & limiting even our eye contact as we pass one another on the street. (I don't think Covid-19 is transferable through a look.) What limited social exchanges with passersby we once enjoyed (even a muffled "good morning") has dwindled down to almost silence. All of this day after day, week after week and month after month (I can't imagine saying year after year!) has affected not only our behavior, but our way of thinking & feeling.... that either we or others are INVISIBLE.
If you drive a car, maybe you've noticed. I live in New York City and the traffic here lately has been off the charts crazy! As businesses are reopening and residents & visitors are returning, I think the mindset of "singleness" has taken a turn for the worst. Gridlock is back. Traffic signs and lights are ignored. Driver courtesies are gone. Crossing the street has turned into a high risk Olympic event, and no one seems to care. Are we headed towards the mentality of "every man (or woman) for him/herself?" Where is the acknowledgement or consideration for another? The compassion or empathy? Initially we rallied TOGETHER and fully let our support for the medical community, frontline workers, and those in service be known. We literally shouted from the rooftops every night at 7pm, blowing horns, banging pots, even singing (those talented, as well as those not-so-much) at the top of their lungs to add a sense of unity in our neighborhoods, and appreciation for complete strangers.
Where am I going with this? LOL I actually did have a point when I first started to type. I wanted to welcome you to my website that has been long in the works (Here I'll actually say year after year!) and it took a pandemic for me to get it going. We in the yoga community were so completely used to being TOGETHER. Sometimes our mats a mere inch or two apart & having our neighbor's random foot or hand on our mat wasn't shocking or cause for panic (well, sometimes it was a little unpleasant.) We hugged. We were adjusted by our teachers. We breathed (a lot) in a closed space. We made a tons of eye contact, exchanged smiles & sometimes whispered encouraging words or lighthearted remarks (some random swear words too if the pose was crazy hard. You know who you are! lol) Every single person contributed to the collective energy in the room. No one was separate or distanced or isolated or alone, and if you felt that way BEFORE class, you certainly did NOT by the end!
I know I miss that a lot. Of course we have to roll with the changes and all yogis know nothing is permanent, AND we have a modification for everything! We're lucky to have livestream classes that allow us to continue or resuscitate our practice, our community and especially our sanity! Consider the bright side: no commuting, no traffic, no searching for parking, no racing like a gasping mad person to make it on time (so you can eventually relax and de-stress!), no pressure to get "your spot" (now EVERYONE is in the front row!) You don't have to match your clothes or even brush your hair! Simply roll out of bed, roll out your mat (Even brushing your teeth is optional, but highly suggested. You'll be happier!) and sign on to your fave online yoga class. I'd love to have you participate in mine through lauracresciyoga, but there are hundreds, if not thousands, to choose from at this point, so pick one and get moving! Get back in the "studio" and SEE your people! Please turn your video ON so your teacher can see your beautiful face and expressions and practice and not feel as if she's/he's teaching to a blank square. We don't care if your bed is made or your dog is licking the screen!
So that's it. My welcome intro. Plugging for ALL the classes and ALL the teachers who are trying to help students keep it together and function as "normally" as possible. If you check out my website, I'd love to hear your comments or just leave your name- and where you're from- to say hi. Hit up my Instagram @lauracresciyoga to see some fun what's what, and as I continue to figure all this out (omg the possibilities are endless!) I'll be adding more... videos, as well as workshops and maybe a beginner series??
And for the students who had practiced with me in person before this whole transition and have stuck with it it online or as of recently, socially distanced in the studio- THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!! You have truly helped me feel a part of something much larger and as though I've been somewhat productive each day I teach!
WELCOME EVERYONE and thank you so much for your 4 minutes! (According to wix, that's how long it will take to read this to the end!) See you on the screen! Namaste. 🙏