This week’s class intension has been based on a little phrase that popped into my head last weekend – “Escape to Normality”. Usually in our day to day lives, we can’t wait for that holiday, that break, the weekend, to escape FROM normality. Where we can forego structure and the daily hum-drum, where we can do as we please to an extent. Two weeks ago when this living nightmare of Covid-19 really rose its head for us here in Ireland, our worlds changed. From a personal perspective, I made the call to postpone face to face Yoga classes for the foreseeable future, initially I had hoped it was just until March 29th but this clearly isn’t a date of any particularly significance anymore ☹

I am worried for our communities, for more vulnerable, isolated members. I’ve been pondering how I can help - watch this space. I am worried my family & for Jasons, not so much the younger of us, but parents. There’s always that worry. I worry for my little sister, she was meant to be here at home with us with my brand new little Godson Jackson. It would have been our first time meeting this most handsome little man I’ve ever seen. She’s a new Mum, we wish we could support her more, she’s doing an amazing, inspiring job as is. She rightly made the tough decision to stay in Australia rather than split up her family and run the risk of flight delays or diversions with little man or bringing anything home to my parents etc. This visit has been planned since last Summer. We are gutted, but in time we will meet again. The hardest part is not knowing when this may be. I miss hugging & seeing loved ones, going for strolls & sharing food together. So many promised nights together on hold now until when? There is a lesson here too, once this is all over & it will be, don’t put off those occasions & gatherings, don’t shelve them to “ we must do a night out /  a meal together / that weekend away”. Just do it, for we do not know how long we have to be together. Just go for it!

Last week felt very surreal, I went into my default practical, I can do this mode. I busied myself with long nights of researching technology, working out the better option of laptop vs Phone vs webcam, external microphones or lapel mics. Would my phone be compatible with them? How would my students feel going online? I set up Whatsapp groups, a Facebook group, spoke with other Teachers more tech savvy than I. How could I communicate this as best as possible & keep you in the loop? I brainstormed how I could keep our community alive & supported. How best could I serve them during this time of need?

My head spun, my stress levels soared, I rebelled against it all. All first world problems of course, as I’m one of the lucky ones to be able to still teach my students if even via the internet. And to keep it all in perspective, this is only Yoga, I am not saving lives (though some of you say it has helped stop you from punching anyone lol!). I found myself alone in the stunning Barrow House (I felt my house was too cluttered!) to pre-record classes, I thought this might be the best way. It took along time to edit, upload, grant access, help people with the same. It was lonely & it felt staged to me. And this was just week one! I worked harder than ever, longer hours, I didn’t see Jason or family, barely had time to walk dogs. I hadn’t really given myself the time & space for all this to register. I’m not sure I have fully yet.

Not every student has found the migration online easy, their lives have been turned upside down, adult children returning home, kids off school & trying to juggle taking care of their needs all day whilst working from home. Then the issue of home-schooling. Others with “high-risk” family members, disinfecting everything they can including grocery deliveries. Others have lost their jobs & businesses, others made the difficult decision to leave theirs to do what they could to protect themselves & their loved ones. We do not know what the future holds. More have had to move out of home from aging parents, others moved in. I’ve heard so very sad stories this week & my heart goes out to each of you. Noone has it worse or better off, we are all in this together.

At the end of the first week I’d recorded quite a few online classes, your feedback was really lovely. But I felt lonely & isolated, I also couldn’t stay in Barrow forever lol! My friend Daragh who owns this incredible home has been kind enough. I cleared out 3 different rooms at home and tried them all, I hope non one ever sees what the my “recording studio” looks like off camera lol!

So this week I braved the world of online live classes from the spare bedroom. Though it is not the same as in-person, it is the best I can do for now. It certainly felt more real, more connected & more “normal”. Each class took place at it’s scheduled time (except for Aerial Yoga as who has a hammock at home?!) and I got to meet some of your beautiful children, you welcomed me inside your homes. I met dogs, partners, I saw your cozy fireplaces, you in your PJs and oodled at your home gyms! We chatted together before and after class. And because I wasn’t rushing to another class or to tidy up and get out of the building before closure, I’ve had some lovely, longer conversations of more depth than ever before. It’s not perfect but it’s right now it’s real.

For me returning to my weekly structure of meeting you, teaching for you & guiding you to your mat to escape for a wee while felt normal. It was exactly what I needed, it seems like, from your feedback, it was what you did too. No more do we seem to crave escaping from normality, now ironically, it’s all we want back. Our time together on the mat, feels familiar, it feels like a cozy hug of sameness – stable. I appreciate it’s not easy to put life on pause at home & to carve out the space both literally and figuratively; but for those of you who have, I’m immensely grateful to you. I miss those of you who have not been able to, I hope we will meet again very soon when the timing is right for you too. Know that I’m here for you, just a phone call away.

Off camera, I’ve implemented my usual structure again of home cooking healthy, nutritious varied food, I’ve worked out at home following a plan & taken an online aerobics class, I’ve  walked the legs off my dogs, sat in the sunshine eating oranges and gone back practicing my surfing. I’ve registered to take online classes with some incredible international Yoga teachers than normally I could not afford to fly to attend but are offering their teachings now online. Many months back I booked into an online Teacher Training, at the time I was like “I’m not sure I’ll like learning online like this, but I know this is how learning is going”, it feels now like a strange premonition. All that I’m missing now, is a bit of downtime in stillness – I have that planned for now too, I’m taking some time off from 4th April for at least a week or so. I feel this strong need to regroup and just sit and absorb all that I have not given myself a chance to.

As I sit here and write this morning, outside my window the Rooks are busy building nests, the village road is pretty quiet by comparison to it’s norm for this time of year. There are little signs that all is not doom & gloom – families walking the legs off their dogs lol, families picking up rubbish on beaches together. I’ve heard of online quiz nights between families & increased contact. All week in classes, students have been saying how lucky we are to live here, how beautiful our forests and beaches are on our doorstep. That makes me smile, they have always been this beautiful but maybe it’s only now more of us have taken the time to appreciate them.

I heard a fascinating interview with Luke O Neill Professor of Biochemistry in Trinity College Dublin yesterday on Newstalk yesterday (listen back here) he talked about how quickly Mother Nature is reclaiming her earth now that big industry has slowed down. In 2019 CO2 levels reached their highest in 5 million years on Earth – this is OUR fault. Nitrogen Dioxide was increasing further, this gives rise to respiratory issues and effects our lungs.  But now CO2 levels have fallen & Nitrogen Dioxide has lowered over China & Northern Italy and this will result in less respiratory issues and as CV-19 effects this body system, Luke felt this may help with the reduction of CV-19’s impact. The air is clearing, the rivers & canals of Venice have cleared due to less boat traffic & cruise ships, shoals of fish & exotic plants can be seen. This is amazing! Something positive for our planet arising amidst this tragedy & trauma.

My hope that once this is all over, we will meet on these beaches & in these forests that now are held aloft in appreciation, we will hug and say “I’ve missed you, lets plan our BBQ / night out / weekend away / meal right now”. That we will no longer put off what we had always planned or dreamed and just go for it! And that we can return with huge gratitude to a better normality; taking the learning of what Mother Nature needs from us & how we can take care of her in order to take care of ourselves.

For now, let’s continue to escape to normality together; cook good food, share with each other, have a structure to your day that suits you. Join together on our mats often, finding that time and space to build reserves that help us better cope with our current reality. This isn’t forever, but perhaps your deeper appreciation, love & dedication to your Yoga practice is?

Join me and escape to normality x