The last year and a half has been full of unexpected circumstances and challenges for everyone. I am grateful to the community of students here at Paxson Yoga who have stuck with us and offered kind words and actions as we navigate changes. I am also grateful to my team, who rise to meet each challenge creatively and with our students’ best interest at heart.

As we prepare to gather intentions for Fall Term, we are mindful of the many benefits of practicing remotely. Online classes allowed us to continue to practice as a community, even when we were on lockdown. For many of us, being able to practice yoga was a lifeline during that very strange and scary time. It kept us moving, flexible, and connected.

Online yoga practice has plenty of side benefits: no commute, recorded practices, PETS come to class, and students from all over the country have joined us to share in the Gudmestad tradition. It has been a joy to experience all of these things together.

Having said that, we found that the nature of online instruction does not increase the safety or the quality of our yoga practice. The thing that most distinguishes our practice in the Gudmestad tradition is our commitment to safe, sustainable yoga for all, and we are well aware that remote practice does not best serve that intention. Having eyes on our students, interacting directly, offering suggestions, and making corrections are all in the interest of safe, satisfying practice. These personal aspects of teaching are all best done in the studio.

As for the side benefits, well, . . . losing some of them might also be in the best interest of the practice of yoga. Dogs and cats are delightful, but they are distracting. Walking into the next room is convenient, but there is value in setting aside time for your practice: you’re telling yourself it’s a priority. Even the additional commute time is a form of pratyahara (yogic “turning inward”), as it bookends your practice and separates it from the rest of your day. If we want to extract the most from our precious time on the mat, we have to consider all the elements that make yoga more than just stretching and strengthening our bodies.

We have done our best to accommodate everyone and keep our commitment to safe, intelligent yoga practice. We will continue to offer a very limited number of online-only classes for students who cannot practice in the studio. We look forward to welcoming many more of you, finally, into our beautiful new space for Fall Term and being together as a community again.

We will send out requests for intentions starting Monday, July 19. If you were not with us for Spring Term, please contact the office to register.

Namaste,

Beth Paxson