Dear Homegrown Yogis,
“Thank you” and “I don’t know” – these two phrases have probably come out of my mouth more than a thousand times over the last 6 weeks. These same phrases are also ones that have forced me to do a great deal of self work lately – much of which I probably would have chosen to avoid in this lifetime =)
I have always been in the role of helping others and without realizing it, that had become a huge part of who I believed I was. Needed a donation for a fundraising event? I’m your girl! Going through a break-up or family crisis? Call me – I can help! Then suddenly when my own world was flipped upside down, people reached out to me to ask, “how can I help?” They wanted to keep up memberships when the studio doors were closed and help connect me with resources to keep the business afloat. And my reaction? Shame, insecurity, feelings of failure, and guilt… SO. MUCH. GUILT.
I wish I could say that one day I realized how silly I was being, and I just stopped feeling that way – that’s not true. But what is true is that I am learning to say “thank you” without conditions. I am learning that needing help and accepting help doesn’t take away my importance as a human being – it only takes away from my ego’s feeling of importance. I’m learning that if I truly want to be one of those powerful helpers in this world, I need to also have the humility and grace to accept help from others. I’m learning that people want to help and that in refusing it, I am refusing a beautiful gift from them.
I’m also learning that as much as yoga has told me that surrender is the key to spiritual growth and freedom, I have built my world on avoiding exactly that. Answering “I don’t know” to questions central to my business, family and daily life has brought me face-to-face with how much I actually hate the yogic idea of “going with the flow” =) Going with the flow was such a wonderful ideal when the flow was going where I wanted it to go. When it was going towards success and ease and abundance, I was in the flow without paddles. But when the flow led to the studio shutting down and me homeschooling a 6 year old, I wanted to build the biggest dam possible in that flow!
Yet here I am surviving a flow that I cannot control, that I would not have chosen, and that I have no idea where it is taking me and although I may be kicking and fighting some days, I’m beginning to say “I don’t know” with a little more faith and a lot less resistance.
What follows is our plan for the reopening of our studio doors. Expect many “I don’t know’s” and plenty of “thanks you’s” along the way. All of you have protected and cared for us Homegrown teachers and staff in a way that I could have never imagined, and my number one priority is to do the exact same thing in how we open and operate the studio during this time.
We will reopen the Warner Robins studio in a two phase process. The City of Perry has not yet given us a date for the reopening of the Perry Arts Center, but we will let you know as soon as we have one and you can expect a similar process as the one that follows:
Beginning Monday, May 11th we will reopen to our monthly autopay members. If you are an autopay member, you should have been receiving regular correspondence from me over the last few weeks – if you have not been receiving it, please email me at homegrownyogawr@gmail.com as that email list is how you will be notified of classes!
During this first phase:
- I will email all autopay members with the class schedule and you will respond to me to sign-up for classes – we will not be posting our schedule on Mindbody or our website! This change is both to ensure that class sizes stay small and eliminate the need for you to sign-in upon arriving.
- We will run a limited class schedule (see bottom bottom of this post!) with limited class sizes. The limited class schedule is so we can thoroughly clean between classes (more on that below!) and the limited class size is so we can maintain an appropriate distance between mats. When you walk into the studio, you will see tape lines marking off where to set-up your mat!
- Everyone will be required to bring his or her own mat and props during this time. I purchased each autopay member a block that will be yours to keep. You will receive it when you come in for your first studio class. We will not be allowing people to use our public props during this time.
- We will also continue to provide online content for those people who choose not to come to the studio during this time.
- If you are not an autopay member but would like to be notified if there are open class slots, please email me at homegrownyogawr@gmail.com. I will create an email list for those people to be alerted when classes are not filled by autopay members.
In the second phase, we will expand our class schedule and open up registration to non-autopay members:
- During this time, we will still be adhering to strict class size limits to ensure appropriate spacing between mats. We will post our schedule on our website and Mindbody and ask that everyone register in advance for classes to make the sign-in process as smooth and quick as possible.
- We will continue to require that everyone bring his or her own mat and limit public use of props.
Cleanliness has always been a top priority at the studio, and we have recently invested in even more products to take our cleaning efforts to the highest possible standards:
- For your mats, we purchased a Matsana – it is the first ever yoga mat cleaning machine that works with UV technology. It takes about 30 seconds (even quicker than wiping down your mat) and achieves 99.9% bacterial kill in lab tested results. The Matsana is used in yoga studios in major cities across the US and world, and I am so excited to bring it into our little home when we reopen.
- Second, we have worked with a local company to secure a hospital grade disinfectant for our floors that will not irritate skin but will provide exceptional protection. The reason why we will have a limited class schedule when we first reopen is so we can thoroughly mop between each class and allow the floor to fully dry.
If you got to this point in the letter, thank you for reading! It’s important to me to explain the details of our efforts and processes because it’s important for you to make the most well-informed decisions for yourself.
I am always here to talk via email or on the studio line at 478.297.4023. I want to end this letter saying one more time that your generosity and love has meant more than I can put into words, but instead I will leave you with THANK YOU!
With love,
Rachel
Phase 1 schedule (Warner Robins Studio)
Monday at 9:30am: Warm Flow with Rachel
Monday at 6pm: Vinyasa Flow with Lauren
Tuesday at 9:30am: Slow Deep Stretch with Tammy
Tuesday at 6pm: Hot Power Flow with Rachel
Wednesday at 9:30am: Flow Down with Jenny C
Wednesday at 6pm: Vinyasa Flow with Carly
Thursday at 9:30am: Vinyasa Flow with Jenni S
Thursday at 6pm: Yin Yoga with Jenni S
Friday at 9:30am: Vinyasa Flow with Holly
Friday at 6pm: Friday Flow with Rene’
Saturday at 9am: Mantra Movement and Meditation with Tammy
Saturday at 3pm: Hot Power Flow with Rachel
Sunday at 2pm: Vinyasa Flow with Judi
Sunday at 6pm: Slow Deep Stretch with Jamie
No drop-ins allowed during Phase #1. Autopay members will receive a separate email with this schedule and registration details. If you are not an autopay member but would like to be notified if there are open class slots, please email me at homegrownyogawr@gmail.com. I will create an email list for those people to be alerted when classes are not filled by autopay members.