The following is YM record of events/communications to our practitioners and protocols/mitigation updates/ focuses over this era since 11/3/2020 : CONTAGION ‘MITIGATION’ PLAN is a separate document.
29/4/22 ~ ‘De-escalation’ measures continue… Public Health guidance strongly recommends that Islanders continue to isolate if symptomatic or positive with COVID-19. The legal requirement has now been removed from law. “Deputy Medical Officer for Health, Dr Ivan Muscat, talks about the new phase of the pandemic and reminds Islanders that they should keep doing the right thing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Islanders should continue to book a PCR test and isolate when symptomatic or positive, test with LFTs twice weekly or before visiting high risk settings, and keep up to date with vaccinations.” “Public Health Intelligence team will change their COVID-19 reporting frequency. The last daily update will be published on Friday 29 April, after which time the daily publication of statistics will change to weekly, with COVID-19 statistics being published every Thursday on gov.je/coronavirus.”
7/2/22 ~ Govt led contact tracing ceases
1/2/22 ~ Covid-19 De-escalation commences: Masks – no longer mandatory. Contact tracing for businesses – no longer legally required
4/1/22 ~ Masks become ‘mandatory’ again. Omicron.
26/8/21 ~ ****26 August 2021 Jersey enters ‘Stage 7’**** Whilst some of the protocols that our practitioners have had to engage with each class are being relaxed we urge our practitioners to continue to be vigilant regarding their respiratory hygiene habits and to continue to be conscious of the needs of the other Yogi practitioners around them (this is a fundamental Yogic practice). Should ‘the covid climate’ start to change in Jersey again (i.e. if things start to move in an uncertain direction) we reserve our right as a responsible business to re-introduce any or all of our compulsory protocol practices for our Yogis within our premises at short notice. Even if the local gov’t action on that front for the wider Island is ‘lagging’ behind our decision we respectfully ask all our practitioners (new and existing) to RESPECT our decision KNOWING that all decisions we make at the studio are with the safety of our broader base of practitioners at the fore of our minds and also in the interests of keeping our doors open so that all our practitioners will have a safe space to practice in.
ALWAYS: DO NOT COME TO CLASS IF you have just had a covid test/awaiting results OR you have had contact with someone testing positive and are awaiting to have your test PLEASE DO NOT COME UNTIL required period is up for such scenarios OR you have been given the ‘all clear’ and fulfilled any isolation requirement. ALSO see our existing protocols re ‘Symptomatic Yogis’ and ‘Travelling Yogis’ (in our ‘Contagion Mitigation Plan‘ which remain in place).
OBVIOUSLY behind the scenes we will continue to maintain our robust sanitising regime before every single class as part of how we honor our Yoga students.
4/7/21 ~ Isolation requirements have changed/relaxed. In line with our existing CMP where we have already requested practitioners who have been in contact with positive cases to not come to class until they have been given an ‘all clear’, we again respectfully ask our practitioners who may have been direct ‘contact traced’ to not come to YM until they have had a ‘negative’ day ‘0’ result.
14/6/21 ~ Stage 7 of the Jersey gov’t ‘roadmap’ to recovery. Diary entry: What a let down! Certainly something is not right about our Gov’t approach. Our ‘business’ has followed sector guidance and our own protocols (resulting from that guidance and best practice) to the letter since we reopened a year ago. As a ‘business’ we weirdly suddenly feel less supported (by gov’t choices) more EXPOSED and more nervous about getting ‘contact traced’ right now than we have ever over the last year because of the gov’ts current approach; We don’t understand how the ‘risk management’ brains making the decisions could not have anticipated this current scenario (borders open, numbers rising, nearly {900} in isolation) and created a better order of events for stage 7. We had been so excited about ‘Stage 7’ for months (even when many we spoke to didn’t know what ‘stage 7’ was; we were keeping a close eye on the ‘map’; looking forward to letting go of some of our protocols (including ‘masks’ knowing that masks would no longer be mandatory in the wider world around our studio we hoped maybe just maybe we would be in a position to let them go from our own unique premises protocols); but it is all just ‘too messy’ and uncertain out there! Common sense dictates that we hold on to most of our protocols just a bit longer (distancing and restricted numbers OF COURSE, but masks, tape lines, no change room, promoting good respiratory hygiene all still with us for the moment); we will play it ‘one day at a time’ folks. NO ONE is looking forward to releasing us all from these protocols at the studio more than us! but the best we can offer as a ‘nudge’ in the right direction is releasing us from taking the temperature on entry; so we would appreciate it is the few would not give us a hard time about this; we are just a tiny business trying to navigate our way through these messy times and make sure we still have a space we can all practice in! Thank you.
15/3/21 ~ Post 17: ~ Sector reopening 15 March 2021 with restrictions including 2 metres distancing. Announcing new Terms, Policies, Procedures for Booking, Waitlisting and Cancellation. Announcing Momoyoga arrival! CV has changed everything abot how we operate and some of the changes are forever changes! Full blog: REOPENING 15th MARCH 2021
18/2/21 ~ Post 16: ~ WHY ARE OUR DOORS STILL CLOSED?? FIRST TO CLOSE LAST TO OPEN. WHY?
2/2/21 ~ Post 15: ~ ! Warning ! If you are at risk of sector lockdown BOREDOM and there are acrylic pens to hand this could result in ‘Verschlimbesserung’. This cool German word means attempting to improve something but making it worse (some might think this word was invented for Brexit process but I assure you it existed long before). This poor YM picture frame is currently suffering the effects of ‘Verschlimmbesserung’ and this state will probably be ongoing because of course if you are suffering from ‘Verschlmmbessrung’ you tend to persist, don’t you! {Well. What is one to do after tidying the knicker drawer and dusting the lightbulbs!!!} There is, of course, always eating to be done and the German’s have another cool word to help me out there: ‘Kummerspeck’ literally meaning ‘grief bacon’ and refers to the extra weight you might put on after a bout of emotional eating. Those suffering heartbreak aren’t the only ones at risk of ‘Kummerspeck’. Many people also turn to food for comfort when they’re going through periods of boredom, stress or exhaustion….But right now I’ve got my acrylic pens… prayers for the frame… Om Om Om Verschlimmbesserung in Progress…
21/1/21 ~ Post 14: ~ “OH THE ARABESQUES A HOPE CAN DO”… {I do love a bit of Anglund} ~ Each day more and more peeps messaging to find out when we think we can reopen (we sense hopefulness in every message that we might know something they don’t) and we understand exactly why you are missing your group class. Please be assured that when we know we will let you know as a priority. If you do hear announcement from govt that you think affects us and if it is not about some focus group/recreation/or other sector and is truly about our sector then please trust us to be all over it and please give us a few hours to get our house in order before we send out our communication to our beloved practitioners. Remember, just like last time it will be 0-100mph in 3 seconds flat for us when the gov’t says we can reopen, but rest assured we WILL do OUR announcement correctly and promptly and there will be no delay in getting our doors open (it will be on the day they say we can; not a minute later)! We are on pins and needles this whole time of our sector lockdown; we are all keen to get back to Bikram Yoga school! Passage of time brings us closer to that moment when we will all be together again; hang on in there Bikram/Ghosh Yogis. We miss you too xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
2 December 2020 ~ Post 13: ~ We are feeling sucker punched folks; we are being bombarded with texts but I only got the news as I came out of class I need to eat and shower. We followed the rules to the letter in order to be doing our bit to contribute to keeping the Island open and running and keeping our practitioners and us safe and yet… here we are. LAST 2 CLASSES RUNNING TOMORROW THURSDAY {3/12/20} 9.30AM & 6PM Sadly our charity classes postponed (we were so looking forward to those little in house events). We believe our government has got this one terribly wrong. When this started I asked if they would have an inspector to visit premises to give a sign off to opening (like they did in Guernsey) we wanted someone to come and evaluate our efforts and high standards; but no that was not a route our gov’t was interested in. Ours is a highly controlled covid secure environment with state of the art ventilation. We spend 2 hours sanitizing for every class (be it 45 minutes or 90 minutes or Ghosh) I‘m sweating dettol. It is like the whole process required has been to put up barriers to what we actually offer BUT somehow you and us overcame all that so that we could get on to our mats where the magic happens. The positive healthy Yoga effect makes ALL the extra effort we have to put in right now worth it and now they are taking something important away from our people. Consider the good mental hygiene that our practice supports along with the physicalbenefits. The diverse healthfitness sector in Jersey that our Yoga is considered part of; WHY they want to take this away at a time when it is more vital than ever to maintain good mental & physical health. Their action will actually exacerbate all the other issues that travelled in with covid (mental health issues, depression, anxiety, weakened immune systems etc). We feel like the government is ‘inflicting’ a different type of unwellness on people; they haven’t got the balance right. We don’t get it. We just don’t get it. We will stay in touch…
16 November 2020 ~ Post 12: We ALL have a part to play! NO MAN IS AN ISLAND. YM Mitigation Plan in line with best practice, gov’t guidance & COMMON SENSE. We’ve adhered to all requirements placed upon us/business exhausting as some of them are. WE UNDERSTAND our personal responsibilities to help prevent risk of infection transmission. In line with our sector guidance we daily ENCOURAGE INDIVIDUALS TO TAKE REASONABLE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY & PHYSICAL DISTANCING & CLEANLINESS which guidance also requires responsibility, distancing & hygiene to be “PROMOTED BY INSTRUCTOR AT BEGINNING AND THROUGH ALL CLASSES”. We also remind practitioners ‘online’ of the part they play in how we minimize risk in our school. Common sense tells us that some peeps with so many worries now do need reminders outside of class environment to enable them absorb & prepare. REMEMBER besides obvious DISTANCING & MASKS practitioners MUST have 5 items withthem EVERY class, one of which is TISSUES; these are 1 simple part of our plan in our school to PROMOTE GOOD RESPIRATORY HYGIENE PRACTICES on our premises (see Mitigation Plan 4moreonthis). TISSUES NOT OPTIONAL every person coming to 1st class since lockdown was ‘text asked’ to read Mitigation Plan, Familiarize with Protocols & BRING TISSUES. These 5items part of our ‘Terms’ of offering service for the duration of this covid era. When u do not bring ur tissues (or equivalent) with u to class u are ignoring our respectful request/terms and also putting YM in a position of being potentially non-compliant with its own protocols. PLEASE don’t do that to us, we find having chats with the few individuals about this painful (reminding them of the how, why and what of our protocols). Yes we have tissues at studio but please demonstrate that u are part of mitigation by planning & bringing your own. USE THEM too! Don’t cough into hand folks; that old etiquette archaic; use tissue or crook of elbow; don’t freak people out that are ‘distanced’ but ‘near’ you by doing anything otherwise. YES we have handsanitiser by doors; but so much better if u made the new etiquettes part of ur Yoga practice to honor those around u. Namaste, Trisha & Darren
7 October 2020 ~ Post 11: REMINDER: The days of catching your cough/sneeze in your hand are gone. Please. When in class use your tissue to ‘catch it’ and keep used tissue safe until you can ‘bin it kill it’. If u cannot get to ur tissue on time please use elbow crook as per current standard. If you inadvertently use your hand, signal the instructor who will be happy to immediately bring you hand sanitizer. All part of the service. Love you all. Please look after yourselves.
2 October 2020 ~ Post 10: IF BLACK STREET DOOR IS CLOSED PLEASE DO NOT OPEN IT WE ARE NOT READY TO RECEIVE YOU YET! Covid restrictions and management has affected how we operate on some very fundamental levels that probably has not even entered the minds of those in government that create the restrictions but that is for each business to navigate alone. We are very sad that at this time we cannot open our doors the one hour before evening classes that we did for the previous 9 years we have been operating. We know some loved to come the hour early, read a book, relax… but between the extra hygiene/sanitizing pressures AND the ‘play & go’ guidance it just does not work at present. We are conscious that the weather has changed very much this week and every day we have had some practitioners placing hands on the black street door handle to walk in 10/15 minutes earlier than we are open. This has interrupted sanitising protocols and pained me greatly to ask them to reverse back out until we are ready, where we would never have had to for the previous 9 years of us being open; see the negative affect these restrictions have on our business? This does get us down. PLEASE time your arrival Yogis. PLEASE if the black street door is not open, do not turn the handle on it, we are not ready inside to receive you yet. We will be running around behind the scenes to make sure everything is in good order and that your Yoga school remains covid secure for you and your class. {Think! The proverbial calm swan paddling furiously under the water just out of sight to ensure that ALL you see is the ‘proverbial calm swan’ 
~ Well all those people this week have seen the ‘furious paddling’ ; and I am not a graceful paddler, yes I am quite Awkward really! THE STREET DOOR WILL BE PROPPED OPEN (ONE LESS TOUCH SURFACE FOR YOU TO ENGAGE WITH) FOR 30 MINUTES PRIOR TO EACH CLASS TO ADMIT YOU. Thank You for helping us navigate these times by engaging with our protocols (all in our ‘Contagion Mitigation Plan’ on our website)
16 August 2020 ~ Post 9: ~LIGHT ON: CHANGE ROOM STILL CLOSED ~ For those coming to YM like, 4.EVER 😆 have u ever known us 2b doin what others r doin? We’ve always served our offerings in a personal way. Every so often someone rocks up expressing expectation that we be serving up like a gym model or a corporate yoga model. We are neither. Lately, in the time of covid, a few trying to impose others covid modus operandi (or lack of) on us as something aspirational for us. Bear in mind that if a person feels inconvenienced we reserve the right to do what is safest for all including ourselves and right now we are keeping Change room CLOSED. If you think our standard rigid to what you experience elsewhere please pause: We’re actually doing what is intended by our sector guidance and we are not trying to manuever around, find loopholes or turn a blind eye. We have acknowledged our responsibilities and what guidance is saying to us in our unique premises and we are honoring it; and in doing so we honor ourselves and our practitioners. You can’t cherrypick ‘when’ to apply protocols to suit an individual’s ‘want’ or convenience. These are the YM standard; no exceptions. We are small Yoga school with the owners on the ground EVERY CLASS overseeing EVERYthing that goes on, Sanitising EVERY touch surface, Registering EVERY practitioner on personal basis and in the time of covid this is actually BIG POSITIVE when it comes to mitigation. Nobody gets past reception door without engaging with the protocols; so for the person who forgets themselves in the moment we are there to remind, get them back in the mitigation mindset. TALES of what ‘others do’ do not influence us; they don’t run our school. Our focus is: keep you & us SAFE. So no! We will not drop our protocol standards under this kind of pressure so PLEASE talk about Yoga, practice, technique and not about how inconvenienced one is by still having to wear a mask walking through YM or not being able to fill up a water bottle (when should have brought adequate supplies) or not been allowed into the change room at this time (temporary). Yes at level 1 changing rooms around the Island were allowed to open but bear in mind there is STILL gov’t sector guidance that we STILL adhere to and in the spirit of that guidance our single change room does not fall into ‘open’ category. In that halfhour before class we don’t have the time (fallow 10 mins ‘tween use) don’t have staff (one instructor) to do a clean down and NO we will not handover responsibility of what some call ‘wipedowns’ to our practitioners? KNOWing well that many struggle with so much on their minds to remember to bring masks or put their mat on the line for distancing (ALL of which we get a visual of and can correct) we cannot take the risk of a ‘changer’ (who is out of our sight) overlooking a touch surface to wipe down. We feel safer because of our way of doing things. Yes YOU WILL STILL CHANGE at YM but it will be a different kind of Change 😉 Namaste Trisha & Darren
8 August 2020: Jersey enters Level 1
5 August 2020 ~ Post 8: ~LIGHT ON: MASKs ~ In a world of uncertainty, contradiction, inconsistency, conspiracy theorys sometimes you just have to take a view or you will be immobilized. A lot of science and studies say masks are effective in reducing spread particularly ‘from’ infected persons. Until there is some compelling evidence otherwise WE take the view that in our particular space the ‘MASK ON’ is the most important protocol to help with risk reduction. Regardless of personal view or ‘chillaxed nature’ of anyone who chooses to enter our premises, they MUST understand that MASK ON is part of YMs compliance with spirit of gov’t guidance and subsequently part of your compliance with our protocols. Please respect our wish that it be ‘on’ before entering our lobby. Type of mask? Well that is personal; however masks with one way valves really only protect you not those around you and that is not the point of our protocols; please read our blogs on Yoga fundamental ‘Ahimsa’. WHY wouldn’t you wear your mask? You can’t forget; there is a sign on our doorstep ‘Pause’ Mask On. You’ve been to us 3 times since lock down? Then you KNOW ‘Mask On’. We do not want to be in the business of selling masks or profiteering at this time; We will NEVER sell you a mask. Yes it has been pointed out to us that potentially it is a revenue stream and many kind folk who have forgotten their mask have offered to pay. We DON’T WANT that money; we never want to be in the business of mask selling; We want to in instruct Yoga. But masks cost money and if you forget yours our tiny business is absorbing that cost so PLEASE organize your Yoga bag and have your mask and tissues in it as the norm. WHEN WE WEAR OUR MASKS not only are we protecting ourselves we are honoring those around us who, although they may never say, feel safer and ARE safer because of your mask and theirs but mostly because of yours. NOBODY knows who carries virus. You cannot pick someone out in a crowd and say “that person is the one who needs to wear a mask” so at YM we ALL wear them. We want our little Yoga school to be the safest place for YOU on the planet besides your own home. It is easy, think, ‘I am at Yoga school’, ‘I am practicing honoring myself and honoring my neighbouring Yogis right to feel safe around me’ (they will be doing the same for you). So. Pause. Mask On. Namaste, Trisha & Darren
9 July 2020 ~ Post 7: ~ LIGHT ON: the temperature gun ~ It is our optional extra within our contagion mitigation plan. We have not been told to use it BUT we have not been told we should not use it either. We have clearly stated within our plan that we are NOT medical people but if the TG is good enough for our dentist and doctor reception to use (these are smarter people than us) then it is good enough for us. We are highly conscious of ALL THE VARIABLES surrounding the efficacy of identifying high temperature that this device may or may not pick up on (asymptomatic etc); we are not stupid people. We have many thoughts and feelings about this device ourselves but this little device has provided us with another opportunity within our current practices that many may not have thought of; it is part of a ‘SLOWING DOWN/PROTOCOLS AHEAD ritual’ as people travel in towards their ultimate destination of the studio room. (1) PAUSE at the lobby door put MASK ON (2) PAUSE before reception door SANITISE HANDS, (3) step over the threshold into reception do temperature check, ALL PART OF slowing people down and getting their heads in that space for DIFFERENT BEHAVIOURS IN YOGA SCHOOL to protect those around them. It serves a purpose for the moment. So far nobody has presented with a temperature OR if you like the TG hasn’t identified a red alert scenario that may or may not be covid symptom; if it did register a Hi it is very simple, the person (who will have their mask on) won’t be able to move any further into our studio environment. All who have read our protocols should understand that these are the conditions in which we have to operate at the moment. IF a person was asymptomatic and got past the TG then all things being equal and everybody following the rest of our protocols WHICH WE BELIEVE ARE FAR MORE IMPORTANT IN OUR RISK MANAGEMENT than the TG, then we will have mitigated the risks as best as anyone can. Yes we have thought about it and will revisit it frequently; we may well decide to drop it at some point but please continue to engage with our protocols which are actually your protocols too 😉 LOVE you all and want you to stay well xxxx
19 June 2020 ~ Post 6: THANK YOU to all our practitioners. We have been open one week today and they have been so tolerant of and engaging with the protocols; we understand everyone is coming to us from a world that seems so much more relaxed about protocols than we are (we are out in that world too! We see everything too). We might seem like the ‘protocol police’ J but our gov’t sector guidance quite specific e.g “nothing will be passed to/from the instructor to the user…” Please understand that whilst ‘guidance’ is not ‘law’ should anything crop up as an issue in the future non following of such guidance can VERY much be used against us YM (not you). We are risk averse at YM and WE WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO REMAIN CLOSE TO YOU! Some of you have been a few times now and have the process down to a fine art already! Before you know it things will change again. In the meantime WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL for your patience. Please continue to book via text 07797 838376 to secure one of the limited spaces. Minden car park still no parking time restriction ad free until end of June hence busy; please bear that in mind. See ya!! #familyrunlocalbusiness #tinysmallbusiness
9 June 2020 ~ Post 5: NOT THERE… YET… So following on from the meeting today they are going to disentangle ‘breath’ and ‘sweat’ and treat them as two different things for the purposes of guidance (I am looking forward to seeing the new draft wording on this) however the little matter of intensity is the main thing that is going to prevent us from opening at this moment because as we all know what we do IS challenging and that is much of the point of why we practice! How many times have you heard me say “we don’t do this stuff ‘cos its easy” 
So until they revise the guidance including the current limit of RPE-3 we are ‘paused’. (Anything 1-3 on the RPE scale is like the equivalent of going for a walk and chatting with your friend.) There are others in our sector that this limit also poses a big problem for. They have taken our views away for discussion and we hope to hear back soon. We will keep you all updated. THANK YOU ALL so much for your forbearance. Namaste, Darren & Trisha
5 June 2020 ~ Post 4: 🔥 ANNOUNCEMENT 🔥 This is it! ~ Friday 12th June ~ Are you ready? The attached is a very long ‘Learn’ blog that reflects our Risk Assessment and Risk Mitigation plan and everything you need to know about how YM will be operating for the foreseeable future; You KNOW at YM ‘Transparency’ is our thing! 🔥 Throughout the coming week WE WILL BE POSTING pictures, clips and bitesize TIPS on the new ‘contagion mitigating behaviours’ all to help YOU FEEL prepared and comfortable easing yourself back into your YM routine. We are so HAPPY and excited to be able to WELCOME YOU BACK to our little Yoga school. Bikram Hot Yoga Schedule as normal. https://yogamattersjersey.uk/plan/
3 April 2020 ~ my comment on Jersey Small Business page … I asked JB why my activities were not included in phase 1 (it didn’t make sense this is my full time employment not a hobby, is how I pay my tax social security, mortgage and food on the table); as a responsible business owner considering the welfare of the vulnerable in our community we closed our doors on 20th March” etc. The response I got was “gov’t made a decision on phase 2 to include businesses in first wave of disruption e.g. from travel restrictions; business disrupted by later restrictive measures have largely been included in phase 2.” AGAIN I think the language they were using around that time 20/3 “should” and “advise” was DELIBERATE (and devious) action on gov’t part to absolve themselves of any future responsibility towards a lot of small businesses doing the right thing and closing without being decreed to close (especially one like mine which is a close-contact business); I think this is criminal and negligent on gov’t part. Like many I get a bit fat zero from SS because I have capital in the form of a mortgage on our premises; I have been excluded from phase 1 co funding and I won’t know until end of April beginning of May if whatever criteria they impose re co-funding phase 2 will mean I am eligible / ineligible to get anything at that point I will have been six weeks ‘not knowing’. I know so many with exact same and/or similar scenario on this page; are there any lawyers here who might pass comment on whether an action can be brought against our local gov’t. The argument that no-authority ‘knows’ or could have known how to handle this just isn’t washing with me; especially Jersey at that point being (apparently but not really because no tests were being done) two weeks behind UK meant they should have been ahead in preparations; surely it is negligence on their part not to have a dummy plan in place for such a scenario as a pandemic (who didn’t see that BBC documentary 2 years ago ‘contagion; the next pandemic’ experiment to help plan for the next pandemic which experts have being saying for decades “not a case of IF but a case of ‘WHEN’” is it just me or did not many ‘presume’ that this is the sort of thing a small island gov’t would have in place (just like all large corporates locally have to have (under regulations and codes of practice issued by this gov’t) a business continuity plan, say in 2 parts? part 1 being priority contain the virus/protect weak/vulnerable part 2. for the economy all sectors including small buseinss/self employed, unemployed etc; where is the Island Continuity plan section on pandemics. Todays rant over; but seriously if anyone has a legal view on this… {ps… just want to balance my post with a little BM philosophy…(‘cos it can all feel a bit toxic sometimes) 
“don’t let them change ya, or even rearrange ya”… hope all you small business owners/self employed have a decent weekend x}
NOW Mother Nature has forced us to pause and reflect; we will cultivate peace and practice what we teach… (and maybe chase a few rainbows 😉 If there is one thing WE HOPE we have imparted to you, in our classes and by our teaching methods, it is that we are not the sun around which your personal practice revolves; your practice rewards have ALWAYS been the result of YOUR effort! This testing time you are allowed to make your own path and YOU ABSOLUTELY SHOULD.
If you are a current regular practitioner you will have/shortly be invited to participate in our ‘Yoga Matters Lock In’ on FB where our little Yoga family will muddle through these strange times together and you can laugh as Trisha and Darren get themselves TOTES out of their comfort zone!
We miss you already. Xxx
17 March 2020 ~ Post 2: OUR LATEST CHANGES ~ ALREADY IN EFFECT at, or ordered for our Yoga school:
🔥 TOWELS ~ Since last Thursday we have a large supply of individual use towels for hand drying; please place in purple basket after use.
🔥TINNED WATER available soon ~ Whilst we stopped selling single use plastic bottles last year as part of our commitment to being plastic free; {You are supposed to bring your own water folks!} we have noticed the number of people forgetting to bring water has increased; we had a system of lending them bottles to fill. WE HAVE ALWAYS been ultra hygiene conscious and those used bottles were never just rinsed; they were always brought home and sterilized with Milton AND scalded (WE-JUST-LIKE-HYGIENE). HOWEVER we just don’t feel comfortable with that system at a time like this so we are expecting a supply of tinned water soon.
🔥REDUCED CLASS SIZE: Whilst no decree has been issued about social distancing for healthy under 65s we prepared our floor space early Monday to prep for reducing our class size; you have/will noticed new ‘silver stickers’ for new mat placement; booking is recommended but we are going to hold a few spaces each class back for drop ins until people have got used to the idea of booking to secure their space.
🔥 WE WILL CONTINUE our daily extra vigilant cleaning/sanitizing practices but of course combating this is a joint effort and so we further reiterate PLEASE:
🙏USE THE HAND SANITISER in the lobby before putting a hand on our reception door handles.
🙏 INVEST IN YOUR OWN MAT; and if you do please buy one of ours to help support a small local business.
🙏Read our ‘HAVE YOU GOT ISSUES WITH YOUR TISSUES’ BLOG; for a prompt on tissue behaviour in studio 😉
🙏Stay HYDRATED and keep your throat moist
🙏 Look after yourselves folks!
Om Om Om we STILL have loo roll
11 March 2020 ~ Post 1: You know we LOVE to keep our studio PRISTINE for our practitioners; it’s the least we can do for those who choose our services.
OF COURSE we will be upping the ante (just like everywhere else we are sure) wiping door handles, tap handles, toilet flushes, changing soaps/towels even more extra steam cleaning mats and disinfecting all surfaces in studio {13/3/20: individual hand towels now in the toilets; please place them in the basket}
WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND if you like this Yoga practice that you INVEST IN YOUR OWN YOGA MAT and the ones we sell at the studio come highly recommended (judging from the numbers of studios in the UK who are currently mixing us up with the UK retailer lately and tagging us in on their recommendation to buy the ‘Yogamatters mat’; they are our chosen mat to sell at the studio and come in some nice colors for £20 each.
We are no more expert in this virus than you are folks so please don’t ask us. We are confident about all the steps we are taking and we TRUST our practitioners to be all over the best current hygiene practices/advice and to be self regulating; there is loads of information online. We respect everybodies personal decisions that they make to keep themselves safe.
We do understand it doesn’t like sun, heat or humidity; we can certainly provide 2 of these conditions for you! We know regular Bikram Yogis have super strong immune systems!
We have been plastic free and using eco products since we returned to Rue De Funchal but we are going to give ourselves a pass for the duration of this crisis and will use and do what is necessary to KEEP OUR STUDIO A SAFE SPACE AT MICROBE LEVEL and also keep our practitioners comforted on that front. We KNOW that good old fashioned soap is perfectly adequate tool in the hygiene battle but some just cannot do without the comfort of antibacterial handwash (even though this is a virus and not bacteria); we haven’t had time to make our own and there is conflicting advice about the efficacy of making your own and we had to make a quick decision and we bought some until everything calms down.
WHAT WE ASK FROM YOU:
- Before you place a hand on our reception door handle please use the hand sanitiser in the lobby (on a table, you can’t miss it) and have a little pause and a sanitiser hand massage before entering reception.
- INVEST IN YOUR OWN MAT; and if you do please buy one of ours to help support a small local business. Read our blog on mat hygiene.
- Please READ OUR ‘HAVE YOU GOT ISSUES WITH YOUR TISSUES’ BLOG; for a prompt on tissue behaviour in studio 😉
- Please don’t put any used tissues on our floor in class; please take away your own tissues.
- Please try pay online for your classes folks.
- Stay hydrated folks!
Om Om Om WE HAVE LOO ROLL 🙂
Darren & Trisha
11/3/20
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