If you're anything like me, your weekly fitness classes are a huge part of your routine. They keep me fit, healthy, and sane. Honestly, these classes help my mental health stay in tip-top shape just as much as they help my physical health.
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, gyms and fitness studios are facing temporary closure. Yes, this means my personal routine is thrown a curveball, but this also means the wellness industry is one of many that is looking at unemployment and hardship. Do I miss my Monday spin class? Of course. But do the wellness professionals whose worlds were flipped upside down have a lot more to overcome than a slight change of routine? Absolutely. Thankfully, if anyone can prove the ultimate flexibility, it's the wellness industry.
I'm talking to wellness professionals to learn how COVID-19 has impacted their lives, as well as how they're adjusting how they teach to make quarantine a little healthier for all of us. Today, I chatted with Lindsay Pirozzi, a yoga teacher in New York City.
What do you teach?
I've taught yoga and meditation since 2008. I am currently teaching online due to COVID-19, but I was previously working for Y7 Studio in NYC and hOM, also based in NYC.
Why did you start teaching?
Yoga had a profound effect on my emotional health and life in general. I wanted to give back everything I gained.
What do you love most about teaching?
The fact that we can heal from the outside in, due to this practice, is what I love the most.
What is the current state of your studio?
My studio has closed. I am teaching classes virtually.
What virtual classes are you offering? How can people find those classes?
Tuesday: Vinyasa at 6:30 p.m. EST
Wednesday: Traditional Yin Yoga 7 p.m. EST
Thursday: Y7 Inspired Vinyasa 6:30 p.m. EST (All on Zoom.)
I have private sessions, meditation seminars, EFT Tapping Workshops, too!
Follow me on Instagram, send me an email, or check out my website!
What is your biggest takeaway regarding COVID-19?
The biggest eye-opener of this entire experience is how underrated, underpaid, and undervalued the health and wellness field is. People are seeking out yoga and meditation to soothe their emotional distress from quarantine, etc., proving that the necessity of our field should be treated differently.
What long-term effects do you see COVID-19 having on the wellness industry?
I pray we can open up soon and slowly increase class sizes, but I do also hope people adapt to virtual classes — it's been nice to connect with people from all over.
What is one thing you want the world to know about the wellness industry in light of COVID-2019?
Two things. Your practice doesn't have to plateau at this time. My clients have been please with the transition to Zoom. Secondly, your favorite instructors are scared right now. We've thankfully been supported by Unemployment Insurance and the Pandemic Act that was passed but that will end soon, at the end of July, and from there we are hoping you seek us out.
If you are a wellness professional interested in sharing your story, please email lily.moe@theodysseyonline.com.
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