As we are all dealing with the rapidly evolving disruptions in our daily lives due to the coronavirus pandemic, I’ve been wondering about the silver lining. I received an email this morning about an upcoming course and thought I’d share some of the content:

“While we are currently mostly concerned about how we can prevent becoming infected with the COVID-19 virus, there is a silver lining: If we focus on preventive measures derived from lifestyle medicine to strengthen immunity and reduce risk of infection, these same measures can also help us prevent common long-term age-related health issues.”

“Yoga, we might say, is the first form of lifestyle medicine, i.e. the systematic application of simple daily measures to prevent disease, foster greater health, and even slow aging.”

“As you use yogic techniques to improve well-being, you also build greater strength and immunity against disease. As you build greater strength and immunity against illness, you also reduce your risk of age-related chronic diseases and slow the rate at which your body ages. It's all one package.”

The practice of social distancing and only leaving the house if it’s absolutely necessary (I’m decreasing my risk as much as possible) is making me slow down and think about what’s important in this time of stress and uncertainty. I’ve decided to treat this time as a staycation. I can stay in my pyjamas all day if I so choose. I can study, read, play games, watch movies, and listen to podcasts while still balancing the need to have a routine.

Having a daily routine is helpful in times of stress. With this in mind, I’ve decided to get out of bed at the same time every morning and prepare exactly as if I was heading to an early morning yoga class. I then head downstairs, prepare my mat and props, and bring my focus inward so I can enjoy and benefit from a full 90-minute practice.

This is the silver lining, as mentioned above. I’m committed to building strength, resilience and immunity through my yoga practice in spite of the challenges and disruptions related to the coronavirus pandemic.

With gratitude, compassion, joy and equanimity, I invite you to do the same.

Jeannine

P.S. - Spring Session yoga classes at Studio 71 Yoga scheduled to begin March 28, 2020 are postponed until further notice.