COVID safety plan

Having you back in the studio again is a very exciting prospect. We have missed you.  Unfortunately COVID 19 is a very invisible and sneaky disease. We may not think we have it but the reality is that we don’t know.  I am not going to be casual about this and it is not simply business as usual at BLYS now that classes are starting back up again.

After much consideration I have decided to ask you to bring your own yoga swag (mat, blocks, belt, a blanket and a towel) to classes and then take it home again after class.  I understand that it may be inconvenient but it is ultimately the safest for all of us.

The COVID safety plan below will help maintain a minimum risk for students and teachers at Black Lotus Studios.  The following requirements and practices will mean that you can be confident that we are looking after you when you come to the studio.

• At this stage classes will be limited to 12 students, plus the teacher and sometimes an assistant. To secure your place please book early. Casual attendance will not be possible. You must be booked in and paid online to attend the class.  If, after you have booked you find that you can’t attend please go into the system and cancel your booking at least 2 hours before the class start time. Because there is a ‘waiting list’ this will allow another person to join the class.  Cancellations later than this will not be refunded.
• You will need to bring your own mat, a belt, two blocks, a blanket and a towel.  While this may be inconvenient it will mean that we can all be confident and happy to come to classes.  At this stage you will need to bring your props with you each class rather than leave them at the studio.
• Please observe physical distancing before, during and after the class.
• It is vital that you do not come to class if you have any flu-like or cold symptoms.  As this is one of the early warning signs of the virus we will be taking regular temperature checks on your arrival at the studio.
• Consider wearing your yoga gear to class so you don’t need to use the changing area.  The changing area will be limited to two people at a time.
• Practice good hand hygiene before, during and after class. ‘No touch’ hand sanitiser dispensers will be available throughout the studio and disinfectant liquid soap in the bathroom and kitchen areas.
• There will be no hands-on adjustments by teachers during classes.
• We may still use an occasional chair or bench …. you will be asked to wipe them down with the strong disinfectant available in the studio after class.
• We will minimise use of any studio soft props such as blankets and bolsters. If they are used you will be asked to sanitise your hands before getting them and to place your towel over these props and also to place them separately after the class has finished.
• We are required to keep a record of attendance with contact details for the purpose of tracing COVID-19 infections. Please make sure that your contact details in our online booking system are complete and up to date.
• We will disinfect doors, handles, surfaces and the bathroom area after every class.

Live Stream:

• I am committed to continuing live streaming classes so that if you live far from the studio or are not yet confident enough to come to the studio you can continue to enjoy the support of our teaching.  I will continue to offer a livestream option alongside most of the studio classes.
• Monday night however will be a non live stream class – especially for newcomers or beginners but not exclusively.
• At this stage Thursday night will not live stream.  Talk to Sebastian if you really want to live stream the Thursday class!
• Because the live stream will be from an actual class it might feel a bit different to the current live stream option.  I am confident that it will work just as well.
• We will continue to use Zoom until i am confident that the Mindbody platform will work well.

Class Passes: 

• Because the studio classes and the live streaming are different prices you’ll need to purchase separate passes if you plan to do a mix of the two.
• If ANY of your class passes have expired let me know and I will extend them.
• If you are not working due to COVID or are experiencing financial hardship I am happy to arrange a discount or an exchange.

Props to buy:

• I have purchased a range of props for you to buy at very close to cost price.  These are available to purchase online and pick up when you come to the studio or to buy them when you come to class.
• It may still be possible to borrow my studio props.  However if you can have your own then that is preferable.
• If you borrowed them from me at the beginning of the lockdown please return them now or talk to me about keeping them if you can’t buy your own at this stage.

A volatile and changing situation:

With the active cases in NSW and the problematic situation in Victoria I am aware that NSW may go back into lockdown at any time.  I will of course email you immediately if the studio classes need to go back on hold again.  In this eventuality and you have bought a new pass for the studio classes I hope you are happy to just keep them there in your account until we can again open back up.  All passes are now valid for 12 months and old passes can always be extended.   Of course when the situation improves we will be able to relax around these protocols.