Returning to "Normal" - Summer News 2021
Happy Summer! Firstly, and most importantly, thank you so much for all of your support and encouragement over this last year-and-a-half. With so many businesses (including yoga studios) closing for good, I feel so incredibly lucky to still be here; and it's all thanks to YOU. I am beyond grateful, and I hope that you always feel safe and welcome here at the studio, because you are!
Please read on for studio news and updates; and see you on the mat!
xo
Steph
Re-Opening Plan
This, I'm sure, is the most important bit of news you were waiting for...I have thought long and hard about the best way to go about opening the studio back up to some semblance of "normal". I know that no decision I make is going to work for everyone, but I hope that at the very least no one feels unsafe or excluded. I of course must follow all CDC and state guidelines, and I am doing my best to keep abreast of scholarly, peer-reviewed research on transmission of COVID-19. As this is a novel virus, scientists are still learning about it also, so our policies may change as more data becomes available.
Pre-Registration - This will no longer be required. Based on the end of capacity restrictions by the CDC and the state, we are no longer required to limit class sizes. At this time, based on recent attendance, I don't think we are in any danger yet of excessively large class sizes (i.e. 30 people!) But, if that changes, we may re-instate pre-registration, at least for the more popular classes.
Masks - I know that many of you are extremely desirous to get rid of your masks, while others are very hesitant about attending class with unmasked people. This is the trickiest issue of them all, since wearing a mask is mostly to prevent you from SPREADING germs, rather than to prevent you from GETTING germs; so we are all dependent on those around us for safety. The CDC has stated that there is extremely low risk of fully vaccinated people spreading COVID. However, they do admit that information is still coming in, and we are still learning about how long immunity lasts after infection or vaccination, and whether the vaccines work against the new variants that are emerging. Preliminary research, as far as I can tell, looks promising -- according to these recent articles HERE and HERE. They suggest that although blood antibodies decline by about 7-11 months after a mild COVID infection, bone marrow plasma cells retain antibodies for much longer, offering the potential for robust, long-lived immunity. Also, individuals who have the full vaccination (i.e., both doses) have a good immune response to the different variants. SO, we will proceed with caution. At this point, I am thinking about June 13 as the starting date for fully vaccinated individuals to remove their masks for class if they so choose. To that end, if you are fully vaccinated (i.e., it has been two weeks since your penultimate shot) you can, at any time now, show your vaccination card or your Excelsior Pass at the studio. I can update this in our software system, so you won't need to show your card every time. If you are not fully vaccinated, or if you do not wish to share your vaccination status, masks will still be required. At this point, there are still no guidelines or information about individuals who had COVID but have not gotten vaccinated -- this is not too surprising, as the CDC and the state's main goal is to get at least 70% of the population vaccinated to reach herd immunity levels, so they are focusing on increasing the vaccination rate. I am guessing that once that goal is reached, they will offer guidance and policies regarding non-vaccinated but antibody-positive individuals.
Breathing - We have been slowly adding back the breathing exercises, mostly on an ad-hoc basis, depending on class size and student comfort levels. As we bring the breathing exercises back into our practice, masks will still be required for both pranayama and khapalbhati, even after June 13.
Why I Feel We Are Safe
I truly feel that we are as safe as an indoor environment can possibly be here at the studio, for a few reasons -- mostly involving the heat, humidity, and air exchange systems we have in place; as well as the nature of the exercise that we do here.
All the research that I have found indicates that the coronavirus does not survive in high-heat conditions. Likewise, aerosol droplets from breathing do not last long in high-humidity conditions. We have both!
Our furnace is equipped with state-mandated MERV-13 filters, which are much finer than standard furnace filters. Our furnace air handler is a 2100 cubic-feet-per-minute (cfm) system; which means that when the furnace is blowing, it completely exchanges the air in the room every 2.5 minutes. While the furnace is running, the air temperature at its output is 173 degrees Fahrenheit (the green line in the graph below), and the temperature of the air coming in to the furnace from the return vents is 109 degrees (the red line in the graph below). So, every 2.5 minutes, the air in the entire room is filtered and heated to 173 degrees while the furnace is on.
Likewise, we have our Lifebreath fresh air exchange system. This is a 450 cfm system, which exchanges the air in the room for fresh air coming in directly from outside. So, while the fresh air machine is running, the air in the yoga room is completely exchanged every 12-16 minutes. So, between these two systems, I feel pretty good about the air quality in the room.
As you also know, yoga is not like other types of exercise, in regard to breathing. Our whole goal is to maintain calm, nasal breathing throughout the entire class (one reason why yoga is so good for the mind - as the breath is the connection between the body and the mind). So, with the exception of pranayama and khapalbhati, we never do any forceful breathing out of the mouth; and we will retain masks for these breathing exercises, even after students may remove their masks for the rest of class.
As we are also requiring documented proof of vaccination, you can rest assured that once we lift the mask requirement, anyone in the class who has their mask off is fully vaccinated.
Please know that everyone is always welcome at the studio! Whether you are vaccinated or not, whether you choose to remove your mask or not -- you are welcome! There are many peer-reviewed studies on how yoga improves immune function, as well as offers myriad physical and psychological benefits. In stressful times, taking care of yourself is so important, and I truly believe that this practice is so beneficial.