I was pretty lucky scoring a teaching job right out of my teacher training in 2014. Maureen Oar, from the Yoga Loft, contacted me right after I graduated and offered me a sub position, taking over another teacher's class for three weeks before the schedule changed for the season. It was a great opportunity for a brand new teacher and I accepted immediately. The substitute position turned into a full time class in the summer and I added another class the following winter. Over the seven years I taught at the Loft, I added a few more classes, built a large and dedicated student following, taught and co-taught multiple workshops; and took for granted that life would continue just like this forever.

And then March 2020 happened. Whispers of the Corona Virus and mentions of a global pandemic had been talked over or scoffed about for a few months. When the Washington State Governor finally made the call for a complete lock-down in mid-March, my fellow yoga teachers and I scrambled to figure out Zoom and get our classes online. We all spoke in horrified tones about the possibility of no in person classes until the Summer. How completely and utterly naive we all were. As weeks stretched into months, it began to look more and more like online teaching was our new normal. I didn't mind, even enjoying the lack of commute and not having to pay for parking. Teaching on Zoom worked really well for my family. The kids would be in their rooms, doing their school work, while I taught out in the living room.

In the beginning, participation was great. My numbers were high, not in person class high, but a good turn-out. Myself and the others decided to offer classes by donation, to make classes as accessible as possible to everyone; knowing that many were out of work during the lockdown. In the beginning, thanks to generous donations, my income remained the same. But as more and more time went by, student numbers began to dwindle. In the fall of 2020, several teachers spoke of returning to in person teaching, only to experience a surge in the infection rates and another partial lockdown. Mo finally had to make the decision to let the Yoga Loft studio space go. The owners couldn't keep paying the costly rent when we had no idea when things would return to normal.

I continued to teach online, keeping a steady schedule. My numbers kept going down, many students got sick of Zoom and also didn't want to practice in person with masks. That was even if I had found a space to teach out of. My saving grace, throughout it all, was a small and committed group of students who were grateful for the ability to practice online. Their kind words kept me sane and engaged. The schedule enabled me to move forward every day and knowing I would see their names pop up on Zoom often helped me get out of bed, when depression and anxiety made it seem easier to not get up. The consistent donations of those dedicated few allowed me to continue to contribute to my family's income. I'm a stay at home parent, who homeschools my two daughters, and my part time teaching income is a huge help to our (essentially) one income household. It's helped me pay for my daughter's braces and to fix my car. I am so unbelievably grateful for those amazing few students who have stuck with me this long.

It was a bit of a humbling experience to go from teaching to classes of 20-30 to teaching to classes of 1 or 2. These days, a class of 8 or 9 is cause for celebration. I have definitely had to adjust my definition of a successful class. The size of the class doesn't matter as much as the connection, virtual though it may be. I think that this was an important lesson for me. I have seen a glimpse into student's living rooms, bed rooms and closets. I've met their pets and their children. I've had students abroad practice with me. The farthest student practiced with me from Libya, joining us in the morning, as she was getting ready for bed. I received a beautiful note from one couple that they took a gentle breathing class with me as they spent their final evening with their beloved dog. They knew they had to put their sweet baby down the next day, but practiced with me anyway. They told me that their pet came and lay with them as they practiced and seemed to find some ease. This may be the best outcome of any class I've ever taught and I will remember it always. I have many of these stories from the pandemic and they all bring me comfort.

I am currently navigating the return to in person classes and the challenges that come with that. I'm not sure what that will look like. I'm tentatively planning a hybrid of teaching in person and online and figuring out all the quirks that relate to that. I hope to keep online teaching in my life. I enjoy it. I don't know what extent it will play as we move forward, but I will always be so grateful to have had it during this experience.