Community is the backbone of your studio. If your students only wanted someone to lead them in a few postures, they’d have stayed home and looked up a class on YouTube. Instead, they have always made the time and taken the effort to drive across town and show up for your yoga classes.
Truth → Community matters to your students!
For the next few weeks or months, connecting within a community will be harder for all of us. Most people are staying home. Some states and countries are on full lock down. Isolation is commonplace.
Your community needs you MORE THAN EVER! Now is the time to lean into building up your community. Together you can spread joy and hope, even during social distancing.
Truth → Right now your focus is not selling yoga classes. It’s all about community.
Create a long-distance yoga experience.
Yoga studios around the world are switching to online classes as their communities experience mandatory or voluntary shut downs. You probably already have all the tech you need to make the switch! It’s easier than it sounds.
For help making the transition check out my article “Make social distancing work for your yoga studio.” It’ll take you through the process, complete with a step-by-step checklist for optimum success.
Taking your studio online is a GREAT first step in keeping your community engaged. But don’t stop there!
If I asked you about the yoga experience at your studio the first thing you’d mention are your awesome yoga classes. It makes sense. People go to a yoga studio to practice yoga…. plus a whole lot more.
Your students come to you for the atmosphere you create as much as the class itself. They love getting to chat with the other students, greeting the teachers and seeing smiles of recognition from your front office staff. They might even enjoy petting the resident dog or checking out your shop.
It’s about the WHOLE experience – the community.
Go BEYOND online classes to create community.
Online classes simply don’t create the same amount of community as in-person classes. There’s no chatting in the changing room, greeting the staff, trading stories about your week or small talk as everyone walks out to the parking lot.
Truth → Your community misses those small day-to-day interactions!
Go above and beyond for your community! People want to embody their higher image of themselves when they’re at home during a time like this. But few ACTUALLY do it. Offer them the opportunity to act in their higher image and they’ll thank you for it.
Truth → Your community deserves the best.
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX! Your community is living a different reality than normal, complete with different distractions. Don’t compete against them… lean in!
People are at home stressing and need to decompress. They want community, but don’t know how to create it beyond scrolling social media. Create it FOR them!
Here are some ideas:
- Teach a meditation class: Try early or late when the kids aren’t up. This could be the only time your members have to focus inwardly without the outside pressure of entertaining stir-crazy children…
- Lean into your Nidra teacher: Your community could really benefit from Nidra practice right now! Highlight it for people who don’t know and bring it to the forefront.
- Showcase your favorite recipes: Everyone is cooking at home these days, whether they want to or not. Live stream yourself cooking or post your favorite easy, healthy recipes. Anything from smoothies to soups.
- Try remote private classes: Yoga is life changing! Your members will want to share it with their partners and children. Now might be the perfect time!
- Relaxing social time: Recreate those easy social moments at the studio with a cocktail hour to unwind at the end of the night, or a yoga café to start the day.
- Game night: Many people enjoy board or dice games. Using an online game platform, you can all play together.
- Watch party: Get on social media and watch a movie at the same time. Have a live commentary in a member’s only Facebook group. This is one situation where virtual might be better… no shushing!
Think about your local culture. What do your members and people in your area like to do? Recreate that! Anything on the fringe but related to wellness and holistic yoga practice is fair game: recipes, mediation, relaxation techniques.
Truth → Everyone deals with isolation differently, and you know best how to help your members through this time.
While you’re taking care of everyone else, don’t forget to take care of yourself. It’s okay for you to exhale. Take a break. Play LEGOs with your kids. Have your own personal practice time. Take a nap after posting a class.
It’s important for you to stay healthy. That means avoiding the virus AND avoiding entrepreneurial burn out. Major burnout has ramifications for your entire business and existence for months. Take it slow if you need to!
Our community of dedicated yogis is here to support YOU. You’re not alone. Check out the webinar recordings in the free series “The Yogapreneur’s Guide to COVID-19″ for the latest information and help with implementation. You’ve got this!
