SAN ANTONIO – Yoga is a physical practice that can help clear a person’s mind, strengthen muscles, renew one’s spirit and even during COVID-19 restrictions in place, create community.
“(Yoga is) such a form of connection to the people around you,” Jaimee Scope said. “(It’s) understanding that we’re all intros together (and that) no problem is bigger or smaller than the other.”
Jaimee Scope is the owner of Black Swan Yoga San Antonio near downtown. Her donation-based studio has been closed since March 18, but she’s doing her best to provide for customers and instructors who are currently without classes to teach.
“A couple of days (after we closed), we started the live-streaming on our Youtube page, and that was working out really well,” Scope said.
Only one instructor was allowed in the yoga studio to lead their donation-based 45-minute YouTube class, but Black Swan Yoga was once again forced to take a different approach when local COVID-19 restrictions become more strict.
“When that happened, we didn’t want to risk our teachers coming in,” Scope said.
With the help of her husband and other Black Swan Yoga studios across the state, Scope made the switch to classes on Instagram Live. The free classes range from beginner, prenatal and even include options for more experiences yogis.
“Our focus right now is to offer free yoga for everyone and as much normalcy as we can,” Scope said.
Normalcy for their students as well as teachers who depend, in great part, on donations.
“All of these donations are 100% supporting our teachers. It’s the best and most we can do right now with the circumstance that we’re all in,” Scope said.
All participants have the options to customize their donations at any time by clicking the link on Black Swan Yoga’s Instagram biography. You can also click here for the donation link.
The mobile option also allows for those stuck at home practicing social-distancing, to try something new.
“It (has) been really nice to see the people who have brought in yoga to their lives for the first time during this time,” Scope said. “Hopefully we’ll see them again soon when we do open our doors.”
Black Swan Yoga San Antonio has not announced a reopening day just yet but plans to announce it on their social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram.
Previous YouTube broadcasts can be replayed here. To watch the Instagram Live videos from your cell phone, click here.