HUDSON, MA. July 6, 2020 – Earth and Aerial Yoga (EAY) today become the region’s first aerial yoga studio to reopen for group aerial yoga classes , as part of Phase 3 of Reopening Massachusetts. In order to comply with the CDC and the Baker-Polito Administration strict guidelines for indoor recreation and ensure the safety of its community, EAY has created an innovative system for the use of its silk hammocks, which hang from the ceiling and are essential to the aerial yoga practice.
Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the shared studio silks were professionally dry cleaned every two weeks. With the new rules requiring strict sanitation of equipment between each use, EAY has switched to a rent- or buy-your-own system, that gives students the option to rent or purchase a silk for their personal use and store it in labeled bags at the studio. Per-class rentals are also available, allowing for those silks to be washed individually after each use. Teachers are responsible for hanging up and taking down the personal silks before and after every class.
Besides implementing this new way of handling its fabrics, the studio has also repositioned its aerial yoga equipment 14 feet apart and reduced its class sizes to 6–a fraction of its 17-student capacity prior to the pandemic. Owners Katharine Scalora and Lora Markova have also implemented an extensive list of safety guidelines for the studio to ensure students feel comfortable returning to their aerial yoga practice.
“Due to the layout and size of our space, we are a naturally socially distant studio,” said Scalora . ” And we want to make sure we comply with all of the federal and state guidelines, as well as make our students feel safe in our space. So, we’ve considered every aspect of our yoga classes, from entry to exit, to ensure that contact is minimized and safety is a priority.”
“The positive feedback and support from our students has been overwhelming, and everyone has embraced our new policies,” said Markova. “Many of our classes for the first week have already filled up, and we have more than 20 students who have purchased their own silks.”
Other precautions include touch-free temperature checks, required hand-washing or sanitizing, and allowing at least 30 minutes before and after each class to minimize foot traffic. All commonly-touched hard surfaces will be disinfected daily, and a medical-grade air purifier will be running before and after each class. Students are also required to enter the studio one at a time and go directly to their designated practice space.
Since it became one of the first studios in the region to electively shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic on March 13, 2020, EAY had been offering online and outdoor classes only, while awaiting the statewide reopening of non-essential businesses.
“We’ve been preparing for our reopening for weeks, as we waited for the green light”, said Scalora. “We feel confident that our new guidelines will allow our staff and students to practice yoga with peace of mind, and we’re eager to welcome them back into the studio.”
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To view the full safety policy, go to https://earthandaerialyoga.com/safety-policy/ .
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