Reflecting on 2020 with Gratitude
by Allie Brawley
As I reflect on the historical year of 2020, I am filled with enormous gratitude. I am so thankful for the support of our amazing Northern Life Yoga community that has kept us afloat. I am thankful for our instructors who thoughtfully adapted to virtual instruction and remained dedicated to sharing their passion for yoga and healing arts. I am so very thankful for Gabbie whose work as the studio manager has greatly lightened my load and positively enhanced our customer service. Finally, I am very thankful to our generous landlady whose support has enabled us to retain our studio space.
As the saying goes, “flexible people never get bent out of shape,” and our yoga community has remained flexible as we evolved our business through the pandemic: from virtual classes in the spring, to outdoor and virtual classes in the summer, then our hybrid studio and virtual classes this fall, and back to virtual only classes in November.
While our studio remains closed due to the state mandate for group fitness classes, I reflect on all the positive energy from the two and a half months we reopened this fall. I remain hopeful that Northern Life Yoga will be resilient enough to rebound strongly once we are safely able to practice in person again.
It’s a mighty challenging time for small businesses and understandable why the dozens of grants Gabbie and I have applied for have not come to fruition. As a member of a worldwide yoga studio owners group, I witness daily announcements of studios closing over the past nine months, particularly in the U.S. It’s partly disheartening, yet partly motivating. I am using my best creativity to balance our service offerings and expenses. As the only fully operating year-round yoga studio in the Eastern Upper Peninsula, I remain committed to continuing Northern Life Yoga through the pandemic and beyond.
For our members who continue to support us and those who purchased holiday gifts from our boutique – my heartfelt THANK YOU. Truly and sincerely. You are the reason that Northern Life Yoga is surviving this very challenging time.
As we prepare to welcome the New Year, I want our NLY community to know that we will be here to support your health and wellness in 2021 and beyond. Until we can practice again in our peaceful studio environment, here’s a reminder of all the kinds of support that are helpful for our studio:
· Spread the word about our virtual offerings and upcoming community events (offered by donation)
o Share our social media posts with our class offerings
o Publish a review of Northern Life Yoga on Google or Facebook
o Share our events and invite friends on FB
· Drop-in for a virtual class by using our Videos On Demand (and tell your friends about this option!)
· Become a member to practice with us on our NLY Thrive private Facebook group
· Purchase yoga props and gear from the studio (mats, blocks, bolsters and more!)
· Purchase a gift card to give to someone or use yourself at some point
· Consider a donation that will help us recover (Venmo: northernlifeyoga or Mind Body options: