How and why we started Zoom Virtual Classes: Read More
Lockdown Quarantine! Let’s just say we have to stay at home!
Yesterday I counted my blessings.
How lucky was I to be in a room full of my favourite happy people dancing, exercising and having the time of my life. Be it on screen it really didn’t matter, everyone was together doing what we love props to the ready tins of tomatoes included!
Lockdown Quarantine. I don’t know about you but personally I dislike these words immensely, we are not locked up! The majority of us can still go out for a daily walk. We may not be able to physically see people but we can ring, FaceTime, Skype, play quizzes…we can still do things that make us feel good.
We still have food shelter friends and Zoom!
Rid yourself of that negative “lockdown” phrase! In a nutshell we have to stay at home. During the first few days of may I refer to it as “staying at home” I thought I’ve been given the gift of time, use it wisely thought I.
Plan — Empty and clean every cupboard in the house and design an Italian garden!
After 2 days I discovered I had no motivation to do any of these things. I felt sluggish and totally unmotivated… walking around the house floundering from one job to another. The could of -should of -would of -appearing was just soul destroying! Time to restock.
Who was I kidding? For one I am not a gardener! There are far better people out there that will do an amazing job designing my “Italian Garden”. Ditch the design job!
First lesson learnt “Stick to what you’re good at.”
I had no inclination to empty every drawer in the house in one huge project maybe one every two weeks would be more practical and certainly more attainable and far less exhausting! Second lesson learnt “Put less pressure on yourself and do things that make you feel good.”
So what to do ?
I’ve danced and taught all my life and I was missing the rewards that teaching brings, so not rocket science as to what was going wrong here.
Third lesson learnt
Keep the “N” in normality as much as you can.
Online classes here we come !
The main hurdle I had to to overcome was one of sheer FEAR. Absolutely terrified at the thought of online classes, teaching virtually I had never seen as an option. Would everyone have enough room, well I guess you only need the space of a bath towel so that answers that one. Tech savvy I am not. But as they say ‘onwards and upwards’ or I guess you go downwards.
Plan - Trial 17 classes and see what happens?
Through everyone’s kindness and support we have now got passed the logging on hiccup stage. “I can’t hear you?” “Where are you I can’t see you ?” Nobody is dancing in the dark and nobody is hiding under tables! I can see everyone clearly oh joy! In fact we are now looking like the front cover of ‘Hello’ magazine. We have a packed week of classes new people and old friends who moved away can now reach us online, it’s just fantastic. I’m now loving teaching virtually. It is without a doubt the highlight of my day to see and connect with everyone on screen is fantastic. The drawers can wait to be cleared the garden can wait to be designed. The most important thing is the connection and being with all you lovely ladies and gents keeping fit well and happy together. Always.