[00:00:00] Welcome to Pilates Teachers' Manual, your guide to becoming a great Pilates teacher. I'm Olivia and I'll be your host. Join the conversation on Instagram @pilatesteachersmanual. Today's chapter starts now.

Hello, hello everybody. Welcome back to the show. I'm going to be doing something a little bit different today. You saw the episode title, today's called Thoughts on Quarantine, and this is going to be more of an informal discussion about kind of what's going on in my mind as I enter [00:01:00] yet another month of stay at home.

It's not a mandated stay at home by the state, but studios aren't opening just yet, or if they are, they're opening in a more limited capacity that I'm not really able to take advantage of at this time. And I just want to share with you what it's like being a teacher in this moment of uncertainty and what's going on with studios, with clients, and just kind of the behind the scenes peek at all of that stuff.

So there's not going to be as many tips and tricks in today's episode just because I don't have the answers for what's going on right now, but I do want to be really honest with you about how I'm feeling and how I'm coping with the adventure of life at this moment. 

I saw a fun thing posted on the interwebs that defined the noun "coronacoaster" as the side effect of being in quarantine, that on one day you really feel like everything's fine and you're getting stuff [00:02:00] done, and then the next day, you are really depressed and sluggish and not effective as a human being, and that is definitely something that I have been going through. 

There are really big ups and I've said in previous episodes, I've been able to take advantage of some amazing trainings. I've gotten all of my PMA credits that I need, or my national Pilates certification program credits that I'm going to need for the next two years, like in this two month period. All I need to do is renew my CPR and then I am set credit wise and that's before Momentum Fest and other trainings that I've got coming up as well. So there've been really great things. I've been able to do that. 

I'm launching Pilates Students' Manual tomorrow actually. So if you love this podcast, you may also love Pilates Students' Manual, which is all Pilates all the time. Less about teaching Pilates and more about general Pilates information. So if that is also up your alley, [00:03:00] highly recommend that you check that out as well. On Instagram, @pilatesstudentsmanual and everywhere podcasts live, Pilates Students' Manual is there too, so that's great. 

I had time to do those things and they're things that I wanted to do. I've really been able to dive into podcast world. I've been able to dive into plant care world. I now have a plant Instagram, so we need to not have any more quarantines because I don't think I can handle any more Instagram accounts, but I really do love taking care of my plants and I'm a bit of an introvert myself, contrary to popular belief, possibly if you've taken class with me. I am a performer, but I'm actually a pretty quiet person and not super duper social in terms of going out and meeting people. So in that way, being at my apartment is pretty much what I was doing anyway. 

I get to care for my plants. It's spring, so I've got lots of new growth. I've been propagating like crazy. I've got new planters and lots of fun stuff going on in plant land, so that brings me a lot of joy. 

As I talked [00:04:00] about with my interview with Jessica Valant, which if you haven't listened to that episode, you definitely should, I've been able to rediscover the joy of Pilates because when I'm teaching classes now, I'm doing a lot of demoing and as a result, I'm doing a lot more mat Pilates than I've done in a very long time. So I'm really getting to enjoy how great doing Pilates makes you feel. And I'm able to empathize more with students and be more in my body about Pilates, and that's incredible. I wouldn't change that for the world. I'm really glad that's happening. 

I'm also really glad that I've dove into this virtual world, that I'm able to teach classes on zoom, both group and private classes. I'm able to teach on Facebook. I'm able to teach in ways that aren't in person to keep everyone safe, but also to expand my reach and my ability to teach. So all of that is fantastic in those regards. I'm very glad that that's happening. 

But it's also really difficult. There's [00:05:00] a lot of uncertainty, especially in the fitness industry. You know, studios have closed, and that is my primary source of income. Probably half of my income comes from the studios that I teach at, and I teach, you know, 16 hours a week in studios for group classes, and so to go from 16 hours a week down to two hours a week. That is a big hit financially and kind of emotionally as well, because I do see myself as a teacher and to identify so strongly with your profession and then have the rug yanked out from under you, that's difficult.

So just a picture of the timeline of how my world changed. Starting in mid March, the studios closed in Chicago, so I believe my last day in the studio was March 13th I think was Friday. So probably March 12th was the last time that I was in the studio teaching. And we went online for studio [00:06:00] teaching in at the end of March, so maybe a couple weeks later, we started teaching around March 26. 

I also teach for the University of Chicago. Those classes went virtual at about the same time for their spring quarter of fitness classes. So I started going online a lot to teach. I also started doing some private trainings, some private Pilates sessions online as well, about that time, early April maybe. And now we're two months into it and that's still what we're probably going to be doing. 

Due to circumstances, I was furloughed by the studios that I work for. So I went on unemployment and that is something that I didn't really anticipate doing a) because I'm not a full time employee, I don't pay into unemployment. And it was really lucky that just given the severity of what's going on economically, that unemployment benefits were available for part time employees and for independent contractors because that was very important.

You know, the [00:07:00] stimulus check, like I did receive that and that's great, but that doesn't even cover rent and utilities, you know? So that was, I mean, I'm never going to say no to $1,200 but it's also not a lot. It's not enough. So that's really been helpful. 

Good news. On the studio front, I was able to be rehired by the studio. They were able to secure funding through the expanded loan programs, and that's incredible, because, I mean, of course, I don't want to be unemployment. I want to be teaching in the studio, and if that's not safe, then I still need to have money. Right. So weird thing in a weird moment. And even now I'm getting this kind of queasiness in my stomach because I'm like, ugh, you know, like, shouldn't you just love it?

And I'm like, I do love it, but I'm also a huge fan of groceries and like electricity in my apartment. So that's kind of a weird moment. It's really for me, shine the light on, is crumbling infrastructure too strong of a statement? But the difficulty that filing for unemployment in the state of [00:08:00] Illinois. It was just my, gosh, like I took a semester of computer science in the early 2010s and I feel like I could build a website that's a bit more functional than the website for filing for an employment. 

And in the state of Illinois alone, a million people had filed for unemployment, and it was just really difficult and really stressful because I don't know if government forms make you feel stressed, but they do make me feel stressed. And when you're putting information in and it's not registering and you're having to resubmit things, and you don't want to do anything wrong because you don't want to lose your chance to get those benefits, it was just a yucky moment. And I'm glad that it's over.

Very thankful for the benefits when I had them, because a little bit of a throwback, even beyond a pandemic throwback, when I first moved to Chicago and I was working only as a yoga teacher and only for a few hours a week teaching yoga. You know, I had just gotten married. I [00:09:00] moved to Chicago. My partner was in graduate school at the University of Chicago and we didn't have an income other than their stipend.

You know, I was on Medicaid. That was how I was having health insurance because neither of us had worked that way. So I'm incredibly grateful for the benefits that exist that help people in those life transitions or when something crazy like a global pandemic occurs. I appreciate that there's aid that can fill in those gaps and really take care of people who... like, I am a hard working individual, but sometimes things happen and you need a little extra support.

So I'm really glad that that exists. I'm also super grateful for the studio owners who own the studios that I work for, who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes, both in terms of setting up virtual classes right away. In less than two weeks, we had virtual offerings for all of the studios that I worked at, and I know that that can't be easy to put together with almost no [00:10:00] notice. And then also working behind the scenes to make sure that the studio could still pay its teachers. Like I am incredibly thankful to them for their work as well. And also again, feeling lucky that they're able to look out for their teachers that way and that looking out for their teachers is such a priority for them.

It's like the best possible worst case scenario. That's what I feel like is happening.

Hi there. I hope you're enjoying today's chapter so far. There's lots of awesome stuff coming up after three as well. Please share this episode with your friends and followers and share the Pilates love

Now back to the show.

[00:11:00] Jumping back to that idea of the "Coronacoaster" that some days feel really great and you feel awesome and some days feel really weird and wonky and you feel not awesome. I think a lot of that stuff that's due to the uncertainty, the financial uncertainty is huge. The overall uncertainty about your work is really trying and really frustrating and really irritating and there's no, there's no answer to any of the questions that you have, and that's unnerving in a lot of ways. I feel like that uncertainty. Is exacerbated by your position as a teacher. Like if you're teaching Pilates, whether or not there's any craziness going on, you know you're being your best self for your students.

Whether you had a fight with someone close to [00:12:00] you or whether you forgot to drink coffee in the morning. If you're slated to go in and teach, then you go in and teach and you be the best version of yourself regardless of what's going on. You always leave that stuff aside and you be your best for your students because it's not about you.

It's about them and meeting their needs. That can be tough when anything's going on in your life. It's even more tough when you can't turn it off. Like even when I'm teaching, I'm in my apartment, so there's no distinction between work me and not work me. There's literally 20 steps between where I am right now and where I teach.

I know that as a teacher there is an element of performance to the way that I teach. Not in a negative way. I would say you're just being your best self. You're putting your best foot forward for your students, but it's, I don't know, it's been difficult. I'm still doing it. I'm still like, it's fine, but it's, it's like there's an elephant in the room and the elephant is what is going on? [00:13:00] And you're just doing Pilates. 

I feel really honored that I'm able to provide a space for an hour where people can focus on their bodies and on healthy movement and on getting stronger and on taking care of themselves because all of the concerns that I'm having, I'm not alone in those concerns at all. So it's really an incredible thing that I'm able to offer to anyone who takes my class, whether you're tuning it on Facebook live or whether you are a member of the studio and you're watching the class live on zoom or watching the recording afterwards. It really is an honor to be able to do that. 

And at the same time, I do want myself as a teacher, and you as a teacher, if you're listening to also have time downtime for yourself. It's been challenging because given the financial uncertainty, it's like I want to take on every private training appointment. I want to take on all the classes that I can handle. And so that separation [00:14:00] between work and life balance or, you listened to my episode about building my dream schedule where I had, Oh, all of my teaching is concentrated on four days, and then I have two days that are like really light. They only have one appointment, and that's because I have longstanding clients at those times, and then I have a whole day off and pretty much a whole weekend off.

And I'm back to teaching six days a week because I feel like I have to, and I know that that's not my dream schedule. Like nothing about this is my dream. It's challenging to have all of those thoughts kind of playing in the back of your mind and then still have this very cheery exterior. I do want this podcast to be a positive thing, but I also want to recognize that it's positive, but that's not the only feeling that I've ever felt, and that's not the only thing that is happening in the world.

There are good things coming. There are always good things coming. A, the sun is shining and it's beautiful and even if you're listening to this episode and it's cloudy, the sun is still [00:15:00] shining. It is shining behind the clouds and that is beautiful. Chicago is opening somewhat. We're going into phase three where I am, which means that studios are going to open for one on one sessions, so clients will be able to come into the studio and work on the equipment with a teacher.

There will be very specific guidelines set about wearing masks or time between appointments so that the teacher has time to clean the equipment and clean the studio, and. The next client coming in doesn't need to cross paths with the previous client, just so that everyone stays safe and socially distant, and I think that that's fantastic.

Unfortunately, I live far away from where I teach, so for me, getting to the studio and then having a private session or two and then coming back home. Even if I'm taking a Lyft or an Uber, it's not going to make sense for me at this time. I'm going to [00:16:00] stay virtual, I think for another month, and then if things continue on the path that they're currently on, we're looking at opening four group classes starting in July at half capacity going every other reformer and possibly teaching fewer classes. So there is time to deep clean. And also again, that that crossover of students, you know, there's always a buildup at the bathroom and at the water station, and that the cubbies where people are storing their things. So we want to make sure that there isn't just a bunch of people in a small hallway.

At the same time, it's going to be very different. I'm excited and happy to be back in the studio for sure. Oh my gosh. But it's going to be different and we're going to need to be careful because we're responsible for everyone's safety as both people who are working on the equipment, you need to keep your people safe, but also in this health crisis as well, that you want to make sure that people are safe and protected from Coronavirus as well, [00:17:00] as much as you can.

Even with all the uncertainty and the up in the air, nervous about even the things that I think are going to be happening. I'm really hopeful. I feel really good about the places that I work and the management of the places that I work. I know that I'm in the right place and I felt really supported through all this uncertainty.

I am thankful so much for the technology that we have. I cannot even imagine what would happen if this all went down and we didn't have the internet. Like can you even imagine like talking about a throwback to Jane Austen, we'd all be writing letters to each other. That would be terrible. Oh my gosh.

What if our phone plans still had like a limit on the number of text messages you could send? Oh my gosh. So we're really in a good place. I've been able to stay connected to the other teachers at the studio. We've done Hangouts on zoom [00:18:00] and a lot of us took the same continuing education classes together and we were able to talk and compare notes and text through the trainings, and it's like being there with people.

It's not being there with people, but it's, it's like being there. You have that support of being there with other people. I have gotten all of my continuing education credits and I've been able to learn things that I may not have had time to learn if I was teaching full time. 

These workshops that I've been able to do, especially looking at like the Barre Above training and the TRX training. Those are eight hour workshops and it's difficult to find a day where I can just totally clear it so that I can do that training. And having a mandatorily cleared schedule allowed me to do that and I'm really thankful. I know that when I do get back into the studio, which will be happening so soon, that I'm going to have even more things to be able to [00:19:00] share with my students in terms of new choreography, in terms of feeling more comfortable with other pieces of equipment, working with different body types. I was able to do a prenatal and postpartum Pilates workshop, and I feel so much more confident working with those bodies now.

Everyone is doing the best that they can, and as the studios move towards reopening, I know that we'll all continue to do our best to be safe, to teach in ways that are safe, to provide a safe space for people to continue to move and grow. And once again, I am so thankful and so happy to be part of the Pilates community where I think these conversations are happening.

I've seen Instagram lives where people were talking about safety precautions going into reopening. I've seen, you know, studios are thinking about it. Teachers are thinking about it. And we're really all rising to meet that challenge together. I am excited [00:20:00] to see what June and July hold, and I'm glad that you all are along for the ride with me.

Thank you so much for joining me for today's chapter of Pilates Teachers' Manual, your guide to becoming a great bloodiest teacher. If you love today's episode, subscribe and leave a review. You can reach out to me on Instagram @pilatesteachersmanual or send me an email to pilatesteachersmanual@oliviabioni.com. The adventure continues. Until next time.