Ancient methods have been used to calm troubled waters during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Illawarra business operators.
Yoga and eastern breathing practices have emerged as tools for stress management during the pandemic, and local instructors say people have accessed their classes remotely while social distancing.
Beach Shack yoga instructor Kate Kilby tailors her practice to assist people dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder as well as other stress related issues. Ms Kilby said the coronavirus pandemic has led more people to access her online classes.
“I actually moved my class to online pretty early on, and I’ve had a few men and women who I don’t normally have at my yoga classes now coming which is nice,” Ms Kilby said.
“I think that people like me who have been dealing with trauma for a while are (a) little bit ahead of people… This is a trauma. People’s lives are changing. We’ve been learning to deal with this sort of stuff for a while and we might be a little bit ahead of the curve in learning to centre ourselves and focus on our breathing.”
Younga Yoga studio director Russel Young said the philosophy that comes with yoga is encouraging people to take a holistic approach to self isolating by considering others.
“I think in a yoga setting and with an Eastern standpoint, there’s that continual idea of understanding that you’re more than just your individual ego, so you’re actually part of something much bigger than just your actual self,” Young said.