OUR COMMUNITY’S RESPONSE TO COVID-19
November 25th Announcement
In an update to the order and direction of the Provincial Health Officer, all yoga studios are to suspend group classes while new guidance is being developed.
Our physical studio will become our virtual studio. If you have registered for in-studio classes, you have been removed from those classes.
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We are humbled by the experience of closing our doors to the physical studio yet again. Starting Wednesday November 25, we will offer a variety of livestream classes and will continue to upload new content to our LAB+home video library. A dedicated email will be sent today inviting you to join our virtual studio.
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We’ve had time to dream up a future for our Yoga Lab community and are inspired by the many benefits that at-home classes have provided our students. We’re asking our dedicated community to please continue to invest in our individual and collective wellbeing. If you are in a financial position to do so, please keep your membership active.
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All monthly autopay members (SunRISE+ and LiveWELL+) will receive an email with specific membership details, and are being directed to LAB+home.
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May we all find the magic in this time and reconnect to ourselves in a deeper and more expansive way than we’ve yet to know.
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With so much care,
Darci, Heather, Kamila and the entire Yoga Lab Team
November 12, 2020
A few of our policies have been amended to reflect recommendations from the Provincial Health Authority and to foster a supportive framework for our faculty, students, ambassadors and staff. If you have follow up questions check out the new FAQs that will likely answer many of your questions. If after you have read them over and your question still requires attention email us at clientsupport@yogalabwestshore.ca.
MASKS MANDATORY
Effective immediately, masks are mandatory in the studio. Masks may be removed once you have arrived at your mat and while showering. If you are a massage client, connect with your RMT when you arrive to discuss best practices. We recognize that some people, for legitimate medical reasons, are unable to wear a mask. If you are unable to wear a mask, please inform the front desk when you arrive at the studio. If you see someone in the studio not wearing a mask, please trust that it is for good reason. Clients do not need to hold other students to account regarding masks.
IF YOU ARE IN NEED OF A MASK:
If you don’t have a mask, we have disposable and locally made masks for purchase at the front desk.
AIR CIRCULATION
Moving forward, teachers will be drawing fresh air into the practice room at regular intervals throughout the class. Our HRV system pulls air in a linear direction rather than a circular distribution. While we have always used this system for air circulation, moving forward, it will be a regular practice in all classes.
BREATH
Moving forward, we ask that students be mindful to not exhale strongly through the mouth. Our teaching faculty is committed to guiding a practice that focuses on grounding and calming breaths through the nose. If you need to exhale through the mouth, please do so into your mat and focus on slowing down your practice so breathing through the nose is accessible again.
NEW ARRIVAL TIME
Studio doors will now be open for up to 15 minutes prior to the class start time. The purpose is to support the cleaning of the studio, to value our teacher’s time and to continue to ensure clarity in contact tracing as we work towards layering in more class offerings by the new year. If you arrive at the studio more than 15 minutes before class, please wait outside.
REGISTRATION WINDOW
Classes will open for registration at 6:00 AM – 11:45 PM in our 7 day rolling registration window. We realize that this may be an inconvenience for some, however the benefit of the sign up window opening at 6:00 AM outweighs the inconvenience.
So many aspects of our lives have shifted over the past several months. Individually and collectively we have been asked to do things differently. It has been a true gift to be here, connected and witnessing our community stretch into the comfort and sometimes discomfort of these changes. We are grateful for the respect and confidence you share with us as we make decisions that support the health and safety of our teaching faculty, staff, volunteers and students. Thank you for being with us!
With gratitude,
Darci, Heather, Kamila and the Yoga Lab Team
June 1, 2020
MASSAGE UPDATE
Our clinic is Opening June 1 – and we look forward to serving you.
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To ensure everyone’s health and safety, we have carefully reviewed and applied to all the safety recommendations approved by the Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, including:
Return to Work Plan
You can review our detailed Return to Work plan here. It will also be printed and available upon request when you come into the studio.
New & Updated Client Intake Form
We have a newly updated Client Intake and Consent to Treatment Form. We recommend you filling this form out before your first appointment, but will have an electronic form you can fill out upon arrival to the studio.
Changes to our Physical Space
We have made significant changes to the layout of our studio. We have placed physical distancing stickers on the floor and have altered our reception area to support less touch zones.
Scheduling
When you book your appointment, please note that the start time may be adjusted to incorporate 15 minutes between each booking so that we have ample time to disinfect all touch points, and prepare for your safe and healthy arrival.
BC COVID-19 Self Assessment Tool
The day before your scheduled appointment, you will get a phone call from our studio to conduct a Self-Assessment test.
Arriving for your Treatment
Please plan to arrive to the studio 5 minutes before your treatment and have a seat on the outside benches. Our RMT will welcome you to the studio and open the door for you when they are ready for your appointment.
Cancellation Policy
All clients are discouraged from attending appointments if they are experiencing any sort of illness directly or indirectly related to COVID-19. Please cancel your appointment at any time should you feel under the weather. Additionally, if our RMT is feeling under the weather, we will contact you immediately and rebook your appointment.
Payment Processing
We highly recommend paying for your treatment when you book. At this time we are not accepting cash as a payment option, so if you choose to pay in studio, please be sure to bring a debit or credit card with you.
Paperless Trail
In order to reduce the contact points in our business, we will be emailing payment receipts and not printing them at the front desk. All receipts are automatically emailed to the email listed on file.
Increased Cleaning, adding hand sanitizing stations and disinfecting processes
We continue to use Oxivir Plus Disinfectant Cleaner Concentrate as our primary cleaning solution. It is a tuberculocidal, virucidal, bactericidal, fungicidal, broad-spectrum sanitizer. This product is hydrogen-peroxide based, EcoLogo certified and developed for use in medical and healthcare establishments. We follow the manufacturer’s recommended dilution ratios for both disinfection and broad-spectrum sanitization.
Personal Protection Equipment
Please let the RMT know upon your arrival your level of comfort with PPE. You are welcome to wear a mask for the entire duration of your appointment and are also welcomed to request that the RMT also wear additional PPE while completing your appointment. If you feel uncomfortable making this request when you arrive, you are welcome to email us to make this request by emailing clientsupport@yogalabwestshore.ca.
June 1, 2020
IT TAKES MORE TO BE MORE
We are learning new ways to offer wellness services and new ways to connect as a community. We’ve dreamed up a new future and we’re excited to announce some new beginnings starting July 7th.
Imagination requires space
If we’re going to imagine a new future together, we need space to stretch into new ideas of what is possible. After consulting with Vancouver Island Health Authority, we are happy to announce that the capacity for the Hot room has been increased to 22 while ensuring social spacing. Rather than 2 M distance from mat to mat, we have calculated a 2 M radius from body to body. We are grateful to VIHA for the continued support so we can ensure our community is safe and thriving!
Wellness is “in here”
Wellness isn’t something “out there.” Wellness is something we build “in here,” in our bodies. Whether you’re practicing in the studio or at home, we’re committed to giving you more. More classes, more options, more value, wherever you are.
LAB+home new releases every Sunday!
May 18, 2020
SURVEY REQUEST
You. Yes, you-we are so grateful for your commitment to this community throughout these unprecedented times. You are what kept us going and you have helped to ensure we have a safe space to come back to. We can not say thank you enough. As we look to the near future of both our in-person reopening alongside our integrated virtual (livestream & on demand) component, we want to ensure that your expectations and needs are being met. Please take a few moments to share your thoughts by filling out this survey for a chance to win a Prop Kit including a sweat towel, block, and strap.
A MINDFUL RESTART
Because our top priority is the health and safety of our entire community and team, we are putting the right pieces in motion to reopen within the first week of June and plan to continue offering virtual livestream and on demand features.
Our first step was to work with public health officials, including WorkSafe BC, to understand the requirements. We are currently identifying additional precautionary measures we feel are relevant to the in-studio experience.
IN STUDIO FRAMEWORK
A new studio etiquette framework for physical distancing and flow throughout the space is in development. More details will be coming and here is a snapshot of what you can expect to see upon your return to the studio:
– Hybrid offering of both in-person classes alongside an integrated virtual experience
– New waiver for all students
– Reduced capacity to ensure minimum of 2 metre physical distance
– Online registration, waitlist, safe sign in, online checkout
– Physical distancing measures throughout the foyer
– Hand sanitizing station upon entry of the facility, in the practice room and bathroom.
– Extended time between classes to perform cleaning/sanitization
– Arrive at the studio ready to practice: in your yoga gear and with a water bottle
– Use of bathrooms & water fountain will be limited
– Removal of shared props (prop kits available for purchase)
– Office hours for account support and retail purchases
As our plan develops we will be staying in contact through our newsletters, facebook and social media accounts. We look forward to practicing with you.
Deep Bows,
Yoga Lab Leadership Team
March 26, 2020
We hope you are all managing well as these first few difficult weeks come to a close. There is a lot to absorb among the significant impact to our day-to-day routines, so I’d like to thank you for showing us the power of our community by coming together in the face of adversity. We are continuing to set the foundation of our online studio – sans brick and mortar!
Yoga Lab Community has led the way as we responded rapidly to ensure our students & teachers continue to stay connected to movement options and with one another online. Many students have emailed letting us know the positive impact this has had on them during these times.
We are so grateful to all our members and class pass holders. Click here for information on your current membership or pass. Thank you for continuing to join us for your practice.
We’re thrilled to announce effective tomorrow March 27, you can now access all of our classes through our MindBody or Mobile App, just as we did before.
Other changes:
With this change, we are unable to offer students from Lab Communities a joint LIVE STREAM experience. We are excited to introduce our On Demand feature. The 4 classes being taught between the studios each day will be uploaded the next day for the enjoyment of all students.
Please read our new Yoga & Fitness landing page for our online classes. If you have additional questions, you can check out our FAQs here, or reach out to us via email at clientsupport@yogalabwestshorec.ca
March 19, 2020
It is our highest calling as health and wellness providers to support the safety of all of our clients. This decision wasn’t easy, as we know that many of you rely on our services to support your daily life. But as our entire nation transitions away from social gathering in a collective effort to take care of all – it is with great clarity that we make the decision to reschedule all appointments that are in the system effective March 19 – March 31st.
Next steps:
- We have taken care of cancelling all appointments
- In order to make room in Agnes’ schedule, she has opened up her availability starting April 1st.
- To rebook, go to your mind body account, or mobile app
- If you prefer having a hand doing this, email us info@yogalabwestshore.ca and we can coordinate a time to get in touch with you. Please be patient as we are experiencing a high rate of inquiries.
We offer deep bows and compassion to everyone impacted by this health crisis. We are calling on our community to rally together so that when we are on the other side of this we are still connected at the roots.
With so much care and respect,
Agnes Gaj, Darci Nyal and Heather MacLeod
and the Yoga Lab Community
March 18, 2020
We’re not sure we’ve ever felt so connected and inspired by the generosity of our community. We have received countless emails from many of our members thanking us for shifting our classes online and keeping our community connected. To all of our members that are maintaining their memberships in an effort to support our teachers and this community, thank you so much. We are so grateful for you.
We are excited to announce that Victoria and Westshore Yoga Lab locations are partnering together to give our members access to 40+ classes/week. Trusted teachers are bringing their best to make sure you get a peace pause. A familiar face and comforting voice to help you link movement with breath.
Over the last 5 years we’ve been told over and over again by members in this community, that they feel at home with us. The feeling of being at home isn’t dependent on the amount of people we’re practicing next to, or the physical space we’re moving in. That feeling shows up when we’ve landed in our bodies, when we’re moving in our skin. We come back home to ourselves. We feel at home when we’re lovingly guided through a meaningful yoga practice. Hot yoga, Online Yoga, it’s still Yoga. Yoga Lab Teachers are committed to leading you through your practice and helping you feel at home with yourself.
Join us online and we’ll move through this together.
With so much care and respect,
Darci Nyal & Heather MacLeod
and the entire Yoga Lab Community
March 16, 2020
With the announcement this morning from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asking all Canadians to stay at home, we have decided to temporarily move our classes online. Effective March 17th our studio will be closed to the public.
We are committed to supporting you and your wellness goals.
We are moving a selection of our classes to an online format so we are able to continue serving our community from a distance. Tomorrow you will receive an email outlining the details of how to access our online offerings which will go live March 18th. Live classes will feature our dedicated faculty members demonstrating and cueing a 60 minute practice which will vary according to the schedule. You’ll find the classes you know and love, taught by the same incredible teachers, the only difference is that it’s from a distance.
Tomorrow you will receive a follow up email that will answer many questions. We are experiencing higher than normal volume of inquiries right now and are committed to responding as quickly as possible. Your compassion for our efforts is deeply appreciated.
Our community extends far beyond our studio space.
Join us online to stay connected as a community. We need our practice and each other now more than ever. Let’s move through this together!
We offer deep bows and compassion to everyone impacted by this health crisis. We are calling on our community to rally together so that when we are on the other side of this we are still connected at the roots.
With so much care and respect,
Darci Nyal and Heather MacLeod
and the Yoga Lab Community
