My yoga journey is a relatable one. I tried a few classes in grad school, which offered a much-needed break from studying and paper-writing. I remember it was winter in Pittsburgh, and the cozy, warm yoga studio offered an enticing welcome. Fast forward, I moved to DC, and a friend suggested we get a package of yoga classes to try together. I distinctly recall face-planting my first crow during that time.

Ah, the desk. For many of us, it used to be associated with homework as children. Then it became our personal satellite space when we were at our jobs. For many, it is the place in our homes associated with our jobs, where lower back and neck pain resides. The place where our hips tighten and our eyes dry out. Lucky for us, we can do yoga everywhere, including at our desks.

Month 900 million of the pandemic, aka December 2020, I decided I needed to come back to yoga. I thought I could sign up for classes, and my first yoga class would feel fantastic. It was Amy’s Wednesday evening class on zoom, and everything felt different. My body felt heavy; I kept forgetting to breathe, and then finally, it was savasana.

My name is Jonathan Wood (he/him), although there are a whole bunch of people who call me Jonny, so go ahead choose whichever name works for you!

March 2021 is the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is surreal to consider the significant ways that life changed- seemingly in an instant- for people all across the globe to try to halt the spread of COVID-19. This year has been full of both challenges and opportunities for me.

I remember watching an episode of Modern Family a few years ago titled “Slow Down Your Neighbors,” where one of the characters, wanting her neighbors to drive more slowly, made a comical and confusing sign (“Slow down. Who’s saying that? Your neighbors!”). Much of the last year has been confusing.