Katy
London, UK
Yoga Teacher

---

Where are you at this very moment and how are you feeling?

I’m sat in my living room.. feeling pretty tired to be honest! I’ve had a few ups and downs with the ‘corona-coster’ and at the moment I just feel a little physically and emotionally drained(!) I know this feeling will pass, and I need to remind myself that I shouldn’t feel guilty for feeling a little low. We’re in an unprecedented situation, that is pretty draining- whether we notice when and how it’s depleting us or not. Summer is a really quiet time for yoga studios in general, and this has been reflected with online students – most studios and teachers I’ve spoken too have seen numbers drop significantly over the past few weeks/months, and there is a general unease as to how we’ll all survive (unless you’re Instagram famous- lol!)not just to pay the bills and eat, but wether we’ll be able to stay in our professions in general. There’s an uneasiness in the air. It’s becoming more apparent how financially the pandemic is affecting so many people, the ripple affect of this on all types of businesses, including the health and wellbeing industry. I know this feeling will pass, and the worries we have now will pass, and in the end all will be ok (because life will go on, and we will adapt.)… but sometimes it’s we need to reassure ourselves that it’s OK with not being OK- we’re human beings with a range of emotions, and as long as we don’t become stagnant and  obsessed with negative sensations, then its healthy to just sit with the them and understand how we’re really feeling for a bit.

Looking back on the past months, what have you been struggling with the most?

I think really – like for may of us – just the unknown. Not knowing when I could see my family. Not knowing how I was / am going to support myself financially…not knowing how long things will be this ‘ new normal’, if there’s going to be another spike, not knowing if I’ve had the virus or not (and if that even means anything anyway) … just really not knowing what the future has in store in any aspect, be it in 3 weeks time to 3 months time! It’s a good reminder to stay connected to the present moment, and that the only thing we can control is our own actions / reactions to the here and now… but at the same time I’d like to feel a little less afraid of the outcome of my actions in the moment!

Has Corona taught you anything about yourself that you didn’t know before?

I’ve always known I quite like to stay home and live a quite life, but perhaps this has really affirmed it for me (!) I’ve also known I don’t want to always live in London. I grew up in the countryside and really miss it. Over the past few years the fear of leaving everything I had worked so hard to create in the city really pushed back on that urge to be in nature. I guess the past few months has taught me that not everything is about being in London and that life carries on when all the opportunities a city offers are suddenly pulled away. It’s been amazing to reconnect with students who had moved away to different parts of the country / world over Zoom classes. I’m excited to be teaching back in village halls an d parks etc, nor just ‘fancy studios’. It’s been a reminder that everyone needs yoga, not just busy city folk!

They say every crisis is a chance for growth. Where have you grown over the past months? Have you tried anything that you hadn’t tried before? Started a new project? Stepped out of your comfort zone – and loved it in the end?

I did the Couch to 5K app with my friends! I’ve never been a runner and always told myself I was too busy to start doing it (as an excuse not to do it!) we really enjoyed cheering each other on, and the profession week by week is really awesome. Running has always been a huge mountain for me- I didn’t know where to start, and told myself I just couldn’t do it. To be able to go and run 5K whenever I want now id a great feeling it’s made me more confidant in myself in general- a reminder that I (we all!) can do anything we put our minds too :) 

With everyone focusing their attention on COVID-19, which other topic doesn’t get enough attention any more in your opinion?

For me it’s always the environment. We’re at a critical point now, where by if we don’t change how we live, how big business and politics are run, then we’re all pretty much up the creek without a paddle. The pandemic has actually given us the perfect opportunity to review how we live. It would be a real shame to return to the old (and in many instances corrupt) economic and social systems of pre-COVID19. 

However complicated, confusing, and challenging life may be, there are always so many things we can be thankful for if we take the time to look for them. What are you grateful for today?

I’m grateful to have won the postcode lottery. I’m a white middle class woman, who has grown up in South England, with supportive caring parents, siblings, grandparents and extended family. I didn’t need to risk my life sitting on a dinghy fleeing from war, famine and a life of utter misery to be here, I was just born here.

I’m grateful for my amazing dog Mary. She’s the sweetest little soul, so kind and gentle. She was thrown out of a window and her legs were broken, and yet she still has so much trust and love to offer every human she meets. She reminds me to be resilient, forgiving and kind. And she gives the best cuddles.

I’m grateful for my husband and my friends. I’m really lucky to have a few strong groups of friends that I’ve made through various periods of my life (from very young to recent years) and a wonderful caring husband- they’re all my biggest cheerleaders. I’m always very supported by them, they all have my back no matter what, I love them all!

---

Tine
Bali & Denmark
Psycholist at tinepsychologist.com

---

Where are you at this very moment and how are you feeling? 

I am enjoying my favorite cup of coffee and green smoothie bowl, while sitting behind my laptop in what I would call my temporary home office in Denmark – in a countryside house I have rented for 4 months, while being back in Denmark.

I am in creation with full focus on my business and growth and I am feeling very excited and dedicated. I am also experiencing discomfort; resistance and fear. It’s all a part of the process and I am learning as I go to quiet my inner dialogue and keep moving forward towards my vision for my future.

Looking back on the past months, what have you been struggling with the most? 

I haven’t been fully focused on one thing in my business and I am realizing that in order to have success, you cannot stay in the comfort zone of being all over the place with lots of ideas. You got to figure out, which one is most aligned right now and then go all in and always move forward. To go all in you have to find trust within and believe that you are worthy of having the life you desire.

Has Corona taught you anything about yourself that you didn’t know before?

A LOT! Corona has taught me to go deep, to go within and to challenge my limiting beliefs, which I am now conscious of.

Corona taught me to reinvent myself, to invest in my business and in myself and to have a clear vision for my future, when it comes to love, health, work, home, relationships, self-development, enjoyment & finances.

The most important thing Corona has taught me is this: Everything is a relationship. You have a relationship with your job, your friends, your partner, food, money AND you have a relationship with yourself. The relationship you have with yourself is the most important relationship and I have prioritized to go all in on self-love and I am so grateful for this gift called love from within.

They say every crisis is a chance for growth. Where have you grown over the past months? Have you tried anything that you hadn’t tried before? Started a new project? Stepped out of your comfort zone – and loved it in the end?

I have grown beyond measures during Corona, because I chose to go all in on self-development from the very beginning. I knew that this was my chance to pivot and go deep – within myself. I have been vulnerable in front of +100 people virtually from all over the world, I have started a new business project and I have tested it LIVE, I have spent three months worth of rent on three Zoom calls with a coach, I have invested in a new website, I have had difficult conversations with people, I have said NO many times, I have been vulnerable and asked for help…

I am living outside of my comfort zone as I write this and I chose to move forward, despite discomfort. Why? Because my inner happiness and well-being is my WHY!

With everyone focusing their attention on COVID-19, which other topic doesn’t get enough attention any more in your opinion?

Self-development! I believe that we are all responsible in this world and first and foremost we are responsible for our own well-being. Most people don’t have the knowledge, tools and skills to work on themselves and therefore they experience great fear and distress in times of uncertainty and when there is a crisis. We need to have more focus on self-development, so that more people get to experience happiness, well-being and ease – in thriving times and in challenging times.

However complicated, confusing, and challenging life may be, there are always so many things we can be thankful for if we take the time to look for them.

What are you grateful for today? (list 3 things)

I love this question. Every night I write 3 things I am grateful for, before I go to bed.

1. I am grateful for the opportunity to go within and to be more present with myself, because it gives me a feeling of inner happiness and love

2. I am grateful for all the skills and tools I am investing in from experts in their industry, because as a solo-entrepreneur I benefit from others‘ knowledge and help

3. I am grateful for Bali, because it’s my home away from home and I can’t wait to be on a plane back home.

>>> Read the previous chapters of The COVID Diaries here:
Kat’s and Petrie’s Story
Kim’s and Anne’s Story.
Beate’s and Janine’s Story.
Louise’s and Constanze’s Story.
Mila’s and Tammi’s Story.

>>> Read the introduction to The COVID Diaries here