Today’s instalment for the Letters from Cardiff in lockdown series comes from Justyna Wyszynska, owner of Cardiff Pilates Studio in Canton. We’re looking for your stories, so please contribute to Letters from Cardiff in lockdown!
Looking back at the few weeks in the lockdown my main reflection has to be: ‘I’m so lucky’
My name is Justyna and I own Cardiff Pilates Studio in Canton. Before the lock down myself and a team of five teachers ran both mat and private classes at the studio, seven days a week. When we were told to ‘stay at home, unless you can’t do your job’ initially I had a million thoughts and questions running through my head. I think I was looking for a way to stay open. I felt that the lock down is one of those thighs that happens on the news and surely it won’t affect my business or my local pub, restaurant, gym or my friends. But we, as so many other local businesses have temporarily closed our doors.
I’m definitely lucky that I don’t tend to dwell on things and after closing the studio on the Saturday, we ran our first online class on the Monday. I was both overwhelmed by support of our clients and surprised how well it worked. At present, myself and the studio’s teachers run a variety of classes and I think we all (including clients) had to take some time to get used to it and work out some technical issues. But, I also believe that each class gives us a little dose of positivity. I terribly miss being in the studio and interacting with the clients, especially a bit of banter that is the best way to try and avoid exercising (slightly more difficult when clients are muted but face expressions can speak thousands of words!).
Personally, I took this time to sign up to as many classes and workshops as I could myself. I thought since my holidays are postponed that will be my treat for this year! I asked my clients and friends for recommendations and ended up trying a few different classes that were run from different places in the UK, Europe and USA (which was an interesting experience, as I miscalculated time difference!).
And yet again I consider myself lucky that I could participate in workshops with people from Belfast, Kairo, Berlin and Paris as it was a fab experience and a good laugh. I’m regularly attending two classes run by Cardiff based Yoga Studio (Stretchy Suzie’s) and love every single class, especially on my ‘deflated days’.
On exactly those days I also try and remember that this won’t go on forever and that myself and so many other people around will probably see their families again at some point this year. And definitely, on those days I realise how lucky I am, as myself and all my loved ones are healthy and mostly in good spirits. And in the meantime, I will keep myself busy, thinking about ways how we can improve and diversify our online classes!”
Visit the Cardiff Pilates Studio website.
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See also:
- CARDIFF COVID-19 INFO – INDEX
- CARDIFF VOLUNTEERING AND HELP RESOURCES
- CARDIFF’S INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES – OPEN FOR FOOD AND ESSENTIAL ITEM DELIVERIES AND TAKEAWAYS
- SUPPORT CARDIFF’S NHS / FRONTLINE STAFF: BUY THEM DINNER!
- SUPPORT CARDIFF’S NHS / FRONTLINE STAFF: DONATE YOUR MONEYS AND DONATE SUPPLIES!
- LOOKING AFTER YOUR MIND IN LOCKDOWN
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