How did I find yoga?
I have a childhood friend whose mum had always practiced yoga. I never thought it was good for anything except making you more flexible. That was my only real experience of it, I knew it existed but I didn't know the benefits.
When I moved to London I had a freelance job working backstage in Theatre. I've always been a people pleaser and wanted to work as many hours as I could to make rent and make a good impression! There was a lot of long hours, heavy lifting and eating convenient food to save time!
Finally it all caught up with me, my body was tired, I was tired, emotionally and physically so I finally decided it was time for a break. Fine if you have unlimited money, but aside from that I knew I would go stir crazy if I just stopped working. So... I applied for jobs in the West End and got two followspot jobs on different shows. I'm what is known as a 'dep' which means I am not full time, I am trained on how to operate the show and then I am called in whenever needed, which is great for me as I have never been the best at working at the same place 24/7, I get bored quickly and find I need new environments to challenge myself.
As well as the followspot work I wanted something a bit different, outside of the world of Theatre. I do love this world, how it is so different to the ways of office life and how people work together to be creative, but equally there are a lot of personalities in Theatre that can be draining!
Down the road from my flat there is a yoga studio that looks really lovely, I had gone there to practice a long time ago when there was an 'Intro Offer' on where you paid £25 and could go and try as many classes as you want. I loved the studio and the classes made me feel really relaxed. I thought... Now I have more free time I should go back and keep exercising there! But the prices were way too high for me. So... I looked online and saw that one of their other studios was advertising for a receptionist role. On the off chance I printed off a CV that I tailored to retail, and went into the studio near my house to hand in my CV! I didn't know it yet, but the manager was working on the reception desk that day, so it definitely got into her hands!
A few weeks went by, I thought my CV had been thrown away, and then I got a phone call asking me to come for an interview! I was really nervous but as you can guess I got the job! Now I have been a receptionist there for about three months and I really enjoy it. I also enjoy the perks of free yoga!
I've seen a massive improvement in my posture, health, happiness and sense of calm by practicing yoga and I'd love help encourage anyone out there to try it. I've learnt you do not need a fancy membership, you just need some encouragement and some passion.
Now I'm not sure of my job safety at all. Almost all the West End Theatres have closed down, including the two I was depping at. The yoga studio has not closed yet but I worry it is only a matter of time. This is all because of Coronavirus or COVID-19 that is sweeping the world. As of last night the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson suggested all Theatres close. It is a massive blow for the industry as because of his careful wording the insurance claims will be tricky for the companies.
There are thousands of people in my situation right now, scared for their jobs, how to pay the bills, make the rent. I'm hoping compassion comes through from landlords, big companies etc. and that we can all be calm and look after each other during this scary time.
x
When I moved to London I had a freelance job working backstage in Theatre. I've always been a people pleaser and wanted to work as many hours as I could to make rent and make a good impression! There was a lot of long hours, heavy lifting and eating convenient food to save time!
Finally it all caught up with me, my body was tired, I was tired, emotionally and physically so I finally decided it was time for a break. Fine if you have unlimited money, but aside from that I knew I would go stir crazy if I just stopped working. So... I applied for jobs in the West End and got two followspot jobs on different shows. I'm what is known as a 'dep' which means I am not full time, I am trained on how to operate the show and then I am called in whenever needed, which is great for me as I have never been the best at working at the same place 24/7, I get bored quickly and find I need new environments to challenge myself.
As well as the followspot work I wanted something a bit different, outside of the world of Theatre. I do love this world, how it is so different to the ways of office life and how people work together to be creative, but equally there are a lot of personalities in Theatre that can be draining!
Down the road from my flat there is a yoga studio that looks really lovely, I had gone there to practice a long time ago when there was an 'Intro Offer' on where you paid £25 and could go and try as many classes as you want. I loved the studio and the classes made me feel really relaxed. I thought... Now I have more free time I should go back and keep exercising there! But the prices were way too high for me. So... I looked online and saw that one of their other studios was advertising for a receptionist role. On the off chance I printed off a CV that I tailored to retail, and went into the studio near my house to hand in my CV! I didn't know it yet, but the manager was working on the reception desk that day, so it definitely got into her hands!
A few weeks went by, I thought my CV had been thrown away, and then I got a phone call asking me to come for an interview! I was really nervous but as you can guess I got the job! Now I have been a receptionist there for about three months and I really enjoy it. I also enjoy the perks of free yoga!
I've seen a massive improvement in my posture, health, happiness and sense of calm by practicing yoga and I'd love help encourage anyone out there to try it. I've learnt you do not need a fancy membership, you just need some encouragement and some passion.
Now I'm not sure of my job safety at all. Almost all the West End Theatres have closed down, including the two I was depping at. The yoga studio has not closed yet but I worry it is only a matter of time. This is all because of Coronavirus or COVID-19 that is sweeping the world. As of last night the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson suggested all Theatres close. It is a massive blow for the industry as because of his careful wording the insurance claims will be tricky for the companies.
There are thousands of people in my situation right now, scared for their jobs, how to pay the bills, make the rent. I'm hoping compassion comes through from landlords, big companies etc. and that we can all be calm and look after each other during this scary time.
x
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