Portsmouth Yoga Studio Uses Purifiers To Keep Clear Of COVID-19

PORTSMOUTH, NH — Anyone who practices yoga knows that while trying to reach better health, inner peace, and happiness, one must be breathing … a lot.

Depending on the exact practice, you could be breathing a lot. And heavily. Breathing is a core function of the process. Using your lungs relieves stress and tension.

But during the coronavirus pandemic, the breathing process, especially around other people, could be more difficult and potentially dangerous, if infected people were not quarantining and asymptomatic people were not socially distancing.

At 3 Bridges Yoga, which has studios in Portsmouth and York, Maine, Stephanie Paolini needed to find a process to make her studios as clean as possible — while also being able to ensure her clients felt safe. She is a "heart-based" yoga instructor — meaning, while focusing on health, she is also trying to move clients from living in their heads to leading with their hearts. One thing she did do was install Celios G200 air purifiers in her studios to keep the air fresh and clean.

Portsmouth NH Patch asked Paolini 5 Questions about her business while weathering through the pandemic.

How difficult (or easy) has it been navigating your business during the pandemic?

I have thought a lot about the idea of "difficulty" and "ease," and I think what it comes down to is resiliency. We, as a world, essentially had to switch gears on a dime overnight, and I think the more resilient you are, the easier that is. That being said, owning a business that relies on people being together has been tough. I feel incredibly fortunate for my amazing staff and practitioners that have kept us going through all of this. We have a really strong community at 3BY and their love and support have been the silver lining to all of this.

Did you have any experience with PPP funds or the CARES Act? If you did, how did that go? Was it easy or difficult?

We did! Thankfully, 3BY has been around for about 10 years, so as a business that was well-established, we had access to funds. The application process was easeful and the funds helped tremendously while we had to close the brick-and-mortar operations. Thankfully we switched to an online format during this time to keep everyone working.

How have you had to change your business during the pandemic? How long have you been open, too, please?

3BY has been around for 10 years. So much had to change last March, with the main aspects of change being switching to a virtual format when we were forced to close. We closed on a Saturday and re-opened fully online the next morning, so our yogis didn't have to skip a beat with their practice. The online format has continued since reopening and I don't see it going anywhere! It is lovely to be able to have yogis from all over the world log in and practice in community with us. In studio, things are different as well. We keep people further than local and CDC recommended distances apart, masks on all the time at the York studio per local ordinance and all the times when class isn't taking place in Portsmouth. We have upped cleaning to stronger cleansers (we used to be all Myers and products like that!) and keep more time between classes to allow for the air to clear out. So much has shifted, but I prefer to think of it as ways to keep everyone as healthy and safe as possible while keeping the doors to the studio open, so I try to take a positive spin on it.

I know yoga is about wellness so it is logical to install the purifiers. But was there any other reason specifically?

COVID-19 was the driving force for the air purifiers, but they will stay forever. Part of the yoga lineage deals with cleanliness, not just of the body but of the mind. It makes sense to keep the space as clean as possible, always! We clean the floors and the surfaces we touch, why not scrub the air too?

Have the purifiers been a marketing angle, for lack of a better term, for your business?

Hmmm…great question! I hadn't thought of it like that. I thought of it more as providing another level of cleanliness and safety for my staff and yogis, so everyone would know we were doing everything we possibly can to keep the space clean. I guess that would be marketing!

For more information, visit the 3BY website, linked here.

Got a news tip? Send it to tony.schinella@patch.com. View videos on Tony Schinella's YouTube.com channel or Rumble.com channel.