Practicing Ayurvedic Yoga Massage during a Coronavirus Epidemic

COVID-19 Information & Update

Dear AYM friends,

These are strange times for anyone with the coronavirus epidemic, let alone us bodywork therapists! Carrying on with our practice will be significantly limited, if not screeched to a halt, during the coming months as the world at large ramps up precautions to limit the spread of the new virus.

It is difficult and scary for anyone to come to terms with new ways of living amid such uncertainty over our collective health. And as massage therapists, we are also facing the potential drying up of our business and livelihoods as the pandem changes the way the world goes about daily life (at least for the time being!).

The safest thing to do is to limit all human contact to a minimum. But what to do if you have clients you feel comfortable working with? This is a big question, and one that brings about many additional ones – many of them difficult to answer in light of the currently known facts. While we await for additional information and guidelines, the following checklist is the bare minimum to be conscious of if you do plan to carry on practicing in the current time:

1. Your own health

   Get into the habit of taking your own temperature three times per day and cancel all appointments if you have even a mild fever or if you feel any shortness of breath. Drink enough liquids every 20 minutes to keep you mouth wet (teas, coffee, water). Take extra Zinc and C-vitamins (500ml) everyday to boost your system.

2. Protective gear and gloves

   Wear a protective face mask and be prepared to offer one to your client as well. Make sure you use an N95 or ffp2-grade face mask during all consultations and/treatments.
   Optionally: you can wear latex gloves to deliver the treatment.

3. Sanitary habits

   Wash your hands thoroughly with liquid soap, followed up an alcohol-based disinfectant, before and after any treatment. Ask all clients to do the same, before taking their temperature with a thermometer that has been sanitised after each use. Do not carry out any work if your client has a raised temperature, no matter how slightly.

4. Clothing & supplies

   Have a change of clothing at hand for each consultation. Wash all laundry at 60c. Wash and disinfect all supplies (cloths, containers, oil bottles, etc) and everything that was touched after each session.

5. Treatment room hygiene

   Aerate the room for 20 minutes after treatment and use an air disinfectant spray. In addition to commercially available disinfectant sprays, you can make your own one by mixing rubbing alcohol (1 cup) with water (1 cup), optionally vinegar (1/2 cup) and essential oils (30 drops) with antiviral properties (among them: lemon, lavender, peppermint, thyme, eucalyptus, tea tree, grapefruit, chamomile, clove, cinnamon, rosemary). Be mindful that the final spray is inflammable if you spray towards a candle. Also be aware of expiration, or get a hold of a preservative such as Phenoxyethanol.
   Purchase essentials oil (delivery today): https://zoi.london/collections/single-oils

6. Treatment mattress

   Stock up on blankets, pillows and sheets; they all need to be washed after each treatment. Also sanitise everything touched by clients in the treatment room (door handles, chairs etc). Use rubbing alcohol on the mattress near the face area, even if covered by a sheet during treatment. Disinfect the floor and the backside of your slippers.

7. Finishing touches

   Last but not least…take a moment to quiet down before the next treatment. These safety procedures may take you 30 minutes extra time, and you should reserve five of those to nurture your own therapeutic mindset amid these extraordinary times.

8. Coronavirus (COVID-19) Symptoms

   Common signs of infection to coronavirus (COVID-19) include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death. learn more

9. Supply checklist

   • H95 masks
   • Gloves
   • 2 thermometers
   • Rubbing alcohol
   • Single use rubbing alcohol pads
   • Gauzes
   • Antiseptic hand sanitiser
   • Essential oils
   • Disinfectant Wipes
   • Air disinfectant spray (chemical)
   • Air disinfectant spray (essential oils)
   • Liquid soap

Fighting-coronavirus-during-Epidemics-Massage-therapist-kit

We will be holding a Q&A session in the coming week or so. Please tell us in the comments below if you are interested and if you have any particular queries or contact us via Instagram