Claire’s Story
Claire Leslie Johnson, One Yoga
Minneapolis, MN
Our studio is a cornerstone for yoga in Minneapolis, and we are committed to serving everyone in our community. We offer classes on a sliding-scale using a donation and fee-based model.
Yoga is more important than ever in a time of crisis. With the need for social distancing now, we’re moving online to stream our classes. But making this transition comes with many challenges. It requires technology we don’t have and have never used before and an entirely new business model. Plus, we’ve had to cut our operations down to a third of our offerings.
We have a staff of five part-time employees, plus fifteen instructors who work with us on contract. Though we closed our doors on March 16, we’re continuing to pay our staff, and we offer the paid sick leave required under Minnesota law. We’re also still paying $10,000 a month to rent a studio we’re not using.
We can’t sustain this for long. I estimate that we can continue this way for two and a half months, maybe less. As for our contract teachers—they aren’t on our payroll, so they’re losing income immediately.
Many things are weighing on me now. I’m worried about rent. I’m worried for the teachers who’ve been part of our community for more than a decade. I’m worried about keeping everyone safe and healthy.
There are three things our elected leaders can do to help. First, we need protection from mortgage and rent payments. Second, we need help covering paid sick leave and paid family and medical leave. Third, real stimulus payments to individuals—payments that make the difference for people being able to meet their needs—would give me a sense of relief.
I am concerned that the politicians in power are going to do the opposite. As for things like cruise company bailouts, I know that big industry needs support, but our President seems focused on helping big business. Most of our small businesses have such minimal safety nets, if any safety net at all, while huge corporations have the resources to weather the storm. Our elected officials should be sending the money where we’ll be putting it to good use and getting our economy through this crisis.
Claire Leslie Johnson has operated her yoga studio in a mixed-income neighborhood in Minneapolis since 2002. The studio closed on March 16 due to the pandemic.