Keep it Clean

Yesterday before my yoga class, I was in the restroom that adjoins the studio. A woman used the bathroom, came out of the stall and blew her nose, and then proceeded to go into the yoga class without washing her hands. What went through my mind were all the things she touched (and potentially covered with germs) just in the time I saw her in class- the door handle, the yoga mat (many of the mats belong to the studio and are reused by other students), a couple of yoga blocks, a blanket. It's no wonder that so many people in Olympia, and indeed in the US have been hit with the flu already this year. Many people do not seem to think of their own bodies as potential vectors for disease, and are not as careful as they could be about exposing others to their bodily fluids. I wish I could post a copy of this friendly raccoon poster in every bathroom I'm in, with the hope that it would encourage more people to take the time to wash their hands. You can do a lot to try to stay healthy (including always washing your hands before eating), but when there are people around you who aren't observing basic disease prevention methods, it gets a lot harder to stay well. The Minnesota Department of Health did some observational studies and found that many people do not wash their hands after using the restroom, even at huge public events like the State Fair. Yuck! So if other people aren't going to take the time to wash their hands, make sure you do. It's a simple and effective way of keeping yourself healthy.