HOW TO ATTEND JAYA KULA TEACHINGS

COVID SAFETY PROTOCOLS FOR ALL JAYA KULA TEACHINGS AND EVENTS

1. PROOF OF VACCINATION IS NOT REQUIRED.

2. N95 OR KN95 MASKS ARE REQUIRED AT SATSANG AND HALF-DAY TEACHINGS

• For satsangs, other brief teachings, and half-day teachings, everyone needs to wear a N95 or KN95 mask.

• We have comfortable masks at our teaching center for those who need them, including children.

• If you find our masks uncomfortable, we encourage you to bring your own N95 or KN95 masks. 

• If you feel healthy, you do not need to test before satsang, other brief teachings, or half-day teachings.

• If you have any symptoms that might be COVID such as congestion, fever, a cough, or an unusual headache, please refrain from attending unless you take a PCR-quality test to ensure you are not COVID positive.

• Please note that antigen rapid tests have not kept up with recent variants and often return false negatives. Jaya Kula no longer accepts a negative at-home rapid test as proof of being non-contagious for COVID. 

3. FULL-DAY AND MULTI-DAY TEACHINGS

The following are the main COVID protocols for full-day and multi-day retreats.

• All attendees are required to do a PCR test at Matrika on the first morning of the retreat unless you are one of the handful of people who mask consistently in indoor public spaces and have no other risk factors such as living or working with people who do not consistently mask in indoor spaces. 

• Regardless of your caution re: COVID, if you have traveled to the retreat by air, train, or long-distance bus, you will need to test on the first day of the retreat at a minimum. 

• During the seven days before the retreat, if you haven’t always masked in indoor public places, and/or you’ve been indoors unmasked in spaces with people who do not always mask, you have two choices:

1. Test every morning at Matrika and not mask during daytime teachings

2. Mask during the retreat

• Everyone will mask during evening satsangs and pujas when community members and/or the public who are not attending the retreat are present.

• We are no longer asking retreat attendees to use at-home rapid tests. The accuracy of these has radically declined because manufacturers have not kept up with recent variants. 

Other COVID protocols for longer teachings and retreats

• For full-day and multi-day teachings only, if you have a medical condition that affects your ability to breathe, you may wear a surgical mask in place of an N95 or KN95 in addition to testing as above.

• If you are leading kirtan, you must wear a mask while singing unless you are at exceptionally low risk of contracting COVID. (For example, you work remotely and routinely mask in high-risk situations.)

• During longer teachings, when eating with others in restaurants, choose venues that have outdoor seating. Most outdoor seating in Portland is covered, and there are also covered, outdoor spots with heating.

If you’ve recently had COVID

• Ten days after the onset of COVID, you may return to teachings if your symptoms have stopped and you have either a negative Metrix or PCR-equivalent test.

The cost of testing

• Jaya Kula includes the cost of a single COVID test at Matrika in the retreat fees. Attendees who choose to test every day during multi-day retreats are billed at the rate of $4 per test.