By Dan Borris. Photo via MSN Now.
- What do you do about yoga students who are chronic freestylers? Or those that wear inappropriate clothing to class (I’m specifically thinking of a perpetual outfit including booty shorts, a nude, regular bra in place of a top, and chronic genital flashes)? Honestly, I don’t care that much. I admire free spirits. Do whatever makes you happy. If you aren’t into Warrior II and you’d rather do crow while punctuating the silence with thuds, that’s cool. If you want to do dynamic stretching while the rest of the class is in easy pose practicing pranayama, whatever. Particularly in cases of elderly students who have been practicing for 30 years, there’s no reason to pressure them to change their ways unless they’re truly distracting. If they’re rocking their own sequence silently, already distracting the class by being topless and not wearing a sports bra, is there a need?
Not everyone feels that way. My sister and I have both been told to approach the freestylers and reinforce the fact that we are teaching the class and they need to follow along. I’m supposed to inform them that they’re doing the pose in the complete opposite direction. Aside from unwanted glimpses of nether regions, I think it’s kind of awesome. Plus I’ve heard several times when I gently attempted to get them into a pose, “I’m doing it this way for a reason.” That’s why I absolutely hate adjusting people. I instruct them verbally how to correct their alignment in a pose and demonstrate next to them, but grabbing them and getting all up their business is a skill that disappeared after teacher training (read here for some insight into to my anxiety). I know that’s frowned upon.
But that’s another story for another day. Back on topic. My belief is that students who have paid for a class can freakin’ frolic all they want. Seriously (you know Bruce Lee’s cousin, Serious Lee. Haha.). Yoga is supposed to be about doing what feels right for you and listening to your intuition in order to satisfy your body, mind, and spirit. At some point I think you have to let it go. I could be wrong, but I find it harsh when teachers lay down the law with the uninhibited, eccentric yogis.
The only part that crosses the line for me is when a human gets up during savasana and goes out into the lobby to try to purchase various items, forcing the teacher to leave the room and ring her up or tell her to wait. Or when they get in the fetal position halfway through final relaxation and then don’t get up until 15 minutes after the class has ended. I just continue with the closing remarks and Namaste without waiting for them. I can’t let classes run 15 minutes late because an individual is enjoying being curled up like an embryo. Am I supposed to wait? Do I ask them to come to a seated position? I’m genuinely uncertain of how to handle these situations.
Any tips or tricks for me?
I don’t mind people doing their own thing either, unless others are being distracted. I did have a student once say “you have to do such and such a pose after that pose” out loud to the group. That I didn’t like at all. It could potentially make others wonder if I knew what I was doing. I explained that there are different schools of yoga, etc. Haven’t had anyone stay for so long after the class ended, but I suspect I’d do the same as you.
I like to “assist” rather than “adjust” – never putting someone into a position. That can lead to injury and bad feelings. Aside from that, as long as no one is being injured, I let ‘em fly, sleep, sit or do whatever their body needs to. It’s their practice, not mine.
Chronic genital flashes?! Your class sounds exhilarating. I meet freestylers every day. You know, the ones who sit down (10 minutes into class) in gomukhasana while everyone else is in sun B. Gee whiz. During class, I don’t interfere with their improvising. But after class (in private) I have asked that they consider choosing the back row if they must bust out their own stuff. About the curled up embryo thing during savasana, I don’t think you need to wait for them to find a seat. They’re probably fine chillin’ there listening to your closing words. Don’t fret. I’m sure you make good choices.
okay – time for me to come out. i am not, and will likely never be, a yoga instructor. and i am a total frickin’ kiss-ass when it comes to yoga classes i attend, and i am the one who gives other students <>. yup. that’s me. i find those classes sacred (if the teacher sucks, it kills it, though). here we are, paying 12 bucks plus to get the wisdom of this person who makes yoga their full time gig – and for me that’s money (no pun intended). that means their whole life is all about US and everybody else and making our bodies feel better and work better, etc., ad infinitum. and that is something to be admired and respected and i have NO TIME for these people who do not get that. seriously. so getting wacky with one’s yoga is fine – for real – but interrupting the teacher (“you have to do such and such a pose after that pose”)??? are you kidding me? or answering your phone, expecting everybody to stop savasana (i mean, STOP SAVASANA???) for you is just plain. out. of. order. when i walk into a yoga studio, it is no different for me than walking into a dojo. respect. that’s all. and there’s my rant for your rant…one for one, and an excellent post, incidentally!
inside the there should have been the words “the look”. was trying to make up for the lack of italics. sometimes wordpress sucks.
OH, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT’S SACRED. between the “the” and the “there” there should be a “”. seriously. coding. criminey.
Haha. I love your grammar corrections. I agree. The cell phone thing, interrupting, and behaviors like that are horrific. But I just don’t know if I could actually scold a student for doing their own sequence as long as it’s not super distracting. But the getting up during savasana and trying to shop right outside of the curtain and have the teacher leave the room with 30 seconds left in class is where I have to stand my ground. When I’m taking a class someone getting up, loudly perusing items, and the teacher disappearing for 15 minutes would ruin my zen.
I have definitely stayed in my embryo for too long before. Let a mother fucker be! You are a wise one and I know if you follow your instincts and do what you feel is right you won’t be disappointed.
Haha. That is what I’m saying. If someone wants to be the embryo, there is no way I’m disturbing them and telling them to sit up. You’re right. Thanks for the encouragement.
It’s good to let people be free about some of their postures, but if I were a student, I’d be really annoyed if another student left the room, answered their phone, showed me their junk, interrupted the teacher, etc. It’s a lack of respect for everyone and disrupts the energy. Those people should just get a private class where they can be queen.
Agreed. The showing the junk has been going on for so long and accepted by the studio and the teacher is the only one who can see it typically, so I’m unsure of how to broach the subject. Answering the phone definitely doesn’t fly and personally I don’t indulge the impulsive need to shop mid-class. I feel weird about not acknowledging the person outside of the room, but I can’t get up mid-class to ring someone up when there’s 10 other students. If they leave, they leave. I am just horrible about being firm with people.
I don’t mind some individual variation. My classes are open, drop-in classes and they can be pretty mixed in level of student. So I expect that some will modify down and some will modify up from what I am leading the class in. But I do want us to stay together and this is what I’m getting from your post – that you’re trying to lead a class so that they are together as one and those efforts can sometimes be undermined.
I’ve told people that if they aren’t feeling well they can do savasana for the entire time. And I don’t think that’s distracting. The distraction comes when somebody begins putting on a display. That could be by flashing their naughty bits or busting out a handstand while everybody else is in tadasana. One of my overriding teaching goals is that we practice together in a way that raises a collective energy. When that happens, everyone is present and focused and into it. If a student seems to be willfully somewhere else, I’d probably talk to them after class but only if it looked like they might become a regular student. I’d encourage deeper variations of what we’re doing; I’d encourage deeper focus rather than improv.
As for the flashers, if it’s a guy I’d talk with him after class and I think we’d be okay. If it’s a woman… Sorry. I got nothing. Maybe if she’s going to classes with one of our female teachers I’d ask that teacher to deal with her. Yeah. I know.
I’ve always thought that after a while our students find us. The regulars in my classes are there for a yoga class and for the community. I teach the sutras. I teach presence and loosening the bonds of ego and I teach humility. My regulars know this coming in. The extravagant ones stop by from time to time, but not finding an audience they move on. May they find happiness.
Wow. Thank you. Those were some wise words. Some students in particular are not my regular students. I just encounter them when I substitute and constantly encountered them in teacher training when I had to do assists and they would rebuff me. It’s just certain classes when subbing that the issue surfaces. Other teachers have been harsh with them and yet they continue to come every single week (dedication) and do the same thing. In most cases, I agree about not finding an audience. In others, I think if they’re quiet and feel like freestyling a bit, I don’t feel comfortable squelching their freedom. I’m slowly learning to pick and choose my battles. For me personally it’s totally cool to approach someone and if they’re doing Proud Warrior instead of Warrior I, guide them into Warrior I pretending that I didn’t realize they were doing it wrong on purpose. But I cannot get to the point of saying what I’ve been told, “This is my class. I am the teacher. You are the student. If you want to practice in this studio, you’ll listen to my instructions.” It’s not like they punched another student, peed on their mat, pushed me off my mat and started leading the class, haha. Aren’t we all eternal students? Who am I to pretend I know it all and that my way is the only way? Or maybe I’m still overly timid. As for the flashes of baby making parts, no way am I saying something. I’ll leave that to the regular teacher. Haha.
I go to a yoga class to get the teacher’s insights, to have them take my mind and my body through a routine that is both new and exhilarating. I come to the class for that, for the instructor’s knowledge, not my own. If I want to free style I stay at home, where free-style should be conducted. Other than standing in Mountain or sitting peacefully in lotus when an pose is too difficult I find no excuse for the student other than they have an ego to deal with. Some yoga students are competitive and I’ve at times had to remind a fellow devotee in class that yoga is a non-competitive exercise. To stop a teacher and correct them is so insulting and again, makes me wonder about the students ego. I’m so sorry this happened to you, but you handled it well with an open heart I can tell. Really appreciated David’s comment. Great post, and cutest pic!!
I agree. I always follow along with the teacher’s sequence, unless I need to make a modification to take it up or down a notch. Freestylin’ should ideally be done at home, but I think in the case I’m thinking of, the person may actually like the studio environment, be a bit lonely, but want to practice her own stuff. The competitiveness aspect can be a problem. I agree with David too that if they don’t have an audience eventually they’ll leave. I’m still a little timid so I have a hard time knowing when to say something or when to let it go. Ironically, earlier this week I was taking a class as opposed to teaching and a certain flasher pulled a mat up right next to mine. I’ve gotten good at blocking the rest of the room out so she wasn’t distracting to me. But I know the teacher can’t shut his or her eyes and tune out students. Haha. Thanks for the insights.