Why are yoga teachers so annoying???!!

[Anonymous]

Stop going to yoga. Find something else, a hiit class or something. I'd recommend SoulCycle, but they also talk and try to incentivize you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yoga is bizarre to me as well op. I don’t get it.

Me too. Apparently the instructor squad has a different objective than the people who show up for the classes. I went a class described as for strength and flexibility and the entire time the male (weird because so many male instructors in ALL female classes) yammered on and on and on about his recent yogic enlightenment. He also made us introduce ourselves to someone we didn’t know and have a conversation. Why? No one wants to do this. I was irritated and impatient to get on with it.

This is incredibly offensive...educate yourself or don't, but in 2019 it's pretty ignorant not to at least know that yoga is a component of Hindu religious practice. And it's quite bigoted to call a religious practice "bizarre" just because it is different from your own religious tradition.

[Anonymous]

I remember prenatal yoga and they always tried to get us to "commune with baby." I just couldn't take it seriously. I wanted an exercise class that was fun and to meet other moms. It wasn't for me obviously.

[Anonymous]

I hate manual adjustments - I have never had a manual adjustment that was actually helpful. Seriously, stop pushing hips down in child's pose - my back DOES NOT GO ANY FURTHER.

Good instructors (not just yoga) will understand anatomy so well that they can lead you through an activating set of exercises and describe how to position your body in words.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t know yoga was a a religion. To the uninitiated, it seems like exercise. Good to know.

I find it fairly astonishing you could be this ignorant, but ok:

Yoga is a thousands-year old practice that is a key part of Buddhist and Hindu traditions. It did NOT start as an exercise. It started as a way to strengthen one's mind and body to prepare for meditation--and as part of meditation--to achieve the religious goal of mindfulness and, eventually, escape from the cycle of rebirth (aka nirvana).

Why do you think yoga studios pretty much all have Buddha statues and Om symbols in them? Why do you think yoga instructors use Sanskrit terms like "savasana" or "namaste"? It's not just for fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t know yoga was a a religion. To the uninitiated, it seems like exercise. Good to know.

I find it fairly astonishing you could be this ignorant, but ok:

Yoga is a thousands-year old practice that is a key part of Buddhist and Hindu traditions. It did NOT start as an exercise. It started as a way to strengthen one's mind and body to prepare for meditation--and as part of meditation--to achieve the religious goal of mindfulness and, eventually, escape from the cycle of rebirth (aka nirvana).

Why do you think yoga studios pretty much all have Buddha statues and Om symbols in them? Why do you think yoga instructors use Sanskrit terms like "savasana" or "namaste"? It's not just for fun.

So they can sound special and in the clique? If it is a religion why do I have to spend money to be in, sounds like a cult. I love yoga and if you want take to a spiritual level I will not be grudge you. But let’s face 99% of the people there are there to relax, build their core and tighten their butt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t know yoga was a a religion. To the uninitiated, it seems like exercise. Good to know.

I find it fairly astonishing you could be this ignorant, but ok:

Yoga is a thousands-year old practice that is a key part of Buddhist and Hindu traditions. It did NOT start as an exercise. It started as a way to strengthen one's mind and body to prepare for meditation--and as part of meditation--to achieve the religious goal of mindfulness and, eventually, escape from the cycle of rebirth (aka nirvana).

Why do you think yoga studios pretty much all have Buddha statues and Om symbols in them? Why do you think yoga instructors use Sanskrit terms like "savasana" or "namaste"? It's not just for fun.

So they can sound special and in the clique? If it is a religion why do I have to spend money to be in, sounds like a cult. I love yoga and if you want take to a spiritual level I will not be grudge you. But let’s face 99% of the people there are there to relax, build their core and tighten their butt.

Some of us actually believe in it. You're viewing this in a really cynical way.

No one's asking you to pay your way into a religion. The yoga studios themselves aren't religions; they are simply charging you for the experience of someone guiding you in yoga, which is--at its heart--a spiritual practice. There's nothing in Buddhism or Hinduism that requires payment for anything. You can do yoga--and attain enlightenment--in your own home without interacting with a single other human being.

If you want to have a non-religious experience there, that's fine, but if you disparage what yoga actually is, please go elsewhere because your attitude is frankly offensive. You'll get the same health benefits from pilates or other core classes at your local gym.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t know yoga was a a religion. To the uninitiated, it seems like exercise. Good to know.

I find it fairly astonishing you could be this ignorant, but ok:

Yoga is a thousands-year old practice that is a key part of Buddhist and Hindu traditions. It did NOT start as an exercise. It started as a way to strengthen one's mind and body to prepare for meditation--and as part of meditation--to achieve the religious goal of mindfulness and, eventually, escape from the cycle of rebirth (aka nirvana).

Why do you think yoga studios pretty much all have Buddha statues and Om symbols in them? Why do you think yoga instructors use Sanskrit terms like "savasana" or "namaste"? It's not just for fun.

So they can sound special and in the clique? If it is a religion why do I have to spend money to be in, sounds like a cult. I love yoga and if you want take to a spiritual level I will not be grudge you. But let’s face 99% of the people there are there to relax, build their core and tighten their butt.

Some of us actually believe in it. You're viewing this in a really cynical way.

No one's asking you to pay your way into a religion. The yoga studios themselves aren't religions; they are simply charging you for the experience of someone guiding you in yoga, which is--at its heart--a spiritual practice. There's nothing in Buddhism or Hinduism that requires payment for anything. You can do yoga--and attain enlightenment--in your own home without interacting with a single other human being.

If you want to have a non-religious experience there, that's fine, but if you disparage what yoga actually is, please go elsewhere because your attitude is frankly offensive. You'll get the same health benefits from pilates or other core classes at your local gym.

This is a shockingly a-historical viewpoint. It's well known that "yoga" as practiced in the US is a mishmash of European gym exercises and Sanskrit terminology. It's not a Hindu or Buddhist religious practice -- actual Hindus get pretty offended if you suggest it is. https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/yoga-s-greater-truth

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t know yoga was a a religion. To the uninitiated, it seems like exercise. Good to know.

I find it fairly astonishing you could be this ignorant, but ok:

Yoga is a thousands-year old practice that is a key part of Buddhist and Hindu traditions. It did NOT start as an exercise. It started as a way to strengthen one's mind and body to prepare for meditation--and as part of meditation--to achieve the religious goal of mindfulness and, eventually, escape from the cycle of rebirth (aka nirvana).

Why do you think yoga studios pretty much all have Buddha statues and Om symbols in them? Why do you think yoga instructors use Sanskrit terms like "savasana" or "namaste"? It's not just for fun.

So they can sound special and in the clique? If it is a religion why do I have to spend money to be in, sounds like a cult. I love yoga and if you want take to a spiritual level I will not be grudge you. But let’s face 99% of the people there are there to relax, build their core and tighten their butt.

Some of us actually believe in it. You're viewing this in a really cynical way.

No one's asking you to pay your way into a religion. The yoga studios themselves aren't religions; they are simply charging you for the experience of someone guiding you in yoga, which is--at its heart--a spiritual practice. There's nothing in Buddhism or Hinduism that requires payment for anything. You can do yoga--and attain enlightenment--in your own home without interacting with a single other human being.

If you want to have a non-religious experience there, that's fine, but if you disparage what yoga actually is, please go elsewhere because your attitude is frankly offensive. You'll get the same health benefits from pilates or other core classes at your local gym.

This is a shockingly a-historical viewpoint. It's well known that "yoga" as practiced in the US is a mishmash of European gym exercises and Sanskrit terminology. It's not a Hindu or Buddhist religious practice -- actual Hindus get pretty offended if you suggest it is. https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/yoga-s-greater-truth

That's not true of the type of yoga I practice. I am well-informed about what I do. But thanks for your concern.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t know yoga was a a religion. To the uninitiated, it seems like exercise. Good to know.

I find it fairly astonishing you could be this ignorant, but ok:

Yoga is a thousands-year old practice that is a key part of Buddhist and Hindu traditions. It did NOT start as an exercise. It started as a way to strengthen one's mind and body to prepare for meditation--and as part of meditation--to achieve the religious goal of mindfulness and, eventually, escape from the cycle of rebirth (aka nirvana).

Why do you think yoga studios pretty much all have Buddha statues and Om symbols in them? Why do you think yoga instructors use Sanskrit terms like "savasana" or "namaste"? It's not just for fun.

So they can sound special and in the clique? If it is a religion why do I have to spend money to be in, sounds like a cult. I love yoga and if you want take to a spiritual level I will not be grudge you. But let’s face 99% of the people there are there to relax, build their core and tighten their butt.

Some of us actually believe in it. You're viewing this in a really cynical way.

No one's asking you to pay your way into a religion. The yoga studios themselves aren't religions; they are simply charging you for the experience of someone guiding you in yoga, which is--at its heart--a spiritual practice. There's nothing in Buddhism or Hinduism that requires payment for anything. You can do yoga--and attain enlightenment--in your own home without interacting with a single other human being.

If you want to have a non-religious experience there, that's fine, but if you disparage what yoga actually is, please go elsewhere because your attitude is frankly offensive. You'll get the same health benefits from pilates or other core classes at your local gym.

This is a shockingly a-historical viewpoint. It's well known that "yoga" as practiced in the US is a mishmash of European gym exercises and Sanskrit terminology. It's not a Hindu or Buddhist religious practice -- actual Hindus get pretty offended if you suggest it is. https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/yoga-s-greater-truth

That's not true of the type of yoga I practice. I am well-informed about what I do. But thanks for your concern.

To clarify -- I learned yoga from Buddhist monks. I lived in Thailand for 4 years. Please don't make assumptions about me.

[Anonymous]

^DP here - obviously not what's going on in DC. It's exercise class here.

[Anonymous]

OP, why are you even in a yoga studio? You sound really stupid, honestly. Maybe next you’ll join a dojo aggressively whine about how you hate the emphasis on discipline and focus and wish they’d shut up —since you signed up to get a rock-hard butt.

Enjoy orangeTheory!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t want to watch you do all kinds of weird handstands only a gymnast can do. I don’t want to hear about chakras and why inversions are good or bad at this time of the month. I especially don’t want to be “adjusted “ ie touched and repositioned by the teacher- get your hands off me please for crying out loud! I don’t want to hear your narrative commentary about woo-woo poems or pseudo religious pondering, or anything else like that! I just want a good hard Vinyasa flow session with no chitchat. Why do all of the teachers use the spotlight to just blabber on and on?? I’m there to exercise! I love yoga because it makes me stronger, improves balance and flexibility, and nothing melts the fat like a hard yoga practice either. So why does yoga come with all of this nonsense?? And if you even so much as mention for the billionth time your next retreat in Greece, I am outta there!!

Anyone recommend a good hard athletic class with a serious instructor? Or a studio of this type?

If you are a yoga teacher please explain this silly showboating...? We lose at least 15 mins out of a one hour class with your “third eye breath in/breath out” bs.

*I realize this is not really a REAL problem but anyway... namaste.

I'm a yoga teacher who has been practicing 15 years, and I totally agree with you. Yoga teachers are some of the most annoying people I've known. Most people really have no idea what they are talking about. It's like most disciplines- those who are beginners think they know a lot and are eager to share, while the experts recognize how little they actually know and are humble. In reality, it takes years of chanting mantra-s and sutra-s, meditation, studying texts, etc until you can understand the teachings.

A good teacher understands what the student needs at that time and doesn't force what they *think* the student needs. Most of us come to yoga for the exercise component, and are only ready to receive the deeper teachings after years of practice. That's totally fine.

I also don't get the whole Hinduism/Buddhism fad in yoga classes. It's very powerful to study the religious tradition you were raised in and use that in conjunction with yoga, rather than one from halfway around the world that you have no real experience with. Most teachers also don't realize that "namaste" is a greeting said to elders to show respect, and that getting a tattoo of an om symbol is pretty offensive towards Hinduism.

I can't stand most yoga events because it turns into a big circle jerk where everyone tries to show off how much they know and how spiritual they are. Meanwhile the people who actually know their sh!t sneak off for steak and red wine, ha.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t know yoga was a a religion. To the uninitiated, it seems like exercise. Good to know.

I find it fairly astonishing you could be this ignorant, but ok:

Yoga is a thousands-year old practice that is a key part of Buddhist and Hindu traditions. It did NOT start as an exercise. It started as a way to strengthen one's mind and body to prepare for meditation--and as part of meditation--to achieve the religious goal of mindfulness and, eventually, escape from the cycle of rebirth (aka nirvana).

Why do you think yoga studios pretty much all have Buddha statues and Om symbols in them? Why do you think yoga instructors use Sanskrit terms like "savasana" or "namaste"? It's not just for fun.

So they can sound special and in the clique? If it is a religion why do I have to spend money to be in, sounds like a cult. I love yoga and if you want take to a spiritual level I will not be grudge you. But let’s face 99% of the people there are there to relax, build their core and tighten their butt.

Some of us actually believe in it. You're viewing this in a really cynical way.

No one's asking you to pay your way into a religion. The yoga studios themselves aren't religions; they are simply charging you for the experience of someone guiding you in yoga, which is--at its heart--a spiritual practice. There's nothing in Buddhism or Hinduism that requires payment for anything. You can do yoga--and attain enlightenment--in your own home without interacting with a single other human being.

If you want to have a non-religious experience there, that's fine, but if you disparage what yoga actually is, please go elsewhere because your attitude is frankly offensive. You'll get the same health benefits from pilates or other core classes at your local gym.

This is a shockingly a-historical viewpoint. It's well known that "yoga" as practiced in the US is a mishmash of European gym exercises and Sanskrit terminology. It's not a Hindu or Buddhist religious practice -- actual Hindus get pretty offended if you suggest it is. https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/yoga-s-greater-truth

That's not true of the type of yoga I practice. I am well-informed about what I do. But thanks for your concern.

To clarify -- I learned yoga from Buddhist monks. I lived in Thailand for 4 years. Please don't make assumptions about me.

lol. you likely learned a set of Danish exercise moves filtered through Buddhist catch words and taught by Thais to Westerners.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t want to watch you do all kinds of weird handstands only a gymnast can do. I don’t want to hear about chakras and why inversions are good or bad at this time of the month. I especially don’t want to be “adjusted “ ie touched and repositioned by the teacher- get your hands off me please for crying out loud! I don’t want to hear your narrative commentary about woo-woo poems or pseudo religious pondering, or anything else like that! I just want a good hard Vinyasa flow session with no chitchat. Why do all of the teachers use the spotlight to just blabber on and on?? I’m there to exercise! I love yoga because it makes me stronger, improves balance and flexibility, and nothing melts the fat like a hard yoga practice either. So why does yoga come with all of this nonsense?? And if you even so much as mention for the billionth time your next retreat in Greece, I am outta there!!

Anyone recommend a good hard athletic class with a serious instructor? Or a studio of this type?

If you are a yoga teacher please explain this silly showboating...? We lose at least 15 mins out of a one hour class with your “third eye breath in/breath out” bs.

*I realize this is not really a REAL problem but anyway... namaste.

I'm a yoga teacher who has been practicing 15 years, and I totally agree with you. Yoga teachers are some of the most annoying people I've known. Most people really have no idea what they are talking about. It's like most disciplines- those who are beginners think they know a lot and are eager to share, while the experts recognize how little they actually know and are humble. In reality, it takes years of chanting mantra-s and sutra-s, meditation, studying texts, etc until you can understand the teachings.

A good teacher understands what the student needs at that time and doesn't force what they *think* the student needs. Most of us come to yoga for the exercise component, and are only ready to receive the deeper teachings after years of practice. That's totally fine.

I also don't get the whole Hinduism/Buddhism fad in yoga classes. It's very powerful to study the religious tradition you were raised in and use that in conjunction with yoga, rather than one from halfway around the world that you have no real experience with. Most teachers also don't realize that "namaste" is a greeting said to elders to show respect, and that getting a tattoo of an om symbol is pretty offensive towards Hinduism.

I can't stand most yoga events because it turns into a big circle jerk where everyone tries to show off how much they know and how spiritual they are. Meanwhile the people who actually know their sh!t sneak off for steak and red wine, ha.

So refreshing.
Sounds like any religious competition on who is the most pious, vs humility