Why are yoga teachers so annoying???!!

[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.

There are definitely many different 'flavors' of yoga, but yoga is a meditational practice with movement. For me, I like that it is about calming your mind, being focused, AND about moving your body, which can provide good stretching and strengthening, and sometimes cardio if the class is fast-paced.

I do think that yoga classes can vary a lot by the instructor. That may be part of the challenge in finding a yoga class that suits the pacing and style you would like. I have NOT had instructors who 'show off'; in fact, I have been impressed that many instructors regularly talk about and model different levels of practice, conveying that everyone should work to their own intelligent edge (ie, push yourself a bit, but where that line is is different for different people). Some people can bend and reach their knee, or their ankle, or hands flat on the floor, and wherever you are is fine for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Not at all. Moreover, the article you posted cast the development of modern yoga as ultimately a GOOD thing and one more phase in the long development of yoga, so I don’t really know why you’re so mean about it.

I lived with monks outside the context of anything so dilettante-ish as you’re suggesting.

[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.

Hinduism/Buddhism fad?! What are you talking about? Where do you think yoga comes from? Maybe not vinyasa flow, but forms like hatha yoga?

[Anonymous]

^no one here is living with monks. My guess is the majority of folks in this area are going to yoga for the exercise component and want to get in and out like everything else is a high paced urban setting and they don’t want to waste time with the other mumbo jumbo stuff. But I’m just guessing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^no one here is living with monks. My guess is the majority of folks in this area are going to yoga for the exercise component and want to get in and out like everything else is a high paced urban setting and they don’t want to waste time with the other mumbo jumbo stuff. But I’m just guessing.

Then they’re not only missing the entire point of it, but they’re really disrespecting it and shouldn’t be there. You don’t have to believe in it, but at least be respectful of it and try to calm your mind during it.

[Anonymous]

Op you were trying to avoid a lecture and here’s pages of it. This teacher is not for you obviously! I took yoga for years the teacher was typical rather odd bird but she DIDNT TALK.

[Anonymous]

^^ about anything but the poses etc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^no one here is living with monks. My guess is the majority of folks in this area are going to yoga for the exercise component and want to get in and out like everything else is a high paced urban setting and they don’t want to waste time with the other mumbo jumbo stuff. But I’m just guessing.

Then they’re not only missing the entire point of it, but they’re really disrespecting it and shouldn’t be there. You don’t have to believe in it, but at least be respectful of it and try to calm your mind during it.

Wtf do you think is going to happen n this town when you’re charging a bunch of entitled people for this pseudo religious experience? Nice little racket.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

A religion? No, it’s not a religion.

Some Christian fundamentalists are pretty sure it's some kind of satanic religion.

I did a beginner's class for awhile (then my schedule changed), the instructor, who has been doing yoga for decades (she's in her 60s) brought in the spirituality but in a very low key way. I woud think too much of that would interfere with meditative aspects. For my part, I liked it most when class was over. It was torture actually doing it (I'm also in my 60s). Although I did it when I was 20 and enjoyed it (the exercise aspects)

[Anonymous]

Yoga is an exercise discipline with religious origins and components - whether or not you personally these components as being religious. But there are many different types of yoga with different emphasis- find one that works for you.

[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.

A religion? No, it’s not a religion.

Some Christian fundamentalists are pretty sure it's some kind of satanic religion.

I did a beginner's class for awhile (then my schedule changed), the instructor, who has been doing yoga for decades (she's in her 60s) brought in the spirituality but in a very low key way. I woud think too much of that would interfere with meditative aspects. For my part, I liked it most when class was over. It was torture actually doing it (I'm also in my 60s). Although I did it when I was 20 and enjoyed it (the exercise aspects)

You're missing the point ... for people who believe in the spirituality, it adds to the meditative experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

PP here, and yes, that's exactly it. And like any religion, the ones who are the most pious are the ones who are hiding the most. Can't tell you how many dudes try to touch my yoni in between chanting Bhagavad Gita.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Hinduism/Buddhism fad?! What are you talking about? Where do you think yoga comes from? Maybe not vinyasa flow, but forms like hatha yoga?

By "fad" I mean "the fad of Westerners deciding another religion they know nothing about is the path to enlightenment".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Hinduism/Buddhism fad?! What are you talking about? Where do you think yoga comes from? Maybe not vinyasa flow, but forms like hatha yoga?

By "fad" I mean "the fad of Westerners deciding another religion they know nothing about is the path to enlightenment".

How presumptive of you. What do you know about my level of knowledge of these religions? How dare you be so judgmental about my religious choices.

[Anonymous]

Also, you realize the history of Western Buddhists goes back to the Hellenistic period, right?

Learn some history and also maybe stop judging other people’s religious beliefs.

Buddha certainly didn’t think only people from India could attain enlightenment.