There are two kinds of yoga teachers in the world–those who are beautiful, airy, bright, and want to make the world a better place, and those who can only be described as creepy, icky, skeez balls.
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| Ogden: The Inappropriate Yoga Guy |
This is my definition of teachers who fits into the second category:
1. She lingers a little too long after she gives you an adjustment.
2. He puts down other teachers or schools of yoga, insisting that his is the only right method.
3. She never says “I don’t know” or “That’s something you’ll have to decide for yourself.”
4. He doesn’t wash his hair or wear deodorant, and you think you might pass out from the stench every time he comes close to give you an adjustment.
5. She has obvious favorites and doesn’t try to distribute her attention evenly amongst all her students.
6. He doesn’t respect your body’s limitations.
7. She doesn’t respect your religion, culture, or ethnic background.
8. He is more interested in your money than your well-being.
9. Her top shows too much cleavage or his yoga shorts are too tight.
10. She screams out verbal cues directed at you loudly so the whole class knows when you’re out of alignment.
I know this is just the tip of an iceberg. Please add to the list of skeezy yoga teacher behavior by commenting below!
he basically gives you an in class private ignoring the rest of the class.
he gives you a hug for just a wee bit too long, perhaps while groaning in your ear slightly.
she calls the center when her workshop hasn't sold out, telling you in a slightly manic, rather sharp tone, to "encourage" everyone who walks through the door to sign up, and to then scold/"remind" teachers, because they clearly haven't been announcing it in their classes.
she fires yoga teachers in such a rip-apart-their-soul way that the teacher breaks down hysterical, in tears.
she refuses to recognize that anyone might teach in a different style from her exacting method.
just a few from over the years… 🙂
At the teacher training retreat your teacher encourages you to participate in an "art" project- Plaster casting body parts. The human body is beautiful but believe me this can get sticky and icky!
When you arrive on time at the yoga studio to take a scheduled class, you find your teacher has posted a cryptic sign that sounds like it was written by Patanjali- The yoga studio is now closed!
Your teacher decides to discuss the chakras and starts yelling- "The muladhara is nothing but S—- S—- S—-, that's all it is."
I swear all these things have happened to me.
Wow. Those are some horror stories! I guess I've been pretty lucky and haven't run into too many skeezy teachers. But I've always got my eye out–especially during times like this when I'm looking for a new studio and new teacher!
maybe not that skeezy, but a teacher who feels the need to "adjust" you in savasana. leave me alone.
how about a yoga studio owner who fires teachers in emails….sent in the middle of the night….
can you say "totally dysfunctional"?
I love this post. What's funny is that some teachers can so certain things (flirt/offer philosophy etc) and it's somehow genuine. And others it comes out as pure skeez. There is one teach who constantly tells us to smile and doesn't stop talking and I spend the whole class annoyed by him, unable to breathe or do any yogi-like things. He gets my skeez vote but other seem to like him, ew.
Doesn't honor your body's limitations – A #1 on my list.
Never being able to say they don't know something – #2.