Like the strongly pitta personality that insists they are only fulfilled by hot fast-paced practices, or the kapha person that revels in restorative classes, it seems many high tech employees want yoga classes they give only part of their attention to. According to Alice Van Ness, the now infamous yoga teacher, coming in late, leaving early, and an inability abandon phones or relax are overwhelmingly common with this crowd.

Some believe that distracted yoga is better than no yoga at all; yet the pitta person still needs cooling, the kapha person still needs cardio exercise, and the obsessive multi-tasker still needs to practice stillness and focus. This is how we achieve balance; we include in our practice not just the things we like, want, or find easy, but the things that may be uncomfortable or don’t come as easily to us.

Most yoga teachers truly want to help their students achieve this balance. When the woman pulled her phone out in the midst of half moon pose, the teacher said nothing. She only gave her a look; granted, it was the look that both parents and teachers know, the look that says ‘you know better’. What many children and students don’t understand is how much caring can be behind those looks. Van Ness later commented, “Really? Your e-mail is more important than understanding your body? It’s more important than taking time for you? It’s more important than everyone else here?” Clearly not understanding this concept, the student reported that she felt Van Ness made a spectacle of her. If she still doesn’t get it, the irony of the situation is probably passing her by, too.

We are clearly a culture out of balance when we can complain about the negative consequences of our own bad behavior and expect someone else to be punished. Companies like Plus One Health Management, the company Facebook contracts to teach fitness classes, help us perpetuate our imbalances. In response to the firing of Van Ness they commented, “unless a client requires us to specifically say no to something, we prefer to say yes whenever possible.” Even if that means running towards those imbalances full steam ahead.

PremaIsTheWay: ...

If the teacher actually said all those things in front of the class and scolded her about her behavior in front of everyone then the teacher was out of line as well. You can't shame a student into doing or knowing better. Nobody wants to b called out in front of others she could have taken her aside and spoken with her. It seems to me that one bad behavior triggered another. The teacher giving a "look" that we all know but can be infused with "caring" well it can also be one filled with judgement we can't really say can we? If the teacher said those things in front of everyone else they were right to fire her. This is a place of business and obviously the teacher wasn't equipped to deal with what teaching in such a place would entail. It is a special breed of yoga that any truly "present" teacher can teach mindfulness by example first. There is no way you can expect to reprimand people into mindfulness especially in front of others. Peace.

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July 17, 2012

AmberB: ...

It's true, you can't and shouldn't try to shame someone into proper etiquette. Just to clarify, the teacher actually said nothing in class, other than the reminder at the beginning to turn phones off. The comments were made in interviews after she was fired. They are her explanation of why she stands by the rule, and the look.

My point was not to judge the teacher or the student, but rather to point out how hard it can be to let go of things that do not serve us, even in our yoga, meditation, or other spiritual practices.

Namaste
Amber

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July 17, 2012

Timothy: ...

One of my favorite cell phone moments was when I was in a yoga class and someone's phone starts ringing and the instructor said "we are going to stay in this (very challenging) pose until someone turns that phone off." It was said in a fun playful way and the owner quickly took care of the issue and we are all happy to get out of that pose.

3

July 17, 2012

milijana: ...

My favorite ringing phone moment was in a very crowded Mark Whitwall class... as it rang he cracked "must be someone trying to get into class". Light heartedness can dissolve anything. He embodies not resisting whatever arises and therefore not reinforcing it and dissolving it in Love.

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August 07, 2012