Yoga Amidst the Messiness of Life
Thoughts on yoga life, teaching yoga, and yoga class management
We were talking in a group coaching session the other day about the challenges of teaching in-home sessions where kids and pets are interrupting, phones are ringing, and there is in an air of general household chaos while we are trying to guide a yoga practice. This also comes up in studio/gym classes where smart watches are pinging notifications, people are arriving late or leaving before Savasana, or noises from outside the space are intruding.
I recognize how challenging these class management issues are. Some are things that are out of our control, like if you are teaching in a fitness space the sounds of people smashing weights and loud music are not really something you can prevent. But for those areas that we do have some control of, as a teacher, you can set some ground rules about how students engage in your classes or private sessions.
However…
I have worked with many people who sometimes have to have their phones nearby. They are a first responder on call, or they are a care provider who might need to respond to an emergency, or they are an entrepreneur waiting for a life-changing call. I can hold space for that.
I work with people whose only opportunity to practice is while the kids are running around, the dog keeps trying to get on the mat, and our only space to practice is between the sofa and the coffee table. I can hold space for that too.
If I make these little inconveniences or disruptions a deal breaker to my teaching, that might mean they are a yoga-breaker for those students whose lives aren’t as peaceful as a yoga studio. If I make it seem as though to practice yoga things have to be “perfect”, those students may not participate, and then they won’t have the benefit of yoga to help them manage their busy lives.
The fact that we’ve made yoga (in the West) a practice that students feel can only be done in certain spaces, under certain circumstances, wearing certain clothes, is an obstacle to practice. If we want yoga to be more inclusive and accessible, we have to fit into people’s real, messy lives.
I have a theory that yoga is a lot easier in a remote, mountaintop ashram, where everything is designed for your perfect yoga or meditation practice. But, for most of us, we are rarely practicing in the ashram, more often in the studio, gym, or at home, where other people’s needs, wants, and messiness can intrude on that “perfect” yoga space.
If we wait for the picture-perfect uninterrupted time and space, where there aren’t cereal bits on the floor and no one is asking for a sandwich and the washing machine isn’t singing it’s end of cycle song, we might never get on the mat at all!
Life is messy, and practicing yoga amidst that mess is a challenge, but that’s what makes it a yoga practice. To practice staying present both with our body, mind, and breath and with the movement of life without rejecting either is yoga.
I remember practicing in a studio where there was a fire station down the road. At first, the occasional blast of the sirens would really disturb me. Don’t they know we’re doing yoga! I actually contemplated finding a studio where there was less noise. But, of course, I calmed down and began to appreciate not just that people’s fires were being put out (the most important part of this story), but that I was able to practice safely in this studio amidst a whole community of people and systems that were operating as they needed to. Life was still going on around me while I moved and meditated, and that was a good thing. I was part of a community, my practice was part of the community, and we could all go about our business together without denying each other’s needs.
Yoga doesn’t happen in a vacuum, outside of the context and content of our lives – and it shouldn’t. How good is my ability to withdraw my senses (Pratyahara) or concentrate (Dharana) if I can’t allow for my cat to come and join my home practice, or stay present while someone’s phone is pinging next to me in the studio?
Setting Boundaries
Having said all that, yes, I do think we should try to establish some boundaries or practice guidelines for our classes so that we can keep our practice space safe, clean, tidy, and as free from distractions as possible.
In my own experience teaching in people’s home, offices, and in studio classes, I try to establish some boundaries, ensure that students understand the benefit of taking a break from notifications and interruptions, but allow people to make their own choices.
If I’m not sure why someone has their phone on vibrate, I can ask privately and they might have a genuine need. I can work with that.
If I’m not sure why someone is always late, or leaves early, I can ask privately and they might have a genuine need. I can work with that too.
Most times, I don’t ask. I accept that my students are adults, making adult choices. Those choices might change over time as they develop a practice, or they might not. I only ask that all students follow the class guidance to do their best to not disturb the practice of their fellow yogis.
I hope to create a class culture where people are respectful of their fellow practitioners, and that my class community can hold space for the little disruptions that will inevitably occur amidst the messiness of life.
So, yes, set some boundaries or ground rules, but allow for life – messy, chaotic, noisy, joyful life.
To me, that’s yoga.
Heather Agnew, Senior Yoga Trainer, ERYT-500, Yoga Trinity
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